Refinishing question

[alamocdc]

Okay, I know the "real" answer to the following question is to disassemble the pen, strip and refinish it, and reassemble.

Back story: I sold a Baron RB in Irish Bog Oak to a customer a few months ago. He comes to me about two weeks ago and tells me he had been carrying it in his pants pocket and forgot to remove it. His wife then sent it through the washer and dryer in his pocket. This pen had been dipped in lacquer, about 6 coats as I recall. Most of the lacquer is still in good shape, but there are a few places at the edges where it meets the metal parts that the lacquer has come off. He now wants the pen laser engraved as well.

My dilema: I really don't want to take it apart so I thought I would pose this to the masses for opinions. My rationale for not taking it apart is that I don't think it will stay together tightly without using CA when I reassemble it (I've experienced this in the past). The Customer Service (and the perfectionist) in me says, "Just take it apart and do it right, already!" But the quick turn around part of me says, "There has to be a way to salvage this without disassembly."

So what say you?

 

[LL Woodworks]

Take it apart - do it right!

 

[jd99]

+1 on take it apart and do it right.

I have a Roman Harvest in Irish bog that went through the wash, but it had no ill effects from it, other then ink getting all over the shirt. But it was sealed in CA. Still use it everyday. The pen not the shirt. :wink:

 

[hunter-27]

Suck it up buttercup and fix it properly.. Loctite is your friend.

 

[alamocdc]

Suck it up buttercup and fix it properly.. Loctite is your friend.

LMAO!

 

[dexter0606]

Yep, I'd take it apart as well.
And when you do that do yourself a favour and either Loctite or CA the parts when you put it back together.
No matter how good a fit you think you have with the hardware, a pen that gets used regularly will almost always loosen up in time. It's easier just to stick them together right from the start.
Although it would have made it more difficult for you to disassemble it to fix the laquer

 

[wouldentu2?]

I have never found the "quick turn guy" in me to ever know what he is talking about.


Now the "i'm tired of working on this guy" is an absolute genius.

 

[Mack C.]

As everyone has said take it apart, refinish, and make it appear to be a new pen. Think new paint job, on an old jalopy!

I can't comment on the use of loc-tite, but please don't use CA to glue parts back together.

Small dabs of 2 part epoxy on the end of a toothpick will give you all the gluing power you will require!

 

[alamocdc]

I guess the ayes have it. She's comin' apart. Party poopers!

Mack, my hesitation to use CA was mentioned above. But mainly because I've seen it bloom finishes even days later, especially if the pen was in any kind of container. So I'll either be using loc-tite or epoxy. Haven't made up my mind just yet.

 

[hunter-27]

I guess the ayes have it. She's comin' apart. Party poopers!

Mack, my hesitation to use CA was mentioned above. But mainly because I've seen it bloom finishes even days later, especially if the pen was in any kind of container. So I'll either be using loc-tite or epoxy. Haven't made up my mind just yet.

Loc-tite is your friend. :wink:

 

[dexter0606]

CA can cause problems but if you're carefull I believe it's the most secure method. I apply it sparingly with a toothpick to the inside of the tube, never to the hardware.
Just let the pen sit unassembled overnight to allow degassing.
I also use Loctite
The important thing is to use something though.
Good luck with the refinishing!!

 

[alamocdc]

I guess the ayes have it. She's comin' apart. Party poopers!

Mack, my hesitation to use CA was mentioned above. But mainly because I've seen it bloom finishes even days later, especially if the pen was in any kind of container. So I'll either be using loc-tite or epoxy. Haven't made up my mind just yet.

Loc-tite is your friend. :wink:

I get it, Landon, you don't have to beat me to death with it. :beat-up::hammer::rotfl:

 

[hunter-27]

:biggrin::wink:

 

[1080Wayne]

Minor caveat on the Loctite . It discoloured some pearl silver Euros that I made a several years ago . Took a couple years for it to show .

Suck it up buttercup and fix it properly.. Loctite is your friend.

 

[thewishman]

I say, cast the whole thing in resin - parts and all. Then just get rid of the resin parts you don't want. Easy as pie!

Thank yew. No charge.

Next?

 

[alamocdc]

I say, cast the whole thing in resin - parts and all. Then just get rid of the resin parts you don't want. Easy as pie!

Thank yew. No charge.

Next?

You know I can do it!!! But I'm afraid my customer wouldn't be happy.

Chris, are you still doing the plexi finish? If not, why?

 

[thewishman]

I don't do much wood anymore, and the only wood I use is stabilized. I usually just polish the wood through the MM. Got frustrated with the plexi the last couple of times, it was building unevenly. Still using my original brew, but the acetone has evaporated out a couple of times, so reconstituting it is probably the cause of my problems. I should just start as new batch.

Making my own finish seemed to lead my customers to think I was more of an artisan, they usually perked up when I mentioned that. Hmmmm, good reason to go back to plexi...

 

[alamocdc]

I've thought about going to only stabilized woods, but that would take my different finishing options away from me. And you know how much I like a variety! So brew another batch and teach the children, brother!