Coronavirus lockdown work

[amk]

Keeping reasonably sane by doing quite a lot of pen repair and polishing while confined to quarters in Eure-et-Loir, France.

This week's batch:


Mostly third tier pens but there are some rather fun celluloids in there. And a lovely woodgrain Conklin Endura which is a real keeper.

A couple of pens still need me to get the little Emco out to turn ebonite end caps / blind caps.

'Piccoli tresori' indeed! (The box previously held marrons glacés but I'm afraid we've eaten them all.)

What are you guys doing with your self-isolation or lockdown time?

[Sandy]

I'm working. I'm learning how to use digital tools to deliver teaching and learning through the internet. I've got a rough idea how to make a webinar - so, now I have to produce a set of powerpoint slides and work out how to share documents through the same portal.

[FredRydr]

...digital tools...internet...webinar...powerpoint...portal.

My brain hurts.

[INeedAFinancialAdvisor]

right now? i'm pretty jealous of you... i wish i had a stockpile of pens to work on! (oh, and the tools to do so, such as the vacumatic tool i have been putting off buying for over a year and desperately need in order to fix the three vac 51s I have that require new diaphragms)

those are some decent looking pens, especially that one that appears to either be a (red?) Parker Vacumatic!

Currently a Vac is my grail pen, along with one of every colour of 51 (not achievable due to price, but then again, thats what makes them GRAIL pens isn't it?)

looks like you're are having fun at least!

[sgphoto]

I stay busy. I've canceled all client meetings and told them I'm completely retiring this time so find someone else.

I keep about 20 or more unread books (and continue to buy more) in the queue while reading at least five at a time. I worked in the yard and garden today, took the dogs for a nice walk and never saw anyone.

I'm re-cooperating from oral surgery yesterday (with first-rate protection at both the dentist and oral surgeon's offices) as both were closing today except for extreme emergencies.

I have six new ebonite pens on order and one should arrive tomorrow. The other five are coming from India so it will be a while, but a nice surprise when they do show up. (I orignally said four pens, then five pens and now it's six pens. Maybe I need to slow down on pen purchases for a week or two. )

I work daily on my cursive handwriting and I'm cooking pasta tonight with a nice anchovy and olive oil sauce with artichoke hearts.

Talking with friends via phone and internet, watching the movie '2012' ( a great adventure and visual extravaganza), on Netflix, and have on Beethoven and Wagner in the background otherwise.

In many ways, I'm doing the same things I've always done, except the social distancing. One of my favorite quotes is from the author Sam Harris: “Boredom is just lack of attention.” Fortunately 'paying attention' comes easy for me.

If someone wants to send me a couple of old ebonite Watermans with 14k nibs, I promise to get very excited.

Cheers to all.
Sg

[amk]

That's not a Vac, it's a knockoff - a Vac-alike with an aerometric filler that needed a new sac. If I remember correctly it's branded as OPAL on the nib.

Vacumatics are gorgeous. I have a few that need fixing, too - and I have a Vac tool. But I want all my lever fillers done first!

[Chrissy]

They should keep you going for a while.

[Paddler]

We have been hunkered down for over a week now, avoiding the filthy and plague-ridden rabble and I wanted to start on some stories I have been putting off for a year or so. I opened my hoard of pens to see if there were any volunteers and was gratified to hear my wartime Valiant whispering to me. Problem was, the sac had turned to crusty jelly. I needed surgical instruments to remove the sorry thing. It was stuck to the J-bar at the blind end and, as I pulled it out of the barrel, looked like something a crow pulls out of a road-kill. So, I replaced it with a new #19 and, while the shellac dried, checked on my Sovereign II. That had a bad sac too, as did a wartime Vigilant, a Valiant Snorkel desk pen, and my Eversharp Skyline. All this repair work put a serious case of the dwindles on my sac supply.

Now, I find that the paper I had bought for the project was only fountain pen friendly for the front half. The rest of it makes an EF nib look like BB. I have taken time out to compose a curse to direct at the paper manufacturer. I hope their fundaments fall out!

[INeedAFinancialAdvisor]

That's not a Vac, it's a knockoff - a Vac-alike with an aerometric filler that needed a new sac. If I remember correctly it's branded as OPAL on the nib.

Vacumatics are gorgeous. I have a few that need fixing, too - and I have a Vac tool. But I want all my lever fillers done first!

well, from the very limited picture, it's still pretty

I have a weird love of the stacked celluloid pens, i find the pictures of the other vacumatics (non stacked celluloid) to be significantly less interesting. i have yet to manage to get one, due to price, but i love looking at them.

