Homemade Converter

[brettttt]

I kind of went crazy when I rediscovered FPs a couple of years back, and I've ended up with lots of great pens that I just don't have enough lifetime to ever really use and appreciate. So I've recently been trying to give some of them away. I have a box of them that I pull out and have friends try out. They find one or two they like and both of us leave happy. Last night, a friend who is traveling through settled on an old Waterman CC. The problem, of course, is that cartridges are unavailable. It has an old cartridge in it, and I explained that he'd need to fill it with a syringe, but I've been worrying a little bit that the aperture will get baggy quickly or that the inconvenience of filling it with a syringe will make it end up sitting unused in his drawer instead of mine. Plus, I have another couple Waterman CCs that write really well and that I might want to add into my own rotation.

 

So I started to think that it must be possible to rig up an aerometric-style converter out of an old cartridge--maybe by cutting it off, replacing the plastic tube with a rubber sac (attached with shellac?) and then somehow reshaping and fitting a j-bar. I'm not much of an engineer, though, and it seems like there must be someone else with a better mind for such things who has already skinned this cat. If that's you (or if you're aware of something such a person has written) I'd be grateful for advice.

 

Thanks,

Brett

[jar]

Brett, if it is the old CF design, our member Lewertowski sells the converters that fit. He's in France and so on vacation for the rest of the month, but can get them for you.

[brettttt]

jar,

 

Yes, it is a CF. I'll get hold of Lewertowski when he returns--thanks for the tip. Are the converters he sells the old Waterman ones or some sort of modern one that happens to fit?

 

Even if/when I get a proper converter, I'll probably have a go at rigging up something like I described earlier. The idea just has me interested. So if someone has helpful thoughts along those lines, I'm still listening.

 

Thanks,

Brett

[OldGriz]

Waterman also still sells those converters... they call them the Lady Waterman converters... I purchased a few last year for my CFs...

[lewertowski]

Yes Waterman always product the CF converter, unfortunately, 2 months ago they have increased it price of 200% in 1 time!! I don't know why.

[Ernst Bitterman]

Because if the thing is too expensive the demand will drop off, and if demand drops off they'll feel justified in ending production of them.

 

I'm only a conspiracy theorist part-time, mind you, so I haven't really polished this one.

[emmetjes]

Just to share some information and maybe help some people, here is a picture of an home made converter for the Waterman C/F.

It is made of a 1ml plastic syringe cut off for the 0.5ml sign just to remain.

The plunger should be left 5mm longer so it can be pulled out when it is fully inserted to suck up the ink from the bottle.

It will contain about 0.5ml of ink. I don't know how that compares to the original converter.

It fits very well. When I started the old pen from Ebay Germany, it was fully blocked end no false air was sucked in.

[fpnnm]

Just to share some information and maybe help some people, here is a picture of an home made converter for the Waterman C/F.

It is made of a 1ml plastic syringe cut off for the 0.5ml sign just to remain.

The plunger should be left 5mm longer so it can be pulled out when it is fully inserted to suck up the ink from the bottle.

It will contain about 0.5ml of ink. I don't know how that compares to the original converter.

It fits very well. When I started the old pen from Ebay Germany, it was fully blocked end no false air was sucked in.

 

That looks just so cool. Is the pen a Flighter model?

 

Welcome to FPN, as well.

 

(Edited for the better, hopefully.)

Edited September 27, 2010 by fpnnm

[CS388]

Hi emmetjes, - and welcome to FPN.

 

That is one cool converter you've made, there - well done! Whats on the other end? Cut-off cartridge?

 

I couldn't find a converter for my old Sheaffer, so I cut up an old Sheaffer cartridge and stuck the end onto an old Waterman converter (which had snapped off at the end and was headed for the trash). Not very pretty - but works a treat!

 

 

[WillSW]

I've done the cut off the end and add a sac with shellac method with a Sheaffer cartridge. Works well. I'd hold off adding a lever and stick with the designed method - unscrewing the barrel and just squeezing the sac with your fingers.

[brettttt]

Thanks, everyone, for these great ideas. I now have three things to try, all of which seem better than what I was imagining. It would be cool to send a workable converter to my friend, and it would also be cool to get my own CFs back in service.

 

Again, thanks.

Brett

[stonezebra]

Just to share some information and maybe help some people, here is a picture of an home made converter for the Waterman C/F.

It is made of a 1ml plastic syringe cut off for the 0.5ml sign just to remain.

 

Wow! That's really clever...

[Ipno Tizer]

That's given me an idea. I could do with a converter for my Schaefer Agio compact. I wonder if it would be possible to jerry rig one using the end of Schaefer cartridge and a Pilot CON-20.

 

Chris B.

[Ipno Tizer]

Further to my post of six minutes ago, I checked and from first impressions the CON-20 looks to wide to fit into the Schaeffer cartridge.

 

Drat.

Chris B.

[CS388]

Further to my post of six minutes ago, I checked and from first impressions the CON-20 looks to wide to fit into the Schaeffer cartridge.

 

Drat.

Chris B.

 

What about the other way round? Would the cartridge end fit into the CON-20?

I know it's got a big mouth (haven't we all?) so getting an ink-tight seal may be a chore. Maybe an epoxy glue/filler would help?

[79spitfire]

I think watch_art made a converter out of a sac and an old cart. Seems to me that would be quick and easy!