Early 20th Century Brass and Wooden Rocking Ink Blotter

Description

Early 20th Century Brass and Wooden Rocking Ink Blotter
Measures 4 3/4" x 2 3/4"
Good used condition.
See all pictures for full description.
General-purpose adhesive/sealant for pen repair, including replacement of latex/rubber ink sacs. Shellac is the natural and the optimal traditional adhesive for pen repairs. Great for securing the section of a pen that is a little loose.
Shellac has a shelf life once mixed, and is good for at least 6 months and up to a year (sometimes longer) when stored properly. Keep indoors to avoid temperature extremes and out of direct light. My shellac is fresh, mixed in small batches, and made from the highest quality dewaxed garnet shellac flake and methylated spirits. It is safe to use on pens and ink sacs and will not cause damage to sensitive materials, as other adhesives can. It’s a higher cut (more shellac to solvent) than you’ll find in store-bought shellac used for woodworking which makes it thicker and “stickier”. Shellac is ideal for repairs as it provides secure, but reversible/removable adhesion. It keeps things solidly stuck together and seals, but easy to remove when you need to. Shellac softens with a little heat, and is easy to scrape off.
Because of shellac’s inherent shelf life, my shellac comes in small 3mL glass brush bottles, with the brush applicator attached to the cap. Each bottle has a “good through” date 12-months from batch manufacturing date, so you can easily keep track of age. Unless you do hundreds of repairs a month, this is more than enough shellac before you need to replace your bottle anyway. This keeps the cost down for you, as there’s no need to buy more that you just end up throwing out! You can test your shellac by painting a small amount on a surface (anything glass will do as easy to remove) and if the shellac hardens, it’s still good to go. If it remains tacky or sticky, toss it and get a fresh bottle.
Made from the delicious resin secretions of the lac insect and commonly used as a wood stain and waterproof finisher, although shellac flake is non-toxic and used in some food products to provide a glaze coating, please do not drink pen repair shellac. The surgeon general has warned that drinking anything made with ethyl alcohol can cause damage to your body and the state of California probably has 100 regulations against it. Kidding, but seriously, don’t ingest the stuff. It’s otherwise safe, and cleans up easily. Trust me, I’ve spilled it.