Con-70 No Suction

[sundragon]

Hello All, I have a CON-70 on a Pilot 742 and it doesn't suck up ink.... It used to work a year ago but I tried it yesterday and nothing.

 

I have taken it apart, gently, and silicon greased the white piston's edges and it seems to move up and down smoothly but it still doesn't work any more. I have more than one CON-70 and know how to fill them.

 

Aside from taking the sleeve off and opening up the main chamber, is there something else I can do or is this it?

Edited May 18, 2018 by sundragon

[biancitwo]

I have had only 2 con-70s. From my experience I wonder why they were ever released to the public? They are such poor performers.

[hinky]

Here's a video that Goulet posted. It's a good tutorial on how to use the con-70. Hope it helps 😊

 

 

*I dunno how to post a clickable link. I hope this worked 😓

[sundragon]

Here's a video that Goulet posted. It's a good tutorial on how to use the con-70. Hope it helps

 

 

*I dunno how to post a clickable link. I hope this worked

 

Thanks, but I know how to use the CON-70 This used to work properly without much fuss. I'd rather not toss it if I can fix it, just asking if anyone knows how to service aside from opening and lubing the piston mechanism.

Edited May 18, 2018 by sundragon

[hinky]

Oh 😅 I suggested the video because I was one of those who used to pump slowly and wondered why it never filled properly 😂

 

I'm not even sure how to take it apart. I guess we'll have to wait for someone more knowledgeable to come along. To be honest, I actually prefer the twist converters despite the smaller ink capacity 😊

[Bilbo_Swaggins]

... I actually prefer the twist converters despite the smaller ink capacity

 

You are not alone my friend.

[sundragon]

I am surprised there isn't a gasket or something people have found that causes this :/

The internal piston has been silicone lubed and this unit used to work properly. Ive got more than one CON-70 and its not user error

Edited May 18, 2018 by sundragon

[sundragon]

You are not alone my friend.

I hear ya, it sucks the CON-50 has such little capacity or I’d use that.

[Lloyd]

Look here.

[sundragon]

Look here.

 

Thanks I already did this before I posted the question.

 

 

Edited May 18, 2018 by sundragon

[rutherfordr]

I have had only 2 con-70s. From my experience I wonder why they were ever released to the public? They are such poor performers.

 

I have to agree with this... the only Pilot converters I've had problems with are the CON-70s.

[sundragon]

SO.... I took it apart again to see if I could find anything else and this time I tightened the metal collar a bit more tightly than I'd like - I figured what's the loss if it breaks, it's not working.

 

Boom, It works again! That collar needs to be on TIGHT - I guess it makes the seal work. Thanks guys for all your suggestions.

Edited May 18, 2018 by sundragon

[hinky]

Look here.

 

Thank you for posting this! I've always wondered how to take the Con-70 apart but have been too scared of breaking it. Very useful information indeed 😁

 

@OP

That's great news! Imagine that...all that was needed was to tighten the collar. I guess we're all a little guilty of overthinking things sometimes 😅

[JunkyardSam]

Oh it's good to know how to fix this when it happens. I have around 18 pens or so that use the CON-70 and I like it so much it's one of the reason I went with Pilot as the primary brand in my set of pens.

 

Matt Armstrong (Pen Habit) once told me at a pen meetup that he doesn't like the CON-70 and that every one he's had eventually ends up with this issue. Thanks for sharing the fix!

 

I love the converters because they hold so much more ink than Sailor or Platinum's converters... (And especially the CON-40/50.) I like the pump mechanism because you can always get a 100% fill unlike a twist converter which leaves a bubble. I've also found a quick way to clean them -- I blast water in via a 10ml blunt syringe while simultaneously pumping the mechanism. It's fast!

 

I get a little sad when other people don't share the same love for this converter. And I get a little sad every time my Sailor or Platinum pens run out of ink which is all the time because they barely hold more than half of a Con-70.

 

In the end I just wish all these pens could take international converters because I believe those are 0.9 or 1ml as well, right?

Edited May 18, 2018 by JunkyardSam

[sundragon]

Oh it's good to know how to fix this when it happens. I have around 18 pens or so that use the CON-70 and I like it so much it's one of the reason I went with Pilot as the primary brand in my set of pens.

 

Matt Armstrong (Pen Habit) once told me at a pen meetup that he doesn't like the CON-70 and that every one he's had eventually ends up with this issue. Thanks for sharing the fix!

 

I love the converters because they hold so much more ink than Sailor or Platinum's converters... (And especially the CON-40/50.) I like the pump mechanism because you can always get a 100% fill unlike a twist converter which leaves a bubble. I've also found a quick way to clean them -- I blast water in via a 10ml blunt syringe while simultaneously pumping the mechanism. It's fast!

 

I get a little sad when other people don't share the same love for this converter. And I get a little sad every time my Sailor or Platinum pens run out of ink which is all the time because they barely hold more than half of a Con-70.

 

In the end I just wish all these pens could take international converters because I believe those are 0.9 or 1ml as well, right?

 

Yeah, this pen also has a flex nib so they go through a lot of ink. I can barely get 4-5 pages on A5 with this nib before the CON-40/50 runs out of ink.

 

I ordered another pair of CON-70s in case but they are like $8-11 on Amazon so being able to salvage this guy saves enough for a bottle of ink.

 

Aside from this issue, I've had no issues using the CON-70, and yeah, cleaning isn't difficult and filling is easy if your converter is working or you get the gist of the pumping.

 

I think international converters are close to 1.0ml but I've seen different lengths of "international converters" so your milage may vary.

Edited May 18, 2018 by sundragon

[Tseg]

My Namiki Urushi Vermillion No. 20 en route to me has this converter so I hope I can make it work well and be durable. It sound like deep knowledge is key.

[Shaggy]

I love the con 70.

 

It's the con 40 that I can never get to fill. Must be a bad seal... But I have three of them and they're all this way.

Edited May 19, 2018 by Shaggy

[briang]

I have had only 2 con-70s. From my experience I wonder why they were ever released to the public? They are such poor performers.

 

This is dissapointing. I am considering a Namiki and it comes with a CON70, and i do not user cartridges. Is the converter a dealbreaker?

[sundragon]

 

This is dissapointing. I am considering a Namiki and it comes with a CON70, and i do not user cartridges. Is the converter a dealbreaker?

 

No, it's not. There are caveats to every converter. The international ones aren't perfect either. I just learned one needs to tighten the CON-70 quite a lot to keep the seal. Also a blunt tip syringe will clean out the converter in 5 seconds... Enjoy your Namiki

[minddance]

CON70 is a nuisance to use. It is extremely difficult to clean completely and doesn't suck up ink properly after several uses. Even with an ultrasonic cleaner, there is always, still, remnant ink. CON50 is good for me but Pilot took the wrong stance and discontinued it. CON40 is another pain in the ___, also difficult to clean and dry thoroughly. On my Pilot pens, I have switched from convertors to refilling cartridges with a syringe, and it seems to slow down evaporation of ink even better than convertors.