Platinum Converter Malfunctions?

[ENewton]

Hello.

 

Sometime last spring I bought a Platinum Balance pen, which came equipped with a converter. I used the pen for a few months with Iroshizuku Kujaku ink, until one day the converter just stopped working, in the sense that the mechanism would no longer move down and up. Surprised, because I have been using fountain pens for over twenty years and have never had a converter fail before, I went to my local brick and mortar pen shop and asked whether defects with Platinum converters are common. The salesperson said no and sold me a replacement.

 

Assuming that my bad experience had been a fluke, I installed the new converter and inked up the pen with R & K Scabiosa. (Yes, I had flushed it well beforehand.) For another few months, I wrote with the pen on a daily basis. Then I emptied and flushed it because I knew I would be traveling, and I didn't want to leave the pen inked in my absence.

 

It was just a few minutes ago that I brought out the pen, with the intent to fill it with Scabiosa again. To my surprise, the mechanism would not move up and down as expected, and then suddenly the converter literally came apart in my hand.

 

Is it common to have problems like this with the converter for the Platinum Balance?

 

I might have suspected a connection with the use of an iron gall ink, except that I'd been using only Kujaku when the first converter failed.

 

I await your wisdom.

[Algester]

I suspect you lost the lubrication of your converter the good thing is that these converters are easily dismantled so should you need to lubricate the parts

if your a long time user then I suspect that you have silicone grease in your house

and as long as nothing really broke (a broken piston thread)

Edited November 23, 2015 by Algester

[dan in montreal]

Hi there. I've never encountered any problem with them, and I have a few. Perhaps it's just bad luck.

When you say it came apart, what do you mean exactly?

[ENewton]

Yes, in fact it dismantled itself spontaneously. Thank you for the idea.

[jar]

Yes, in fact it dismantled itself spontaneously. Thank you for the idea.

If there was an air leak the piston would have moved but simply not drawn in any ink. Is that what you experienced?

[jde]

Hello.

 

Is it common to have problems like this with the converter for the Platinum Balance?

.

It is not uncommon to have the piston stall or refuse to move as you've experienced. You just take this particular converter apart and apply some silicon grease.

 

That some have not experienced the need doesn't mean what you are experiencing an anomaly. Searching this forum you will find other, older threads on the topic.

 

Cheers!

[Susan3141]

I've had three Platinum/Nakaya converters fail in the last few weeks. All came with the original pens. Two just completely stopped turning. The other will move only partially. I contacted Platinum to see if there's some sort of problem, but of course they said no.

 

I didn't know you could take them apart. I guess I'll try that. But after having three with the same problem I'm beginning to think there's a quality control issue.

 

Susan

[jde]

I didn't know you could take them apart. I guess I'll try that. But after having three with the same problem I'm beginning to think there's a quality control issue.

 

I appreciate that this is an annoying problem, but it is one kinda easily addressed. A tiny pot of silicon grease from a pen vendor doesn't cost much ($2-$5), and lasts a long time.

 

The metal piece will twist off the converter. The first time may require some force.

 

If we had all the time and space in the world, we could do in depth study, and we may find that certain inks, or cleaning products or cleaning regimens contribute for some of the "drying" of the inner workings of the converter.

 

It's hard to say which one thing is causing someone's Platinum piston converter to stop turning because, well, we all use different inks, etc. Yes, these converters are prone to this issue.

 

Cheers,

Julie

[ENewton]

It is not uncommon to have the piston stall or refuse to move as you've experienced. You just take this particular converter apart and apply some silicon grease.

 

That some have not experienced the need doesn't mean what you are experiencing an anomaly. Searching this forum you will find other, older threads on the topic.

 

Cheers!

 

Thank you. I will get some silicon grease and see whether it makes a difference.

[jde]

 

Thank you. I will get some silicon grease and see whether it makes a difference.

 

Four years ago, I made a goofy video demonstrating how to revive these converters. If you need help, check it out or feel free to PM.

[rutherfordr]

I've had a few Platinum converters lock up on me, too.

 

For some reason, the twist mechanism got stuck and I couldn't move them any more.

 

I disassembled them and cleaned them thoroughly, but that didn't solve the problem.

 

IME they're the worst converters I've ever used.

[LuckyKate]

I have a drawer full of broken Platinum converters (including the maki-e goldfish converter). I now use the cartridges which I refill with a syringe I got from Goulets--I've used the same cartridge for more than a year now with far less trouble than the converters. The cartridges hold a lot of ink and have no problems with flow. And they don't break.

[Algester]

I have a Platinum converter at home I initially disassembled it for greasing... it has been left unused for about 2 years since I bought a 3776 century black with SF nib (its the only pen acquirable in a SF nib) since her graduation so far I manipulated the piston it still sucks up ink (and then greased it some more just in any case)

Edited November 23, 2015 by Algester

[jar]

I guess I've been lucky. I have far more Platinum converters than Platinum pens since they also fit the old Aurora 888, 888P and DuoCart pens but so far none of mine have locked up.

[jde]

 

Four years ago, I made a goofy video demonstrating how to revive these converters. If you need help, check it out or feel free to PM.

 

That link to the video is broken. Here's the correct one. Sorry 'bout that!

[geoduc]

I have eight pens with Platinum converters in regular rotation. I've had to grease a few as shown in jde's video (except using a toothpick), but otherwise the converters have been very reliable. Haven't had to toss one yet.

[Sasha Royale]

Respectfully, may I inquire about the flushing/cleaning process ? Starting with the "dirty" pen, what do you use as a flush ? How long do you flush ? How often do you do it ?

[rutherfordr]

I use water, water, and more water.

 

I'm pretty persistent about cleaning my pens, though. I clean them every time they run out of ink, and I keep flushing with water until it runs clear.

[Dillo]

Hi,

 

If you clean your pen often, you need to definitely take your converter and lube the piston with silicone grease. On the Platinum converter, the metal band on top unscrews, then you can take out the entire piston mechanism and put some pure silicone grease on the piston head. Then you can put the converter back together and run the piston up and down a few times to distribute the grease.

 

Dillon

[geoduc]

Respectfully, may I inquire about the flushing/cleaning process ? Starting with the "dirty" pen, what do you use as a flush ? How long do you flush ? How often do you do it ?

 

My cleaning method is pretty much the same as rutherfordr's. I use the bulb that comes with the Platinum cleaning kit (or an ear bulb) to flush the nib & feed with water until it runs clear and then I stand the pen nib down on paper towels until the drainage is clear. I change inks often, so the pens are thoroughly flushed before each ink change.

 

I used to cycle the converter to do a lot of the initial flushing, but switched to the bulb a couple of years ago to limit converter wear. It has helped - I don't need to lube the converters as often.