Wahl Eversharp Doric 2Nd Generation Repair Tutorial.

[Hardy08]

Here is a tutorial on how to repair a pen I love: Wahl Eversharp Doric Second generation with plunger Filler.

Hope this could help the aficionados...

 

And please forgive my bad English...

 

Properties of the filling system:

The filling system looks like early Onoto's: it is kind of "reverse syringe" called the "one shot vacuum filler" by Eversharp.

To fill the pen you have to pull the piston syringe, then dip the pen in ink and finally push the piston: it fills with ink.

When you push the piston, a vacuum is created behind the piston which is released as the piston comes close to the proximal end of the barrel which is larger.

 

Anatomy of the pen (according to Eversharp's patents) :

1: Disk nut

2: Plunger disc

3: Plunger rod

4: Rubber plunger Washer #1

5: Cork plunger Washer

6: Rubber plunger Washer #2

7: Lock nut

8: Nib

9: Feed

10: Section

11: Section pin

12: Barrel

13: Barrel brushing (AKA "packing unit")

14: Banded sleeve

15: Barrel end ("piston button")

 

Initial cosmetic aspect of the pen:

Here is a second generation oversize doric with desirable garnet shell color, adjustable nib and plunger filler, unfortunately without the ink shut off device...

Two main cosmetic problems for this pen: a dent on the section and some irregular aspects of the facets.

 

First part: pen disassembly:

 

A. Piston button unscrew:

To unscrew the piston button, first twist the piston button counterclockwise to pull the plunger rod, then with a pair of pliers hold firmly the lock nut and unscrew the piston button counterclockwise.

One important thing here: you have to note where exactly the lock nut is on the plunger rod to put it in the same place for re-assembly: if you don't do so you may experience ink flow problems of filling problems at the end of the repair.

Then unscrew the lock nut.

 

B.Banded sleeve removal:

The banded sleeve is press fit onto the packing unit.

To remove the banded sleeve I first use a thin scalpel blade between the barrel and the banded sleeve and carefully move my hand right to left to loosen the banded sleeve. Then when you manage to create a small gap between the banded sleeve and the barrel do the same thing with a thicker and stronger blade to farther loosen the banded sleeve.

Sometimes the banded sleeve is too tight and you have to use heat to loosen it (see below on how to use heat with Eversharp's celluloids).

 

C. Packing unit unscrewing:

This is for me the most feared, most time consuming, and most critical step. Not done properly you can ruin the pen forever.

Always remember that Packing unit unscrews CLOCKWISE!!!

Be very, very patient: It usually takes one hour to unscrew, in my experience I almost spent a day unscrewing this pen part!

The key to the success is to use heat, the aim of using heat is to soften the shellac used to seal the packing unit onto the barrel. You will have to heat and cool the barrel end up to 20 times (sometimes) to unscrew the packing unit.

Always use dry heat (using boiled water will make a celluloid hydrolysis and ruin the pen), never use open flame as celluloid is a furiously flammable material.

I personally use a machine used to bend glasses frames, but the most common tool used is a heat gun (ideally with a variable thermostat).

On the other hand heating can bend or burn celluloid: to avoid this pitfall you must always keep an eye on the celluloid you are heating. A good trick is to use a sharp pool and to push it against the heated celluloid: as soon as the celluloid starts to melt the tool starts to sink in the celluloid: this is a good alert to stop heating and to wait the celluloid to cool.

NEVER try anything (like unscrewing the packing unit) when the celluloid is hot: you will bent it forever.

You must protect the rest of the pen from heat: I use a sheet of paper I wrap around the pen, and only let the part I want to heat unprotected.

 

D. Nib section unscrewing:

The section unscrews counterclockwise.

You have to use heat to unscrew (Cf C.). If you use heat, you don't have to use players to grab the section and the barrel (scratching it...) to unscrew, fingers are sufficient!.

 

E. Section disassembly:

First you have to get the section pin out of the section: use a needle to push the pin. On the picture the pin is broken: you will have to make another one after...

Then rock the nib and feed assembly out of the section, not by pulling it but pushing it from the section back end with a flat ended cylindrical tool (nail punch) and a hammer onto a nib block (Cf picture).

If the feed and nib are stuck into the section, soaking the whole section overnight in water can help.

