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Showing results for tags 'noodlers pens modification'.
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Noodler's Ahab + Sheaffer Feed = Good Eyedropper
recluse posted a topic in Fountain & Dip Pens - First Stop
I am among those (few?) lucky guys who didn't have problems with Noodler's pens. At the same time, there are some features that I'm not crazy about (these are all personal preferences, of course) and it looks like I've found a work around for one of them. It's appeared that I'm not fond of Ahab's filling mechanism. It works fine but the ink stuck in the piston rod drives me nuts. I know how to advance that ink to the nib but I don't like the procedure. And I know that removing the breather tube prevents the ink intake into the piston rod but ink can still get into there afterwards. One solution is, of course, to cover the hole in the piston but I don't know how to do this securely and reversibly at the same time. I still might return to this later. Another way is to use the pen as an eyedropper. This is when some internal imperfections of my Ahab (or even straight design flaws) became prominent. It didn't want to hold the ink. The pen was gushing right after filling. Furthermore, once a sbstantial air pocket was formed the pen started to drip the ink. Thus the eyedropper option was seemingly out. One day I've read about using Sheaffer's feeds in Indian eyedroppers and it rang the bell, thanks to, let's say, certain structural similarities between Noodler's pens and pens of some manufacturers in India. I have a couple of Sheaffer pens, which I couldn't make to work to my satisfaction. It's turned out that the standard feed taken from a plastic school pen fits wonderfully into the Ahab. Now to results. Positive outcomes. I am able to use my Ahab as an eyedropper. Moreover, I've finished two complete fills almost without usual problems, meaning no burping at the end! This should be elaborated. When the ink level gets low, say, to the last quarter, the pen becomes noticeably wetter but not too much. During the first fill, when the level dropped to the last milliliter or so the pen once misbehaved and was about to burp when I was writing on the porch (it was about 90 F that day), while inside there were no problems and the burping tendencies didn't reappear when the pen was taken inside and brought out again. I don't have an explanation for this. Possibly this was an effect of mismatched thermal expansions of the grip and the feed or something. During the second fill there were no problems but the pen was kept inside all the time. Negative outcomes. Well, non so far. General remarks. 1) I think people would like to know whether the Sheaffer feed cures the railroading problem. I cannot testify confidently as I don't use the flex nib. I've tried once with the new feed. It seemed that the ink supply got more steady but nevertheless I was able to make the pen railroad, but that's not difficult. So, how the Sheaffer feed affects the performance of the flex stock nibs should be studied separately. 2) Can the Sheaffer feed be used in Konrads? Without modifications, not really. The feed has this protrusion at the back end and it interferes with the piston. The piece can probably be cut off. I didn't try this. 3) Whether Sheaffer's feeds can be found separately I don't know, but cheap Sheaffer pens can be easily bought for a few dollars apiece on eBay. Overall, I'm very satisfied with the modified Ahab (is it still Ahab if it only has Ahab's body and the cap?). I can see it being a frequent member of the rotation.- 2 replies
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- ahab
- eyedropper
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