Vintage Onoto Delarue - Repair?

[tallman]

Hello to All,

 

I am new to this forum.

 

I have one of my vintage onoto delarue pen that has the plunger at the back that opens only about 8mm...it feels stuck....this is the self filling type. Now the pen is very old, should be around 1920's......I suspect that old dried ink is inside. What can be done so that I can repair it? I can fell it is hitting something.

 

(1) Can I throw some surgical spirit or alcohol inside so maybe it will dissolve the ink? will this cause damage?

(2) How does this pen open up? I really dont want to induce any damage or marks...the pen is in very good condition, still has the box with the original papers, no wear on the body...etc....

 

Here are some picture....

 

Any help and ideas appreciated.

 

Thanks.

Dam.

[Inkysloth]

There's a thorough Onoto plunger fill repair thread here: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/98610-onoto-plunger-filler-repair-restoration-help-needed/

[tallman]

Thanks for the reply...but my problem is a bit different. My plunger is stuck....maybe a guide from where to start the dismantle....

[alkman]

I would not put alcohol into the pen as it could dissolve the pen. A very mild mixture of ammonia and water (like 10% percent at most) is better.

 

Also, as it is hard rubber avoid soaking the exterior in water as it will discolor the pen.

 

IMO, you might want to send it to a professional, especially as pens with overfeeds are easy to break.

[tallman]

Hi thanks for the comment..a bit too late unfortunately I did touch the pen with tap water and it was already a dark brown, but now it seems to have discoloured slightly more to light brown....

 

However I manage to dismantle the pen completely...the only problem is that the washer has turned very brittle that is why the plunger was stuck...so a new washer will do the job.....and pen could be functional.

 

Now regarding the discolouration.....is this a proper solution?

http://www.pensburymanor.com/pensburymanor/PMBHRPPNo9.html

 

Thanks again for your reply

Regards

Dam.

[soapytwist]

Hi - it was my original instructions that inkysloth linked to. If you look at my pictures it's your rubber piston seal that has hardened while in the closed position and will prevent you from pulling the piston out any further that it does at present. You need to unscrew the piston head:

 

1. Screw your piston knob back onto the pen so it's fully screwed on, and then unscrew the section.

2. there should be the pointy end of the piston that holds the rubber seal, just protruding out of the open end of the barrel.

3. This bit needs be unscrewed from the piston rod while in this position. It's reverse-thread, so you need to hold the piston knob while unscrewing to create the resistance. If it proves difficult to budge, you should be able to cover the end with rubber (I use a spare tube cut off the end of an ink sac) and gently turn with pliers (remember it's reverse-thread!).

 

Once this end is off the piston rod should be easy to withdraw, as the threaded end is as thin as the rest of the rod.

 

Re: Pensbury Manor - my personal opinion is that it's not much better than paint, and as with all paint you really need to make sure surfaces and painting conditions are perfect to get any result. Does your pen have a pattern on it? If it's just smooth and the name imprints are deep, you could just polish it with metal polish (eg. Brasso). This removes the brown oxidised layer, but of course also removes a layer of the rubber, so use this approach with caution.

 

Edited to say I should have read your last post! Yes, you need a new piston rubber, and also a new cork seal in order to make the pen functional again.

Edited April 18, 2014 by soapytwist

[slippery when wet]

You should also note the piston is sometimes secured with a pin, if this is the case, the whole piston assembly including the rod will need to be removed as one. This will mean you need to remove the rear plunger cap from the plunger rod, at the filling end first. It is also pinned and has a left hand thread. Once this is done the assembly can be taken out through the front end of the pen, after removing the section first. The pins are sometimes impossible to see so a loupe is important in the removal of these pins, they are also fragile. Hope this helps

[tallman]

Thank you all for the help...i managed to dismantle all the pen without any damage at all...and i will be ordering the seal today........well except the fading of the body.....with the tap water...ours contain chlorine....so....

 

This might sound stupid, but have ever someone tried to dye the rubber with shoe shine leather colorant? I think it will work, but I guess I better ask before I ruin the pen.....i mean brown is still nice as it looks like 200 years old

 

Thanks again.

[Inkysloth]

Thank you all for the help...i managed to dismantle all the pen without any damage at all...and i will be ordering the seal today........well except the fading of the body.....with the tap water...ours contain chlorine....so....

 

This might sound stupid, but have ever someone tried to dye the rubber with shoe shine leather colorant? I think it will work, but I guess I better ask before I ruin the pen.....i mean brown is still nice as it looks like 200 years old

 

Thanks again.

Well... rubber =/= leather. The two have very different compositions. I would be leary of using anything that may contain oils or solvents that may make a mess of the rubber.

 

Maybe you could test it on either a junker pen, or some other rubber item and see if you get any kind of nasty reaction over a couple of months? Though I wouldn't try it TBF.

[tallman]

Wise idea......or better I will leave it in its original state after all. It is old, so one cannot expect it to be still black and shiny.

 

Thanks.