 

F. Disk and Disk nut disassembly:

Get the plunger rod out of the pen from where the section screws on the barrel. Use pliers to grab the disk nut and unscrew it counterclockwise, using heat can help (Cf C.). Get rid of the plunger disk remnants.

 

G. Cap disassembly:

Disassembling the clip from the cap seem to be a good idea but is impossible on second generation doric (unlike first generation where the clip can be disassembled by removing the inner cap)

 

 

Second Part: Cleaning and Polishing:

 

A. Barrel and cap cleaning and polishing:

Dorics are faceted pens, traditional methods of polishing (machine polishing with discs for example) are not suitable as it would ruin the facets and make the pen round. Faceting the barrel seems to be a better option. I grind each facet of the pen with sandpaper, progressively increasing the grit of the sand paper: I start at 800 grit, then 2000 grit, and end at 5000 grit: the result is a high gloss facet with a nice geometric barrel. For each facet I put the sandpaper onto a flat surface (like a mirror) and rub the facet against this flat surface making movements from the end of the barrel to the tip of the barrel (I never do any rear movements from left to right). I decide to increase the grit only when the surface of the facet is evenly flat and ground.

The inner surface of the barrel can be cleaned with a soft cloth with a mix of 50% domestic ammonia and water (use gloves it dissolves inks but also skin!). NEVER use steel wool on the inner surface to the barrel as it could scratch it and damage the filling system.

You can do the same for the cap, but always protect the gold plated ornaments (clip and cap band) as polishing could damage them. To protect the ornaments simply wrap tape around them. Never try to polish the facet where are the cap imprints ("Wahl Eversharp made in USA") it will definitively erase them.

 

B. Packing unit and screw thread cleaning:

Using a kind of torn pin expel the old plunger washer (see on picture).

Then clean the threads of the section, the threads of the barrel (at both ends), the threads of the packing unit: clean the remnants of the sealing material which are in the threads. You can use the torn pin to put it into the threads to clean them.

 

C. Rest of the cleaning:

Cleaning nib and feed can be done using a mix of 50% domestic ammonia and 50% water: soak the nib and feed for 30 minutes then use a tooth brush to clean the feed channels.

Cleaning the cap can be done using the same mixture and a clean cloth put into the cap, but do not soak the cap into the ammonia solution as it could destroy the gold platting of the clip and cap band.

Polishing the gold nib and the gold ornaments can be done using a clean cloth and polishing-cleaning solutions (Mirror etc...)

 

 

Third Part: Re-creating the missing parts:

 

A. Cork plunger washer turning:

To re-create the cork plunger washer I use The cork sheets which are glued to the bottom of champagne corks (it is a very good quality cork with few holes for a good seal). Use a cutter blade to separate the cork sheet from the champagne cork then flatten both ends of this sheet with sand paper (600 grit is ok). Use a punch of a diameter above the inner diameter of the packing unit to cut a small disc. Drill a hole in the center of the disc with a thin drillbit (the diameter of the drillbit must be inferior than the diameter of the plunger rod to provide good seal. Then finally fine tune the external diameter of the disk twisting it against sand paper (600 grit). The disk should be pressfit into the packing unit.

 

B. Rubber plunger washer turning:

Two or three (depending on the packing unit depth) rubber plunger washers are generally used to provide a good seal. To recreate them I use a rubber sheet (bought on Ebay) of around 1mm thickness. I cut small disks of rubber using a punch with a diameter just above the inner diameter of the packing unit. Then I drill a hole in the center of the disk just below the diameter of the plunger rod. To fine tune the external diameter of the rubber disk I set it on the drill bit and make the drill turn with the disk set on it against sandpaper (600 grit). The disk should be pressfit into the packing unit.

 

C. Plunger disk re-creating and fine tuning:

Cut a rubber disk with a punch with a diameter just above the size of the inner diameter of the barrel. Cut with a punch, or drill a hole in the center of the disk (around 2mm diameter). Set the disk onto the plunger rod screwing the disk nut clockwise (you sometimes need shellac to lock the nut onto the plunger rod) until it is blocked onto the plunger rod and then fine tune it setting the plunger rod on a drill (Dremel for example).

Fine tuning the plunger disk is the second most delicate step for repairing the pen (see second pic).

