Tutorial: How to package/box a pen for shipping

I posted this tutorial on my other blog The Repairer's Bench, but I thought I'd share it here too. Mostly since my other blog is still in the beginning stages, and I wanted to make sure that the video got some publicity, being I put so much time into it. :) Anyways, here goes:

Finally, another video tutorial!

It's been a while since I've made on of these. But I finally got around to making this one.

In this video I will explain my preferred method for packaging a pen, so it arrives safely at it's destination. Enjoy!

Some final thoughts for you:

PVC: I do not recommend using PVC to ship pens in. A pen that is packaged as shown above is plenty protected from drops, and crushing blows to the box. PVC simply adds bulk to the package. Also, in international shipments, PVC can actually be mistaken for an explosive device while going through an x-ray machine. Not good. :)

Shipping pens in manufacturers boxes: Another method I highly advise against. Shipping a pen in it's original case is usually very uneconomical, as the boxes that manufacturers use are for looks, and not for efficiency. Often times the require up to twice as much postage to return, because of the huge sized boxes they require. Aside from that, I also feel that manufacturers boxes are not very secure for the pens. They normally allow the pen to jostle around, and I feel that is not a good thing...

You can get these boxes for free, and they come in many different sizes. Just go to your local post office, and ask for some. They'll be happy to give you a few, or a bunch! You can also have them delivered right to your door for free. Just visit USPS.com. Make an account there too while you're at it. Making an account presents the following benefits:

• Your address is saved, thus eliminated the need to type in a return address every time you print a label.
• You can save frequently used addresses to your account-address book, for quick access.
• You an order boxes online and have them shipped to your door, free of charge.

You can ship these boxes via the following two methods:

• You can have your local postman pick them up!
• You can simply drop the off at the PO - what I always do.

I believe there might be a way to drop these off in a USPS drop box, but I'm not sure. I will ask my local PO lady, and I'll report back here when I find out.

Once again, I hope you enjoyed the video. Please leave me a comment and let me know what you think. I would love to hear your suggestions and opinions!

Regards,
Tyler Dahl

A new and improved Esterbrook nib changing tutorial!

So, a while back I made an older tutorial for changing Esterbrook nibs. While it was a nice tutorial and all, it had some little flaws with it. After talking with a friend of mine, I decided to do up a video tutorial, making it even easier to explain and understand! Here you go:

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial! Let me know if there is anything else to change on it. Just drop me a comment below and tell me what you think. :)

Regards,

777 - Tyler Dahl

Have lots more fun - With Google +1!

What is Google Plus One?


You've probably seen it lurking around... You're probably guessing what it is... You're probably wishing someone would tell you...


Today I'm going to try and help people understand what the new Google Plus One button is. It's been out for just a little while now and it's growing rapidly. Now it's getting bigger and making its way to blogs, and other such personal websites. It's a really handy feature but like anything else, it's only useful if you know how to use it.

How to disassemble a Parker 45!

Here's a video that I've made in response to a question from a customer of mine. He asked if I could perhaps show how to take apart a Parker 45. We struck a deal - I polish his pen and tune it up if I'm allowed to review it. So that's what you're seeing here. I'm going to take-down a Parker 45 on camera. Hopefully it'll be easy to follow along in case you want to do this yourself.

What is RSS? Let me attempt to explain...

RSS - What on earth is it?

Do you want to keep up to date on all of the latest posts on my blog? There are many different ways to do this but by far the most popular and useful way is via my RSS feed. Still, the question remains - what is RSS?

It's finally here! - The long awaited bamboo dip pen tutorial!

Took me a long while to get around to making this but I've finally done it! The hands in this tutorial are those of my brother. He's the one who makes the dip pens and introduced me to the idea. This tutorial will show how we make our bamboo dip pens. If you're able to get a hold of bamboo and some basic hand-tools then follow along and enjoy!

Another New Video! - Parker 51, under the hood!

