D I Y Repair On A 149?

[Pen Nut]

Well done to you sir ! Proffesionals my potty gob Great when you get to use something that you have done yourself. I bought my tools off a fellow fpn member and got stuck in with help & guidance off people on here and have never looked back. Heres to your next venture

[specialk0449]

Outstanding job Paul! May you use this pen for many years to come. This pen will always hold a special place in your collection because of your hard work in restoring it.

[Paul Raposo]

Well done to you sir ! Proffesionals my potty gob Great when you get to use something that you have done yourself. I bought my tools off a fellow fpn member and got stuck in with help & guidance off people on here and have never looked back. Heres to your next venture

 

Thank you Pen Nut, I appreciate that

 

Funny thing, when I would actually get a pocket watch running again, I suddenly wasn't interested in keeping it anymore. But with pens, every time I tell myself I'm going to service it and sell it, I end up keeping it :hmm1:

[hari317]

Do you have any opinions on retuning the black colour to the barrel threads?

 

maybe using a cotton thread/dental floss to gently run in the thread grooves to remove the polish compound? Don't worry too much about it.

 

Nice to hear about your interest in watchmaking as well, I think that is much rewarding, I have great fun.

 

Best

Hari

[Paul Raposo]

Outstanding job Paul! May you use this pen for many years to come. This pen will always hold a special place in your collection because of your hard work in restoring it.

 

Thank you for appreciating this, specialk0449

 

I still have my first repair inked up, and use it daily. But I never lend it out anymore

[Paul Raposo]

maybe using a cotton thread/dental floss to gently run in the thread grooves to remove the polish compound? Don't worry too much about it.

Nice to hear about your interest in watchmaking as well, I think that is much rewarding, I have great fun.

Best

Hari

 

Thanks for this tip, Hari. I'll give it a go tonight, and report what happens.

 

I really loved watch repair, but I was so bad at it, that I finally gave up out of frustration :bonk:

[Paul Raposo]

One thing I've noticed is the piston knob does not screw down tight. On my other 149, and 146, when I screw the piston knob down, it goes down somewhat tight, so it won't accidentally move. This pen however, the knob is loose. I should say, it's a little tight when I screw it down, but not as secure feeling as my other pens. It screws down flush with the flange, without any gap.

Edited May 13, 2012 by Paul Raposo

[Rowbo]

Are you sure there is no gap - not even a very slight one? My 149 was like this after doing a lube job, and then I noticed a tiny gap - so I reset the piston mechanism so it does not retract quite so far.

 

Edit: my guess is that the spindle is 'bottoming' in the piston rod - this is a very coarse thread so it will not feel as if it tightens the same as a fine thread does. It just comes to an abrupt stop.

 

p.s. I've just proved this to myself with my un-inked 146.

Edited May 13, 2012 by Rowbo

[Paul Raposo]

Are you sure there is no gap - not even a very slight one? My 149 was like this after doing a lube job, and then I noticed a tiny gap - so I reset the piston mechanism so it does not retract quite so far.

Edit: my guess is that the spindle is 'bottoming' in the piston rod - this is a very coarse thread so it will not feel as if it tightens the same as a fine thread does. It just comes to an abrupt stop.

p.s. I've just proved this to myself with my un-inked 146.

 

Hi Rowbo. I checked with my loupe and a light, and there is a very slight gap, but it's on two spots that are opposite each other, while the rest of the knob lays flat on the flange.

 

Reading the rest of your post, does that mean the pen is ok, or should I pull the mechanism and reset the piston?

 

Also, I never asked your permission to post your drawing here. I hope you don't mind that I used it.

[Rowbo]

As long as you are aware that any extra torque you apply to the knob after it has come to its clockwise limit is being transferred directly to what might be a weakened spindle ... whereas, if you did reset it, it would not be. There should be a little axial play remaining in the retracted piston when the knob is tight.

 

Re the sketch - no worries (now I wish I'd made a better job of it).

Edited May 13, 2012 by Rowbo

[Paul Raposo]

As long as you are aware that any extra torque you apply to the knob after it has come to its clockwise limit is being transferred directly to what might be a weakened spindle ... whereas, if you did reset it, it would not be. There should be a little axial play remaining in the retracted piston when the knob is tight.

Re the sketch - no worries (now I wish I'd made a better job of it).

 

Thank you for the tip, Rowbo.

 

I pulled the mechanism, and reset the length of the piston rod, and now the piston knob is "locking" down like my other pens. To give you an idea of the adjustment, in the "after" pictures I posted of the completed pen--picture #7 showing the piston retracted; it is now twice the length as in that picture. I think that was enough, because like I wrote, the knob locks down. It's secure, and doesn't feel like it's going to open up by mistake.

 

I like that I'm getting a bit more experience opening this pen up. I was thinking about lubing up my other 149, as the piston movement is tight, but there doesn't appear to be any holes for a tool. Friction fit?