The rubber disk should not be too large nor too small otherwise vacuum cannot be created in the barrel.

To know wether the disk is too small or too large, put the plunger rod with plunger disk in place into the barrel, then push the plunger rod and watch the plunger disk through the ink window: if the disk slightly bents upwards: it is good, but if it stays bent downward it is too large. Then pull the plunger rod and watch again the plunger disk through the ink window: if it stays flat the plunger disk is too small, if it bents downward the plunger disk could be of a good size or too large.

 

D. Section pin re-creating:

I use a stainless steel rod to re-create the section pin: I use a disk sander to decrease the diameter of the rod, polish it with sandpaper, ad cut it to the size of the native section pin. I then place it into the section pushing it with a needle.

The pin should not be too large otherwise there is a risk to destroy the barrel end threads.

 

 

Fourth part: Re-assembly:

 

A. Barrel reassembly:

Put the plunger rod with the plunger disc in place into the barrel, put allot of silicone grease onto the cork and plunger washers, put the plunger rod through the washers, set the washers into the packing unit, put silicone grease on the packing unit threads, screw the packing unit counterclockwise until it stops, set the banded sleeve on the packing unit end (some of the packing unit must protrude through the banded sleeve).

 

B. Piston button reassembly:

Screw the locknut clockwise on the plunger rod and set it at the same place that it was before disassembly. Screw the piston button clockwise on the plunger rod and tighten it holding the locknut with a pair of pliers.

 

C. Section reassembly:

Put the nib on the feed at the exact position it was before disassembly (some marks can be seen on the feed). Holding the nib-feed between two fingers press-fit it into the section at the same position it was before disassembly. Then put some silicone grease into the threads of the section and screw it clockwise into the barrel.

 

 

Fifth part: conclusion and troubleshooting:

 

With this method Dorics can fill up to 80% barrel capacity (back to factory standards).

 

If the pen does not sucks ink, many problems can be encountered: proceed as follows:

- First the packing unit is not airtight: unscrew section and piston button and lock nut, then insert the plunger rod into the back of the pen, with your mouth "suck" the "section end" of the barrel, if the barrel stands sticked on your tongue or lips the packing unit is airtight. If not fine tune the washers or add another rubber washer in the packing unit or put more silicone grease.

- Second the plunger disc is not airtight: put the plunger back in place (through the "section end of the pen") pull the plunger rod and push it slowly downward it you ear a "pop!" it is airtight, if not fine tune the plunger disk again.

 

If the pen is too wet writer proceed as follows:

- First: repeat the first operation for "pens does not sucks ink" and wait a long time the pen sticked on your lips: if vacuum breaks there could be a subtle air breach in the packing unit.

- Second: it could be a nib/feed problem (check elsewhere on the forum).

 

If you cannot pull the piston the the end of the barrel:

It seems that the plunger disc is too large: fine tune it again!!

 

 

Thanks you, hope it will help Doric lovers.

If you need any advice on how to repair a broken doric adjustable nib slider please check:

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/316447-wahl-eversharp-adjustable-nib-slider-repair-technique/

Edited May 16, 2017 by Hardy08

[farmdogfan]

Thank you for a very comprehensive tutorial.

[Hardy08]

Thank you Farmdogfan!

[Bobby Check]

This is great.

 

Thanks,

 

Bobby

[scribbler4bread]

Wonderful tutorial, much of it applicable to other pens -- many thanks!

[gweimer1]

This is something I need. This pen is among the ones I want to learn in the coming months, and I've had one sitting and ready for work. Thanks!

[markiv]

Awesome tutorial

Very creative with your photo illustrations. Thank you.

[siamackz]

What a fantastic contribution! Thank you sir!

 

Quick question - I keep hearing about the celluloid being delicate during heating. I want to know if the celluloid on these pens is exceptionally delicate ie in comparison with other vintage Pens and the care must be taken to heat them is extra? Or are we just saying that the celluloid is delicate on these Dorics, just like other vintage Pens, and so be careful?

Edited April 29, 2018 by siamackz

[fountainbel]

Wow Hardy, what a fantastic detailed tutorial , thanks for shearing !

Francis

[eckiethump]

Excellent work and descriptions

[eckiethump]

Double post

Edited May 3, 2018 by eckiethump