Here's a new version of an old "tutorial" of mine. It's not so much to show how to remove a 51 hood but it does tell how anyway...

This is mainly to show the anatomy of a 51 hood, nib, feed, and collector. For those who are interested I hope you enjoy this!

New Video! - The innards of a Sheaffer Vac-Fill!

Here's a pen that once broken down is easy to understand. However, there's a lot of confusion when people try to describe it without proper pictures or with complex drawings. I thought I'd try and make a little more sense with this video here. Hope this helps.

Note: In the video you will hear me speak of a link to a reference on vac-fillers. Here is the link.

Also, forgive my cheap camera footage. It's not so great... :) At least you can see what I'm doing though!

If you enjoyed this video please drop me a comment below! If you didn't enjoy this video please also drop me not and tell me how I can improve. I'd love to hear your suggestions!

Regards,

777

Time lapse nib grinding video is here! Check it out!

Okay guys! Here it is: The official first 777 Pen Repair Video! This one is of me grinding a fine italic nib. The video is a time lapse, I didn't think you wanted to watch me grind for 15min... :)

Enjoy! If you like this video leave me a comment on my blog please! If I get enough comments and good responses I will know to continue keeping up the videos.

Notice: This video is not attempting to instruct and in any other way teach Pen-repair or nib grinding. Nib grinding requires much more knowledge, experience, and skill than can be gained in 1 or even 10 videos. Nib grinding is an art that takes patience, practice, hard-work, and talent to learn. Be safe, and don't do anything to your pens unless you're confident you have the experience/knowledge to be doing so. Also, remember to have fun too!  Fountain pens are a hobby for all of us!

So, what did you all think of this? Like it? Drop me a comment and let me know!

Regards,

777

Time Lapse Nib Grinding Video Coming Up Soon!!!

Don't miss it guys! I finally got out the camera (yea, it's a cheap one...) and decided to start producing a few videos for the blog! This may become big if I get a good response to it. Expect this video later this afternoon. I've never done a blog-video so things may not work out but if all goes well then I'll have the first 777 Pen Repair video up by tonight at latest!

This video is a time lapse of me grinding a fine-italic nib. I thought it'd be cool to show and I thought it turned out pretty nice for my little camera... :) You will note that the white balance will change occasionally throughout the film... Oh well, if this gets big then maybe I'll upgrade my camera!

Here's a screenshot!

Regards,

777 - Tyler Dahl

How to get better pictures of your pens -The "Pen Box"...

So, I'll just say this up front: This original idea is not mine. I got it from a friend.

All that aside: When I first began repairing pens I discovered something very important. When selling a pen photography is almost everything. Yup, if you have horrible pictures (blurry, discolored, darkened, etc.) then people will not be as interested in your pen. I'm sure this applies to most things.

So, I decided I needed a way to photograph my pens so they really looked good. I'll show a before and after picture of my pen photography:

Here's one of my old pictures. Notice the poor florescent lighting. It creates bright spots on the pen like the one right by the lever where the light is really shining. It's not a "bad" photograph but it's not good either.

Enter the photo box: We see a huge improvement here. Even lighting, correct coloration, and it even shows of the gloss of the pen better!

So by now I'm sure you're dying to know: So how do I build my own light-box? Well I'll tell you. First, as I was told by my friend when he gave me these instructions, read cheap. This should not cost you more than around $20.00 total which includes buying a tripod. That's why I like this method so much!

The easiest way to show you how to build one is with pictures. Here it is folks: 777's camera set-up...

Here's the box sitting on top of a stool. I use the stool to get a lower plane of angle when shooting my pictures.

The box is just a rubbermaid that I got from wal-mart. Around $5.00 or so.

Inside the box, I placed tracing paper on all the sides except the top. The top part gets a piece of poster board. What this does is stop the direct sunlight from entering the box. The tracing paper on the sides let just a little soft light in. This makes the perfect combination for shooting pen photos.

Here's a wal-mart place-mat for about $1.50. Works well as a backdrop.

