Ebonite Feed Resistig Heat Setting

[KingRoach]

Hi forum.

 

I've restored a Swan pen which had a feed with an immencely huge gap. The feed has "SWAN" engraved on it, and is a good fit in the section, but I've heat set it several times and it keeps going back to making a gap, enough to put paper between the nib and feed (not as big as originally found but still big enough to cause leaks).

 

I almost thought it may have been replaced at some point and that this may not be original feed (or nib) for this pen, but it's all Swan and the fittings are the same. I don't presume they had differently curved nibs or feed across the models of the same size.

 

What is best to do?

 

Best

[awa54]

What methods are you using to heat and form the feed?

[KingRoach]

I heat up water up to boiling temperature then pour a small amount in a cup

dip the feed and nib up to the beginning of the section and leave there for about a minute

take out and press the feed against the nib with my thumb and hold it there for a couple minutes.

 

It works and gives a very nice fit. Then the next day, the gap is back.

[awa54]

I heat up water up to boiling temperature then pour a small amount in a cup

dip the feed and nib up to the beginning of the section and leave there for about a minute

take out and press the feed against the nib with my thumb and hold it there for a couple minutes.

 

It works and gives a very nice fit. Then the next day, the gap is back.

 

 

Well damn... that's really odd!

 

I recently tuned a Parker feed that was actually pretty distorted (had several complex bends and a bit of a twist), it wouldn't conform well to a newly fitted nib, so I wound up knocking the feed out again, heating it without anything in contact with it, so that it could return to its original shape, then lightly conforming it to the nib by just holding both heated items in my fingers until cooled and finally re-mounting the nib and feed in the section, at which point it fit the nib well without further forming.

 

I have no idea if this technique would be the fix for your pen, but it definitely worked for my issues... if the feed is safely removable on yours it might be worth a try?

[FarmBoy]

Dry heat. Not boiling water.

[FredRydr]

I'd try refitting the nib and feed by "feel" to find their original position in the section before reheating the feed against the nib.

[KingRoach]

Okay guys, I got the pen back in my hands now and turns out the feed did not resist heat setting or spring back into condition, but the photo sent back to me threw me off. It seems that he forced a paper between the nib and feed rather than just let it slide in there.

 

Miscommunication.

 

Still the feed is puking ink like nothing does! Maybe I should have a new topic for it due to title.

 

Thanks a lot for all your help.

[Ron Z]

Check the depth of the air channel i.e. the wide one with the sits cut into the bottom. If too deep, too much air gets back into the sac, and the pen will flood. I find it most often on pens made through the 30s. Try replacing the sac too, and make sure that it is secured well with shellac on a clean, smooth sac nipple. A small pin hole can cause the pen to flood. As a matter of fact, that 's the first thing I check when a pen is flooding.

[KingRoach]

Thanks Ron. The sac is new, good, and well secured with shellac. I've double checked that.

 

An air leak has been my diagnosis too but I cannot tell where from.

At first I though the feed may have been moved in here from another swan, due to the immense nib/feed gap that was initially there. No way that gap simply "happened".

 

The feed is a cylindrical form with only the main, huge channel that is on the top side. I find that to be huge. It's definitely a Swan feed as that is engraved on it. It's like the big ink channel is acting as an air channel itself and making the ink go back out. I can't confirm that of course.

If as you say the channel is too big and making the pen flood. Does the pen simply stay this way, or can/should anything be done for it?

[eachan]

This is an unusual problem for a Swan, in fact it's the first time I have come across it. If you are absolutely certain, on the basis of testing, that the fault does not lie with the sac, you're going to need a replacement section. Feed channels can be widened or deepened (and perhaps that's what's happened here) but they can't be closed up.

 

If you definitely need a replacement feed, PM me with full details of the pen.

[Ron Z]

It happens even with reliable brands. Sometimes the feed can be pinched, sometimes you can introduce a partial blockage in the ink channel. Replacing the feed is the simplest and most reliable repair.

[KingRoach]

It happens even with reliable brands. Sometimes the feed can be pinched, sometimes you can introduce a partial blockage in the ink channel. Replacing the feed is the simplest and most reliable repair

 

By "it happens" do you mean it simply is and that they made this like this? Or that it's been "done to them".

 

What would be a reasonable way of introducing a partial blockage? I don't see how this feed can be pinched.

[eachan]

Having worked on many hundreds of Swans, I would say that a channel large enough to cause a pen to flood is a consequence of someone getting busy with a blade.

[Ron Z]

By "it happens" do you mean it simply is and that they made this like this? Or that it's been "done to them".

 

What would be a reasonable way of introducing a partial blockage? I don't see how this feed can be pinched.

 

Could be either. I've seen it a good number of times in Vacumatic feeds from the 30s, in Waterman pens, in particular, and across other brands.

 

To pinch, heat the part of the feed that will be in the section, and pinch the channel with your fingers to reduce it's size. I usually look for a replacement feed.

 

Edit to add:

 

I just pulled apart a Waterman that the owner says has a habit of spitting ink. It's a perfect example of what I'm talking about. In the picture below the suspect feed is on the left, with its replacement on the right. The diameter and shape of the feed at the end is irrelevant at the moment. What I want you to see is the depth of the air channel, i.e. how far it is from the top edge of the feed to the top of the ink channels at the bottom of the cut. It is significantly deeper - and in my experience has been the cause of a pen's tendency to flood or spit ink because it allows too much air to get back into the sac. Replace the feed, and the flow comes under control.

 

 

 

http://www.mainstreetpens.com/pix/feedends.jpg

[KingRoach]

Thanks a lot Ron! The feed looks to me to have a very broad/deep channel altogether. The ink/air ratio looks to be 50/50 looking at the feed from the back like you did, but the air channel still, to me, just feels big. I've taken a couple photos but I genuinely have the workflow required to upload photos to this forum and use them in the posts. Is there a very quick way one can share photos straight from their phone to the forum?

Edited October 13, 2019 by KingRoach

[KingRoach]

A feed kindly donated by eachan has improved the performance of this pen greatly. I thank you all so much, and especially eachan. One more swan back to life and is creating beautiful writing.

[Tritonus]

It happens even with reliable brands. Sometimes the feed can be pinched, sometimes you can introduce a partial blockage in the ink channel. Replacing the feed is the simplest and most reliable repair.

 

Ron Z,

Your post with the photo of the two feeds has been very helpful in understanding why some feeds flood with ink. I've got a vintage OMAS that has a flooding feed problem and wanted to know how you do a partial blockage in the ink channel - as you are aware, OMAS parts are not easy to source and I'd like to attempt to fix this issue myself. I can remove the feed and nib and can try the pinching method but am wondering if that would change the shape of the feed and cause other issues once it is inserted into the section?

Thanks in advance.

Edited November 6, 2019 by Tritonus