I would go for that one. You can buy different lensplates if necessary. Mine magnifies by 5. I don't know what the focal length is but there's considerable depth of field.
I would go for that one. You can buy different lensplates if necessary. Mine magnifies by 5. I don't know what the focal length is but there's considerable depth of field.
I'd add a micrometer to list. A lot more useful then the sac gauges some people sell for sizing sacs.
Jon Szanto (July 19th, 2020)
Looking at the opening question of 'basic must have tools' .
Looks more like a fully fitted workshop IMHO.
People are just making suggestions, very short lists at most. If multiple people suggest the same tool, it amplifies the significance of having that tool. Having spent time in a couple of "fully fitted workshops" of pen repair people, the suggestions so far are very easily within the basics. If someone is going to make a bit of an investment in gathering things helpful to doing a good restoration, none of what has been posted it out of line. Absolutely necessary? No, but they asked for input.
"When Men differ in Opinion, both Sides ought equally to have the Advantage of being heard by the Publick;
and that when Truth and Error have fair Play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter."
~ Benjamin Franklin
When I first started doing pen repair, mainly my own admittedly, I had not much in the way of tools, a hairdryer, a sharp knife, a pick for the remains of sacs in the barrel, an emery board and something for smoothing nibs. A loupe was probably the first purchase. I made do without section pliers and only ever had one pen that defeated my fingers and choice swear words.
I was buying old lever filled pens, 20+ at a time in job lots, sometimes by the bag full, and working through them, learning all the time. More complex pens were sent away until I knew what I was doing but people who knew what they were doing were few and far between and hard to find before the internet. I would never have heard of sac spreaders in those days or using a micrometer, the rule of thumb for me was if the sac easily fitted the nipple then it was one size too big.
In terms of basic equipment I would say that is the minimum.
I take your point Jon that many have found more sophisticated tools to be invaluable and that if they had to re-equip then the suggested tools would be on the shopping list.
Perhaps it is all down to how you want to interpret the word Basic, for me it is what is the minimum I can get away with, for others it may be different.
amk (July 20th, 2020), Sailor Kenshin (July 22nd, 2020)
Latex gloves. For me, they give me the traction I need on most pens and it's only a small percentage that need anything like section pliers.
Cocktail sticks/toothpicks.
I find large(ish) wood drill bits useful when sacs have encrusted inside the barrel, simply find one that goes in loosely and twirl it - the edges of the spiral will catch the encrusted rubber and shave it off. But you have to be very careful not to catch the lever and j-bar.
Most useful? Two punches made of old nails. One for regular knockout work, and the other with a hole carefully drilled in the middle for knocking out feeds that have cartridge nipples, etc. (If you have a friend who has a modelling lathe, that's the best way to make the second one.)
I don't get a whole lot of use for the Ultrasonic but just occasionally it's made all the difference.
And the most important tool you'll need: PATIENCE. Patience to try again getting that darn Duofold apart, and patience to walk away before you get annoyed with it.
The need for section pliers arose for me as arthritis got worse. I used to pride myself on opening almost all pens with my fingers. Not any more.
I haven't seen any tools suggested here that I wouldn't regard as basic. Some take different approaches to the same task, both valid. It's better to have a good collection of required tools before you begin fixing pens. It's easy to break pens if you're struggling with the wrong tools. How often have we seen here someone pulling nibs out because they don't have a knock-out block, the most basic of basic tools?
Whenever I see dental tools for cheap, I take a handful home and only later discover how useful different types are for inner barrel and cap tasks. A couple are essential for ossified sac removal.
amk (July 21st, 2020), Sailor Kenshin (July 22nd, 2020)
Regards, Chrissy | My Review Blog: inkyfountainpens
I collect modern Parkers, esp P45, P75, 105 and 180. I cannot see that the basic tools are of much use to modern collectors.
What pens are you working on OP?
PATIENCE
This is the single most important thing IMO to have before working on a pen!
Don't EVER work on a pen when you are:
a) having a bad day/snippy/pissy
b) in a rush
Ask me how i know...
Second most important:
Google, and richardspens.com
Ahriman4891 (August 21st, 2020), amk (July 21st, 2020)
Another "basic" tool is the pen itself.
