Stubborn feed section

I need some suggestions on how to remove a stubborn feed section.
General feed removal tips are welcome. More specific I just acquired a
PARKER SENIOR STREAMLINE YELLOW DUOFOLD. No chips or cracks very clean
with black ends. I should just polish it and put it on display but a
pen should be in working order. How do I remove the feed with out
damaging the pen? I have tried with padded pliers squeezing and
twisting as much as I dare.

Are you trying to remove the nib and feed from the section, or are you
trying to remove the section from the barrel?

Do you have Frank Dubiel's (RIP) repair manual? All the advice you need
will be in there. People here will be glad to help but there is no
substitute for having the repair bible at hand.

This is going to be a tough comment but I'll make it anyway: if you are
asking the questions you already have, using the confused terminology
you have already used, then you should not be working on a pen of that
fragility, value, and historical significance yourself. At this point I
would proceed no further until you learn the proper names for a pen and
get to know pen repair in general and then Duofolds specifically.

If the confusion is just a matter of translation into English, then I
sincerely apologize to you in advance.

On Fri, 07 May 2004 20:47:38 -0400, Quarter Horseman
wrote:

Are you trying to remove the nib and feed from the section, or are you
trying to remove the section from the barrel?

Do you have Frank Dubiel's (RIP) repair manual? All the advice you need
will be in there. People here will be glad to help but there is no
substitute for having the repair bible at hand.

This is going to be a tough comment but I'll make it anyway: if you are
asking the questions you already have, using the confused terminology
you have already used, then you should not be working on a pen of that
fragility, value, and historical significance yourself. At this point I
would proceed no further until you learn the proper names for a pen and
get to know pen repair in general and then Duofolds specifically.

If the confusion is just a matter of translation into English, then I
sincerely apologize to you in advance.

OK, section from the barrel. I have removed many sections from many
pens, about twelve Duofolds. Of late I have had more success then
failures. Da Book has been ordered. This pen is too nice to mess up
that is why I am asking. I have a reprint of the Parker repair manual
but it does not go into removing frozen sections. For all I know it
could have been glued in by the previous owner. I understand what this
pen is that is why it is not open or broken right now.

I guess this is not a good time to ask about Snorkels.

The plastic on a mandarin Duofold is VERY brittle. I wouldn't apply too much
pressure. Mandarin's are better off in the hands of expert repair people.

--
Bob

"Earl Camembert" wrote in message
news
I need some suggestions on how to remove a stubborn feed section.
General feed removal tips are welcome. More specific I just acquired a
PARKER SENIOR STREAMLINE YELLOW DUOFOLD. No chips or cracks very clean
with black ends. I should just polish it and put it on display but a
pen should be in working order. How do I remove the feed with out
damaging the pen? I have tried with padded pliers squeezing and
twisting as much as I dare.

On Sat, 08 May 2004 03:19:11 GMT, "Bob Sachs"
wrote:

The plastic on a mandarin Duofold is VERY brittle. I wouldn't apply too much
pressure. Mandarin's are better off in the hands of expert repair people.

Understood pens of that age are all brittle. Any suggestions on making
them more supple? Also how about some tips on removing sections form
ANY pen.

Earl Camembert writes:

I guess this is not a good time to ask about Snorkels.

Nah, ask away! Snorkels are not rare or fragile. A tad complex, but
nothing that someone who is reasonably methodical can't handle. A
Mandarin Yellow Senior Duofold is a different story and raises hair
all around when it comes to taking it apart. That yellow plastic can
be so very fragile...

On Fri, 07 May 2004 23:05:18 -0500, Tim McNamara
wrote:

Earl Camembert writes:

I guess this is not a good time to ask about Snorkels.

Nah, ask away! Snorkels are not rare or fragile. A tad complex, but
nothing that someone who is reasonably methodical can't handle. A
Mandarin Yellow Senior Duofold is a different story and raises hair
all around when it comes to taking it apart. That yellow plastic can
be so very fragile...

Is it more fragile then the orange, black or green? My yellow pen does
seem to have a lot of life in it.

Earl Camembert wrote:

Is it more fragile then the orange, black or green? My yellow pen
does seem to have a lot of life in it.

Although the HR Duofolds are very fragile as well, the mandarins are
well known for their brittleness (yes, the mandarin plastic is more
brittle than the orange, black, and green plastics Parker used). You
should use heat anytime you remove (and install) a section on an old
pen. How often have you used heat to remove sections? A professional
repairperson will likely have a variable temp heat gun he/she has used
on dozens if not hundreds of pens including scores of mandarins. This is
where experience (not just knowledge) can be the key to success. A
person who has successfully restored scores of these things will have
developed a feel for the material, i.e., how much heat to use, how much
torque to apply while removing the section, etc. Some soaking of the
section may be necessary, but, as with using heat, you have to be
careful with soaking. I'm with others here who're recommending that you
send the pen to a professional restorer. -- Good luck! Bernadette

Earl Camembert wrote:

Understood pens of that age are all brittle. Any suggestions on
making them more supple? Also how about some tips on removing
sections form ANY pen.

Read this and other articles on David's site:

http://www.vintagepens.com/pen_repair_donts.htm

Bernadette

On Sat, 8 May 2004 07:38:20 -0400, "BLandolf"
wrote:
(SNIP)
I'm with others here who're recommending that you
send the pen to a professional restorer. -- Good luck! Bernadette

I swear an oath on my Parker "Jack Knife" (my favorite pen) I will
not damage the Mandarin. I was thinking about heat but wanted some
advise. As for soaking what is recommended? I use ammonia and water.