And one of the most important pieces is a tripod for your camera. This is really essential to getting good clear photographs. If your camera doesn't have a "mount" for a tripod attachment then rubber-bands will work to secure it to the camera to the tripod. I've done this before with great success.

So there you have it. My DIY picture box. Here's a list of all the "parts" you need:

- Plastic box (mine is about 12" wide which works very well) - Around $5.00.

- Tracing paper for the sides of the box - Around $1.50 for a whole pack of it.

- Poster board for the top of the box Around $1.50 for five sheets.

- A cheap or expensive camera tripod (mines cheap - ebay for $10.00).

- Most importantly: Sunshine! You can take photos on a cloudy day but nothing beats the sunlight for good photos...

That's all there is to it! This has been a huge help for me in getting good pen photos. I hope it's able to help you out too.

Regards,

777 - Tyler Dahl

Loose Esterbrook clip? - Another how-to tutorial!

Have you ever had an Esterbrook with a clip that was bent slightly away from the cap making it loose? There's a very easy way to fix that! Here's a picture-heavy tutorial with detailed steps showing how to bring your clip closer to the cap. Lets begin!

Note: Please use gentle care during this tutorial. Performing any of the steps improperly, or overdoing any of them can result in damage of your pen.

What you'll need for this tutorial:
A pair of scissors
A straw (the kind that you drink with)
A butter-knife or any other kind with a thin blade
An Esterbrook with a bent clip

Step #1 - Get out all of the listed materials for this tutorial. This Blue  J Esterbrook (in the picture) came to me with a lightly bent clip...

Step #2 - Examine your clip. This pens clip is bent upwards. This is a very not-severe case. This trick can work on much worse clips than this.

Step #3 - Using scissors, cut a piece of straw big enough to slide over and cover the whole clip. This will prevent the clip from scratching the surface of the pen during this process.

Step #4 - Slide the straw piece over the clip.

Step #5 - Insert the knife under the clip. I position it near wherever the bend is. This bend was near the base of the clip so that's why the knife is positioned there.

Step #6 - Turn the knife slightly upward. What this does is bend the clip upward and create a pivot point where the blade meets the clip.

Step #7 - The, while maintaining slight upward pressure on the knife, gently push down on the end of the clip.

Step #8 - Examine the pen. If it needs more bending then go for another pass. If you accidentally bent it to much then flip the pen over and press the clip against a flat surface such as a table. This will bring it back into shape. If all goes well then you're done! Your Esterbrook should now stay securely in your pocket like it was manufactured to do so.

Hope this helps any of you out there with loose Esterbrook clips! Please drop me a comment and tell me what you think of this tip/trick tutorial!

Best Regards,

777 - Tyler Dahl

Changing Esterbrook nibs - Another picture tutorial for beginners!

I always say one of the best features of Esterbrook pens are their interchangeable nibs. I also get asked very often by new Esterbrook owners: “How do I change nibs on my Esterbrook. I’m afraid I might break it by doing it the wrong way.” So in response to this question I thought I might do a picture tutorial of how to change an Esterbrook nib! If you have a new Esterbrook, but you’re afraid of breaking the nib while changing it, just follow this. It’ll show you how to fit your Esterbrook with just the right nib for your writing style!

First thing to remember: Esterbrook nibs are very sturdy and are not easily broken.

What you'll need:

- An Esterbrook Fountain Pen

- A New nib to screw into your pen

- A pair of ready hands

Step #1 - Get your pen out along with the new nib you wish to put in.

Step #2 - While holding the pen in your left hand as shown, begin unscrewing the nib to the left or counter clockwise. Use a firm and steady grip to turn the nib out of the pen. In the picture I'm holding the nib in a way so that you can see it in the camera. The best way to hold the nib is to grip it with a thumb on the top of the nib and a finger on the bottom of the feed. This prevents the nib and feed from coming out of alignment or breaking.

Step #3 - Continue unscrewing the nib until it can be pulled out from the section.