 

I think your drawing was perfect It told us how the assembly should look, and it was to the point.

Edited May 13, 2012 by Paul Raposo

[Paul Raposo]

Question about lubing the case feeder; I put a small amount of silicone on the threads, and screwed it in back in. Later I was concerned that I hadn't used enough, as the pen needed a few strokes to start writing. So I removed the feeder, and realized that I had tightened it a bit much, (the slippery silicone made it easy to over tighten.)

 

So this time, I used more silicone, and less pressure when screwing it in. Then the pen was even harder to start, and would dry up the moment I lifted the pen off the paper. So this morning, I removed it, used Naphtha to remove all the silicone, made sure the feed was not obstructed, flossed the nib, and put a very thin layer of silicon on the top half of the threads. Then I screwed it home and stopped when the feeder stopped, applying no extra pressure.

 

Right now the pen seems to start writing immediately, and isn't drying up when the nib leaves the page. I'm debating whether I should buy some Vaseline and use that on the threads. The lube that was on the case feeder threads appeared thicker than silicone.

Edited May 14, 2012 by Paul Raposo

[hari317]

Use section sealant(I use the Tryphon product)/beeswax on the case feeder threads.

[Paul Raposo]

Use section sealant(I use the Tryphon product)/beeswax on the case feeder threads.

 

Thank you, Hari. I have some of Ron Zorns' product, and I've been happy with that for my Vacumatics. NeelsK mentioned beeswax as well. You mean the actual wax bees make, correct?

[hari317]

Use section sealant(I use the Tryphon product)/beeswax on the case feeder threads.

 

Thank you, Hari. I have some of Ron Zorns' product, and I've been happy with that for my Vacumatics. NeelsK mentioned beeswax as well. You mean the actual wax bees make, correct?

Use the Zorn product, just a dot on the threads. Excess will get into places you don't want it to go.

 

In the situation, I would apply the sealant to the case feeder alone and screw it in without the nib and feed. clean/pick the excess out and once it is clean, insert the nib and feed.

 

Best

hari

Edited May 14, 2012 by hari317

[NeelsK]

None of my MB Pistons are sealed at the top. The only way it will leak is if ink gets past the piston, which I have never seen happen. I seal the section with beeswax. I take a very small ball, probably 2-3 mm diameter, soften it with a hair dryer, work it evenly over the threads, warm it up again till nice and soft, then screw the section in. Any excess wax gets wiped off and I'm good to go. Havent had a leak yet

 

[Edit] Well, sections for my other FPs. For MB it is just the nib/feed/collector (no idea what the CORRECT term for this is [/Edit]

Edited May 14, 2012 by NeelsK

[Paul Raposo]

Use the Zorn product, just a dot on the threads. Excess will get into places you don't want it to go.

In the situation, I would apply the sealant to the case feeder alone and screw it in without the nib and feed. clean/pick the excess out and once it is clean, insert the nib and feed.

Best

hari

 

Thank you for these instructions, Hari.

 

After looking at the pen, I've decided to leave it as it is, and see if it leaks. You made an excellent point about the section sealant going everywhere, (like a Vacumatic feed :bonk: ) Using it here would be a bit more involved than I'd like.

 

Silicone grease appears to be a popular sealant, and if it fails, I'll go the beeswax route.

Edited May 14, 2012 by Paul Raposo

[Paul Raposo]

None of my MB Pistons are sealed at the top. The only way it will leak is if ink gets past the piston, which I have never seen happen. I seal the section with beeswax. I take a very small ball, probably 2-3 mm diameter, soften it with a hair dryer, work it evenly over the threads, warm it up again till nice and soft, then screw the section in. Any excess wax gets wiped off and I'm good to go. Havent had a leak yet

 

[Edit] Well, sections for my other FPs. For MB it is just the nib/feed/collector (no idea what the CORRECT term for this is [/Edit]

 

Thank you for this information, NeelsK

 

I left the piston threads dry, and no leaks. The type of wax you use, I assume it would be filtered bees wax used for candles? What I've found online are two grades in block form.

[NeelsK]

The type of wax you use, I assume it would be filtered bees wax used for candles? What I've found online are two grades in block form.

 

I use pure beeswax. From what I understand the beeswax for candles might have some additives, but not 100% sure. I bought a 100g bag of wax granules. Bought mine here:Honey Shop No affiliation. I think the granules are easier to use, since such small amounts are required every time.

[Paul Raposo]

I use pure beeswax. From what I understand the beeswax for candles might have some additives, but not 100% sure. I bought a 100g bag of wax granules. Bought mine here:Honey Shop No affiliation. I think the granules are easier to use, since such small amounts are required every time.

 

Thank you, NeelsK. I've been hunting around and all I've found are one pound blocks for candle making. I'll have look into ordering this bag.