Parker Vacumatic Won't Empty

[Gedion]

Hi all,

 

I just completed repair of a Parker Vacumatic. The pen came apart easily,

and the sac was fairly easy to replace with reasonable suction when I tested it

before replacing the section and nib. I used a little silicone grease on both the

section and the pump mechanism for sealant. The Pen fills well with water, but when

I try to empty it, the barrel remains about 1/3 full below the vent tube. This will cause

mixing colors of ink if I want to change ink.

 

Any suggestions to correct this?

 

Thank you.

[ac12]

Hold it on a pad of tissue paper or a rag, to draw out the water/ink from inside the pen.

 

Someone else will have to chime in on why it does not empty all the way.

When you press the plunger, are you doing it slowly?

Edited November 29, 2013 by ac12

[Paul80]

Hi

 

You could try wadding up some tissue in a glass and then standing the pen nib down in the middle of the glass and let it sit overnight, come the morning the pen will be empty.

 

This is one of the drawbacks of the Vacumatic filling system and why Parker employed the use of a centrifuge to force pens to empty when being serviced.

 

Its best just to stick with one ink.

 

Paul

[icardoth]

You can shake it vigorously, like resetting a thermometer. Put some tissue near the point (to preserve your wall painting), hold the pen firmly and be sure to have enough place around you.

[OcalaFlGuy]

Bet a lot of kids haven't seen a bulb thermometer.

 

My Mom is a retired RN, I used to love the way she'd Snap!Snap!Snap! that thermometer when she reset it.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

[penmanila]

also, as ron zorn will probably bring up, silicone grease is a lubricant, not really a sealant. best to use the rosin-based sealant often mentioned in the repair threads (been using it myself on the vacs i fix, with very good results). here's one such FPN thread:

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/173856-thread-sealant-versus-silicone-grease/

[PAKMAN]

I use the "tissue over the nib, flick it like a thermometer" method.

[pokermon]

You can make your own pen centrifuge with a salad spinner. The thread for it is here someone on fpn, but a quick google search should yield results.