Solvents and adhesives for pen repair and plastics composition - project

HI folks!



I started to repair a fountain pen just a few years ago. Every time I have to use a solvent for chemical welding or adhesive for a pen (eg. cap crack, barrel hairline, etc) I need to look around in web sites just to identifying the pen part composition (eg: celluloid, PMMA, etc) and find the right solvent or adhesive.

My proposal is to use the collective intelligence in this community to create a "database" with this valuable information, for any pen enthusiast who need to use it. Would you like to make your contribution?

I start here

Pen manufacturer | Model | Part | Material | Identification of the material | Solvents for welding | Commercial adhesive | warnings

Example:

Parker | 51 | barrel | Lucite (PMMA) | chemical test, spectroscopy | methylene chloride | -- | leave 24-48hs before use the part.
Sheaffer | Balance | barrel | Celluloid | smell like camphor when sanding | MEK, acetone | -- | MEK is better. Acetone may generate little bubbles.

If this project/proposal already exist, just let me know, and I'll remove the post.

Any contribution is regarded!

Same issue with Sheaffer pens regarding acetone vs MEK - the MEK worked much better at bonding the material. To get a bond, it required more acetone, had some bubbling, and left a little "sunken" area where the repair was. The MEK worked on Sheaffer celluloid.

MEK was also good with a Conway Stewart celluloid barrel I repaired. Bonded firmly, sanded down to an even finish.

Something that should be appreciated is that this is not an exact science, formulations in the production of pen materials, particularly with Sheaffer, YMMV. I find Parker materials to be far more "stable" in their make up. Many of the pen manufacturers did use the same suppliers for their celluloid nitrate materials.
Sheaffer I believe had the sole use of their supplier ?
et

Quote:

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Sheaffer I believe had the sole use of their supplier ?

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Well, they tried, but it didn't last very long. When Sheaffer introduced their celluloid pens, the material was made by DuPont, and Sheaffer had exclusive rights to it. Parker talked DuPont out of keeping the agreement.