Some day, I'll finagle enough spending money to get a decent one on eBay!

Good luck on completing all your repairs! Do you plan on reselling them when repaired, in order to fund more purchases?

[azkid]

I'm telecommuting as always.

[rocl]

Down hear at the bottom of the world, last stop before Antarctica, the disease has been slow in reaching us. I have spent the week in a classroom full of 10yr olds which is a unique blend of joy and frustration. They seem immune to all entreaties regarding social distancing but appear to enjoy the bottle of hand stuff sporadically, but only was when actually reminded. The supermarkets are close to fully stocked on most items despite some concerted buying.

It still feels like we are onlookers of an event happening elsewhere, and it would be wonderful if that continues for a little longer. Vaguely reminiscent of that moment before a car accident when you see a vehicle heading straight for you and knowing that it wont be able to stop in time and you wont be able to get out of the way.

[Deb]

It's similar here in the Highlands of Scotland. The pandemic hasn't actually reached us yet though the panic buying has. I have enough pen work to keep me busy for a while.

[sgphoto]

Down hear at the bottom of the world, last stop before Antarctica, the disease has been slow in reaching us. I have spent the week in a classroom full of 10yr olds which is a unique blend of joy and frustration. They seem immune to all entreaties regarding social distancing but appear to enjoy the bottle of hand stuff sporadically, but only was when actually reminded. The supermarkets are close to fully stocked on most items despite some concerted buying.

It still feels like we are onlookers of an event happening elsewhere, and it would be wonderful if that continues for a little longer. Vaguely reminiscent of that moment before a car accident when you see a vehicle heading straight for you and knowing that it wont be able to stop in time and you wont be able to get out of the way.

There's an interesting movie you might watch that describes the very feelings you have. "On the Beach." I saw it in the very early 60s and it left a big impact on me. I rarely think of Australia that I don't think of this movie.

I've thought of it often for the last few weeks.

Best of luck to you.

[LeFreak]

Down hear at the bottom of the world, last stop before Antarctica, the disease has been slow in reaching us. I have spent the week in a classroom full of 10yr olds which is a unique blend of joy and frustration. They seem immune to all entreaties regarding social distancing but appear to enjoy the bottle of hand stuff sporadically, but only was when actually reminded. The supermarkets are close to fully stocked on most items despite some concerted buying.

It still feels like we are onlookers of an event happening elsewhere, and it would be wonderful if that continues for a little longer. Vaguely reminiscent of that moment before a car accident when you see a vehicle heading straight for you and knowing that it wont be able to stop in time and you wont be able to get out of the way.

There's an interesting movie you might watch that describes the very feelings you have. "On the Beach." I saw it in the very early 60s and it left a big impact on me. I rarely think of Australia that I don't think of this movie.

I've thought of it often for the last few weeks.

Best of luck to you.

The book is great, too.

[sgphoto]

Yes, the book is excellent. Nevil Schute was an accomplished writer and lived an interesting life. He also wrote No Highway that was later made into a very good movie, No Highway in the Sky starring Jimmy Stewart and Marlene Dietrich.

[Cookedj]

I'm working. I'm learning how to use digital tools to deliver teaching and learning through the internet. I've got a rough idea how to make a webinar - so, now I have to produce a set of powerpoint slides and work out how to share documents through the same portal.

Our district is trying to figure out what we are doing. We'll find out for sure next week.

[grainweevil]

I've apparently been practicing for this isolating thing for the past year. Literally the only time I go out normally is to accompany my old dad to his various medical appointments; as his only carer I can't leave him on his tod, and the nearest other family member is a couple of hours away. Well the last of those just got cancelled this morning. The grocery delivery will be a leave-on-the-doorstep affair, as will the mobile fishmonger, so that's my two social interactions of the week gone as well. So yeah, doing what I usually do - trying to keep an 87 year old with numerous health problems away from the medical cliff edge and his morale as high as possible. It has got a little bit trickier though, must admit.

Could do with a box of pens like that to play with though, that's for sure. FP repair has been one of the things to keep me sane. That and Lego - just acquired a new-in-box-but-box-was-apparently-eaten-by-hippo Aston Martin DB5 to occupy me for a bit. Once it's out of quarantine.

[FrostyX]

I’m off work from covid19 too. That’s what just barely got me into pens!

[amk]

Bon courage Grainweevil. Could you post a photo of your magnificent Aston Martin when it's finished? Not a pen... but ... these are desperate times :-)

[grainweevil]

Merci, amk. I will endeavour so to do.