CA Fumes Turned Platinum Cloudy?????

[kenwc]

I have a Platinum Baron that had a loose clip and cap so I put a drop of CA in the tube and reinserted it. Left it to cure overnight (off the pen). The morning after I screwed the top barrel back on , the Platinum plating had become "Very" clouded and was almost impossible to clean off and polish again. I can only think the CA had not cured and the gasses did it. Is it possible?

 

[mrcook4570]

Yep. Wait a couple of days before closing the cap.

 

[Ron Mc]

This happens all the time. I agree with Stan, wait a couple days before putting the cap on. Just so that you can really see the affect of CA glue fumes. Pull the refill out.[]

 

[gerryr]

When you have a loose fit, just put a coat of thin CA in the tube and leave it for at least 24 hours. After it's fully cured, you will have a good tight fit and can take the pen apart if needed.

 

[martyb]

If you want to salvage that clouded pen, pick up one of those silver/metal polishing rags. I made the same mistake on a Gold TI baron kit. The polish removed the cloud and brightened it back up. Just wipe it with the rag and then a clean rag or paper towel.

 

[ctEaglesc]

Originally posted by gerryr
<br />When you have a loose fit, just put a coat of thin CA in the tube and leave it for at least 24 hours. After it's fully cured, you will have a good tight fit and can take the pen apart if needed.

Any time I have a "lose" fit I want to know WHY it happened.
Usually it is because I gored the tube with my pen mill either from being sloppy while checking the end of the blanks, or the mill has "crud" in the spoon part of the end of it.
I have started using a small mix of one hour epoxy I bought just for the purpose of securing loose fittings.I very seldom need it, but I have learned my lesson from using CA for that purpose.One would think that 12 hours is enough time.In your case as in my case in the past it was not enough.
Better safe than sorry.No CA for this purpose.

 

[gerryr]

The loose fit on the parts is a not uncommon problem with Barons. When the manufacturing tolerances for mating parts work in opposite directions you can get a pretty loose fit or a very tight fit.

 

[bjackman]

I have had good luck cleaning off CA clouding with an acetone dampened cloth, (doesn't stay damp for long [] ) Only on metal fittings, not plastic.

 

[Skye]

I learned not to shoot accelerator in after it a while back. Now, THAT was a mess!

 

[kenwc]

What are the properties of CA "fumes" that can do that to a metal? CA never touched the metal...just the fumes.

 

[lwalden]

I always use something on the baron fittings to help secure the fitting, including the clip and threaded fitting end of the cap, as well as the nib end. in addition to the loose clip, I've had people who do not realize it has a threaded cap try to pull the cap off, and either pull the cap threaded fitting or nib end of the pen loose from the barrel. When using CA, this would cloud the nib finish if I put them together to soon, as many here have mentioned. This was sometimes true when I had let them set for several days, if we had high humidity (I'm assuming that slowed the curing time for the CA). I had a run of 50 pens for a corporate order this occured on- I pulled all 50 nibs, let them soak in a jar of DNA for about 20 minutes, and wiped off with a diaper- polished right off. After doing this several times now, I have switched to using blue "Lock-tite", sold in automotive stores. It's less permanent in case you find you need to dis-assemble. Wish I could remember who posted that idea here a while back, in order to give credit. I've been very pleased since the change over.

 

[Ron Mc]

Skye,
What happened when you sprayed accelerator? The reason I ask is I just finished up 5 pens and I decided to spray accelerator to see if that would help.[)]