For some of my more challenging repairs, I always try to sketch the things I want to remember in the future.
And what better tool to use than the restored pen itself.
These sketches, sloppy as they are, helped a lot when the time comes to restore similar pens.
amk (July 21st, 2020), carlos.q (July 20th, 2020), da vinci (July 26th, 2020), Jon Szanto (July 20th, 2020), Sailor Kenshin (July 22nd, 2020), sospiro (July 21st, 2020)
I'm a modern collector and have quite a few Parker 45 pens. I've frequently used several of these tools on my pens:
For example you may need some basic tools in order to resac some of your Parker press bar converters: heat source (hairdryer or heat gun) to warm up the metal cover before you try to get it off of the end-piece, something to protect the end piece before you either try to prise it off of the metal part or use a crochet hook to pull it out. Then dental picks to remove all parts of the old sac, new sac, shellac to stick it onto the nipple, powder to coat the new sac before you replace the outer metal cover.
Buffing boards, sandpapers or micromesh to remove marks left on caps or on barrels from posted caps or teeth. Polish to polish plastic or metal barrels/caps after removing those marks.
Nib tools for their nibs. Polish to clean nibs.
Sticky caps to replace poor clip tassies when they need replacing.
Regards, Chrissy | My Review Blog: inkyfountainpens
The basic tool list was orginally defined:
Knock out block
Section pliers
Pocket knife
Bulb
Parallel pliers
Dental pick
Small brush
Sac stretcher
Nib straightening kit
Micromesh
We are just left with micromesh as being a useful tools for any of my modern Parkers, never had to resac a plyglass sac. Is it the case that if the basic list is only for lever pens anyway, looks that way.
One tool that has been left out was a 2 inch wood screw which I have fore removing cartridges that are stuck in the battle.
I see that DC Min is not doing restoration for the foreseaable, his need to buy the basic list could be a factor, I dunno.
It's true I don't use all of those tools for all of my modern pens or for my Parker 45 pens.
None of my Parker 45 pens have plyglass sacs inside their original metal Parker press bar converters. I believe plyglass sacs come as standard in Parker 51 pens. I don't have any of those. I don't have any lever pens either but I still use those basic tools.
In any case I was merely saying that I only collect modern pens including Parker 45's and I use many of these "basic tools" for them. YMMV. Maybe you don't use converters and stick to cartridges. I like to use converters and prefer to repair them rather than dispose of them when they no longer have working sacs.
Last edited by Chrissy; July 21st, 2020 at 12:48 AM.
Regards, Chrissy | My Review Blog: inkyfountainpens
Oh come on, it is not a basic list but a list of tools for a serious repairer.
My brother is a chef, I asked him if all his tools were to be stolen what would be on his basic list, 10 minutes later he still hadn'f finished. My basic list would be frying pan, sauce pan, whisk, wood spoon, potato masher, two kitchen knives and a chopping board. The difference is that i am not a serious cook, he is. You are, I guess, a serious pen restorer, I have basic equipment and get by according to what I need.
Never had to use a sac stretcher on a cartridge pen, nor a knock out block, or section pliers, or a pick for that matter. You know better than I do but wouldn't they be mainly for lever filled pens.
anyway.... I am not going to debate with you what You regard as basics in Your tool kit, that would be nuts and the whole thing is acedemic if the man isnt doing restorations, the only comparison I am making is what you regard as basic, or essential, to do pen work is IMHO basic for a serious pen restorer, but hey, I am not going to fall out about this, we can do that next week on some other subject.
Last edited by Johnny_S; July 21st, 2020 at 01:55 AM.
amk (July 21st, 2020)
Oh forget it. Another bloody clown. Why do I bother?
I've had a couple of goes at replacing ink bags on old pens. Didn't have any tools but a sharp knife to cut the ink bag to the right length (talking Esties and Waterman 52s mainly). Can be done, but a spreader would have made it easier. Shellac, talc and ink bags are of course not tools. Love the smell of shellac, was introduced to it in my father's studio.
On the other hand I've really struggled to get the hood off a P51, ended up with repeated soakings in hot water as there was no other reasonable heat source.
Repairing these things is a bit too fiddly for me.
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