Pen Repairs 3 - A First Evaluation

[@danielste-marie779]

Jason, what I did to seal the cracks on one of my caps was to apply a small bit of 'crazy glue' on a toothpick applied on the inside of the cap. When dry a used a bit of sand paper, 8000 grit on a a small piece of wood and rotated it in the cap. Seemed to work as the pen has not dried out after 3 months of use.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

Sounds like a good technique. I'm going to leave this pen alone for now because the cracks don't seem to cause it to dry out.

[@dhm304100]

Even if the fountain pen repair ends up being a disaster, you can consider it a learning experience. Just hope it is not an expensive pen!

[@WaskiSquirrel]

True! I try to not have disasters with my expensive pens.

[@retrodonut1185]

Every time you make a new video about a vintage fountain pen weather it be foreign or domestic I immediately check eBay for good deals. Interesting that the pen writes so well in a more "normal" writing scenario but fails so bad at the pier test! Thanks for the video!

[@WaskiSquirrel]

Yes! He wouldn't have much use for it, but for me, it's very usable. And, you'll find that the Monte Rosa is very affordable.

[@andrewcamacho4092]

Some thoughts on the railroading issue: I've used fountain pen ink for pointed pen calligraphy with Brause and Zebra G steel flex nibs. Some ink doesn't cling to the nibs and will railroad like crazy. Some ink clings to the nibs and performs beautifully. My favorites are Sailor Jentle Black and Monteverde California Teal. Simple test: stick a clean letter opener or stainless steel knife into the ink bottle and see how well the ink clings and coats the blade. This may solve the railroading issue if you want to use the pen for flex writing.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

Thank you! I had not heard of that knife test. In this case, the pen fails the "Pier Gustafson test." But it is more than adequate for writing.

[@matthewbeddow3278]

Thank you, Jason. The way I see it if a pen writes well and gives you that warm fuzzy feeling when you use it then really who cares what it looks like. So there are cracks in the cap does it affect the performance? probably not. Yeah, we all like pretty pens but how many pretty pens turn out not to write the way we would like them to. If it pleases you then that is the main thing.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

Yes, I'm thrilled with how it writes, even if it does not pass the Pier Gustafson test. As a writer, it is a lot of fun. And, as you say, that is the main thing.

[@pat412pear]

I bought a cheapish 1960's Monte Rosa that has become one of my favorites. The nib is very bouncy 14k flex F. Great bang for the buck for a Montblanc.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

They really were good pens, and it's amazing that these were student pens.

[@kevinlandon7578]

I know that you own and really like your Senator President. Recently, I thought that the piston rod had broken on mine. However, I am thinking that it merely came out of the tube that the rod guides up and down. With a screwdriver and some Goulet silicone grease, it appears to be working again. I will know for sure when I put the nib back in place and see if it will draw ink as the piston goes up and down

[@WaskiSquirrel]

Yes, I've done that to a few pens. There is quite a diversity in piston mechanisms, and some are more susceptible to this. Your repairs sound like they should work. If the piston goes up and down and has a proper seal, that's what you need.

[@kevinlandon7578]

@@WaskiSquirrel , all works as it should now and I believe that it writes better than ever!

[@penlist2147]

Nice and informative video..

[@WaskiSquirrel]

Glad you liked it!

[@bobanderson7313]

Seth at Grandmia has an excellent video on repairing cracks. It's a bit scary as you have to make it worse first. Basically, you use a dremmel to turn the crack into a gorge then fill it with superglue and sand it down. Definitely something to try on spare parts first. This stuff is quite good for corrosion but I don't know if it's available nearer to your part of the world. www.vintagepensacsandparts.com/product.php/478/37/renaissance_metal_de__corroder_100ml

[@WaskiSquirrel]

He has a good technique, but I would be scared to try it. Like you say, maybe try it on some other pens first. This one is low enough cost, but it writes too well for me to experiment on! I'll check out that product. I have a few pens with corrosion.

[@NelsonFJ]

I have Compactor "Estudante", from the 60s, with a crack in the grip section. I will have to find someone to restore it ... This type of repair is also out of my skill set. Thanks for the video.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

I agree: better to be aware of our limits.

[@arlopalmer8195]

Nice video, Jason! Just out of curiosity and probably lack of experience, why would a small crack in the nib housing effect it? Wouldn't it still be able to write? Or does it just leak ink everywhere? Thanks for the great content, as always.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

It writes, but with serious ink starvation, and I get a lot of ink in the cap. It does not seem to leak on my hands while I write.

[@arlopalmer8195]

@@WaskiSquirrel Very interesting. I never would have thought that would happen.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

@@arlopalmer8195 Same here. But I think it allows the nib to separate too much from the feed, and not go back.

[@arlopalmer8195]

@@WaskiSquirrel Oh yeah, that makes sense.

[@alanpareis734]

Great video, I really like your new (modified) First Impression format with the “2-week later follow up comments. Also it looks like there are enough comments to warrant gathering various “crack repair/filling” experiences, then in a month or two a “do no-harm” video on crack repair/filling of various kinds, with various tools and resources. I’m curious if you or any of your visitors have had any experience with the BONDIC “bonding system” for pen repairs? I am starting to experiment with it. I’d love to hear anyone’s experience. BONDIC (Google it if you haven’t seen the adds that pop up from time to time on on KZbin.) is a resin like material that only sets up with UltraViolet light. A battery UV light comes with the basic fluid kit. It is related to the UV filling material that dentists have been using for decades. I have used an old kit I received some years ago to repair a cracked, leaky converter -with success. After I send for a “fresh kit” I am going to start on some more serious repairs and eventually will post results on IG (avee3138). BTW: your corroded trim ring looks like a job for Simmucrome (sp?) polish. If you don’t have any I’d be glad to send you a “worm” of it in an ink sample vile -more than enough for many trim rings. Let me know. Stay well. Looking forward to today’s dated new PIU whenever it posts.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

I've never heard of either of the products you mentioned! I will check them out.

[@archivist17]

Unless a pen writes well, it's just a stick, however pretty.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

Very true. Luckily, this one writes. It's just not very good at the "Pier Gustafson Test."

[@IAT1964]

If the pen has a ebonite feed, may require some heat setting.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

It's possible. But I'm happy with how it writes.

[@sanatan_upadhyay]

Had same nib collar crack problem in my monterosa that I inherited from my uncle who bought it during his university days in Berlin( 70s)....recently had the same issue with reform 1745, 4823, Beena Lincon....all Which I have been using for last 3-4 years....I think these plastics are of inferior quality as compared to the resin body of the pen and they tend to break if you open it during nib and feed cleaning....at leat in my case... repaired monterosa successfully with DPX....What we use in preparing and mounting histological slides...you know...we science teachers...

[@WaskiSquirrel]

Thank you for the suggestion. I'll try it out. I may possibly have access to some... I agree: these are lower cost pens, so they use lower quality materials.

[@bobanderson7313]

Found the link to Seths crack repair video. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jH_IcnyehdqVlbc

[@WaskiSquirrel]

Thank you!