Need to glue (?) a piece of ebonite on a pen cap

[AlohaPens]

I dropped my ebonite pen cap today and a piece chipped off the front surface; there is material left behind it. It was a pretty clean break and if I place the piece back on, it fits perfectly. Is there a optimal glue or process to use to make the repair?

Thanks,

Scot

[ralfstc]

Hi Scot,

Gluing hard rubber/ebonite is famously difficult, especially under stress (the part, not the pen owner). If you do some searching, you'll find a few ideas, basically starting at superglue (which MAY be enough if the part is not load bearing) and working up from there.

Good luck!

Ralf

[Chrissy]

If i wanted a permanent bond I'd use a two-part epoxy for strength. You only need the slightest amount - there should not be enough for any to squeeze out when you place the parts together to cure. Then it will have gone back together perfectly.

[AlohaPens]

Thanks, Ralf and Chrissy. The chipped piece shouldn't be under any stress. My plan, based on what I could find online, is to use a toothpick of clear 2-part epoxy and see if that works.
Appreciate the responses!

scot

[MarcoA64]

How did you manage in the end? Results? Thank you

[AlohaPens]

Will report hopefully this weekend...
scot

[AlohaPens]

I meant to take some before and after pictures, but forgot - so here's the end result. A piece just below the cap ring sheared off, leaving some material behind it to glue to. I got some clear 2-part epoxy (Gorilla 5m, as that's all the local hardware store had), mixed a small amount and used a toothpick to apply to both mating surfaces. I used a clothes pin to hold things together while drying. I can see one seam by eye (barely) and the other almost not at all. So, I'm pretty happy with the result as this is a new pen and I really like it....!

You can see the edge of the repair on the cap extending just below the bottom ring to the edge, ending just above the barrel ring.



Scot