Step #4 - After all the threads have been unscrewed, remove the nib from the pen and set it aside.

Step #5 - Select your new nib of choice to put into your pen. A 9450 ("Posting") nib is pictured here.

Step #6 - Put the new nib into the pen and get the threads started.

Step #7 - Continue screwing the nib in until it's hand tight. Not cranked tight but snug. Once again, in the picture I'm holding the nib in a way so that you can see it in the camera. The best way to hold the nib is to grip it with a thumb on the top of the nib and a finger on the bottom of the feed. This prevents the nib and feed from coming out of alignment or breaking.

Step #8 - your all done! Or are you???

Step #9 - Look down your barrel and you'll notice how the new nib is not in alignment with the lever. This happens because Esterbrooks nib all have slightly different threads.

Step #10 - Please note: This step (#10) is purely for aesthetic reasons and does nothing for the performance of the pen. If you don't mind the lever and nib being slightly out of alignment, then just leave it as is.

Gripping the pen in one hand, and the section in the other, slowly and gently turn them until the nib and lever are aligned. If it won't turn by hand easily, then you're out of luck. Most pens should turn freely though with minimal effort. Wearing rubber kitchen gloves will  help with this step. I'd recommend it if your pen is a bit stubborn about moving.

Step #11 - Now you're really done! That's all that's needed to put a new nib in your Esterbrook fountain pen! Enjoy and happy writing!

Best Regards,

777 - Tyler Dahl

Filling your new Esterbrook Fountain Pen - Picture tutorial for beginners!

Most of you Esterbrook fans are quite familiar with how to fill almost any vintage lever-filler. After you learn it, it just can’t be forgotten. They’re super easy to use and maintain/clean.

However, occasionally I run into someone who buys one of my Esterbrooks as their first vintage lever-filler, or just their first vintage pen in general. They usually ask: “so how do I fill it? I’m supposing you just…” and then they go into an explanation of how they suppose it’s filled. Well, after getting asked this many times I’ve decided to make a picture packed, step by step tutorial for filling your Esterbrook fountain pen! This applies to almost all vintage lever-fillers.

I hope this is able to help some new Esterbrook owners out there. Enjoy!

First off, a list of materials:

- Lever filling fountain pen

- Bottle of ink

- Paper towel

- Your hands

Step #1 - Get out the pen you wish to fill along with your ink of choice. I'm using my favorite self-restored cherry red Esterbrook and my ink of choice for this tutorial is my home-mixed purple ink. It's being stored in an empty J. Herbin bottle I had lying around. So no, that's not J. Herbin "Eclat De Saphir" if you were wondering.

Step #2 - Open up your bottle of ink (carefully, we don't want to spill!). Uncap your pen and set the cap aside, you won't need that for a while.

Step #3 - Insert your pen into the ink. Make sure that the ink covers the whole nib. It's best if the ink comes up onto the section (where you grip the pen while writing) just a little bit.

Step #4 - Pull the lever out until it stops at the 90 degree detent. If you have no stopping detent on your j-bar, then just manually prevent the lever from going past 90 degrees.

Step #5 - Release the j-bar (Somewhat slowly. Just don't let it snap back violently.). After releasing the j-bar, let the pen sit in the ink for 10 - 15 seconds. This allows the ink to suction up into the sac. I usually repeat this step (#5) twice to fill the pen to the maximum it can go.

Step #6 - Remove the pen from the ink jar. Be sure to wipe the nib on the throat of the jar to remove most of the excess ink that will be on there.

Step #7 - Grab a paper towel and quickly yet gently wipe the top and bottom of the nib. I say quickly because if you let the paper towel sit on the nib to long, it'll suck the ink right out of it. Also clean the section of the pen by wiping it with a paper towel..

Close your ink jar, and then breath a sigh of relief for not spilling any ink. :) Now you're all done! Take that newly filled pen and get writing!

Best Regards,

777 - Tyler Dahl