What is on your bench?

[es9]

Good price imho. Great price if the lockdown filler is in good shape. 

[LoveBigPensAndCannotLie]

The filler is in absolutely great shape, zero corrosion that I can see, at least externally. I did not take the filler out so maybe there are some unpleasant surprises inside but I don't intend to find out until the diaphragm fails and I need to replace it. I take it that the lockdown fillers aren't always in good condition?

 

I'll admit I'm coming around to vacumatics. I ranted a few pages ago about how I really don't like them but I'm starting to enjoy them a bit. At least with the translucent bodies you can see if you've got a good fill and the capacity of these early lockdown ones is really impressive. Still not a big fan of the Parker 51 vacs though, having a design where you have no clue how well you filled the pen seems questionable to me.

 

I like these double jewel models a lot, something about the slightly stubbier shape speaks to me. Not as big of a fan of the later plastic filler ones aesthetically. 

[VacNut]

That’s not a bad price. The $80 would also be a good price if the barrel didn’t have the bulge. The filler should be a lockdown.

The standard size pens came in black, brown, and grey. I think the emerald and red only came in the speedline filler.

 

There is also a mythic blue Shadow Wave out there in the world.

[LoveBigPensAndCannotLie]

I found a picture of the blue/multi-color shadowwave pen by Googling... wow. Shame this wasn't a regular production model, it's gorgeous. Guess they didn't think it would do well (although I am pretty sure it is the same material as the blue Duovac).

 

This black pen is rather boring but still cool when you hold it up to the light.

[es9]

11 hours ago, LoveBigPensAndCannotLie said:

The filler is in absolutely great shape, zero corrosion that I can see, at least externally. I did not take the filler out so maybe there are some unpleasant surprises inside but I don't intend to find out until the diaphragm fails and I need to replace it. I take it that the lockdown fillers aren't always in good condition?

It’s usually the part inside that you can’t see, where the diaphragm pushes in, that’s the bigger problem. Anecdotally based purely upon my own experience, the aluminum ones tend to be higher risk. Assuming the nib is in good shape, I’d still pay that price for the various other parts. 

[Ron Z]

The problem is that when the diaphragm fails, ink leaks into the end of the pump, or between the cone and the tube, and the aluminum corrodes.  Sometimes the pump corrodes in place and is all but impossible to dislodge. (DON'T pound on it with a hammer to get it loose!) If you do get it to come loose, the slot is often eaten away, so the bar jams in the slot.  You usually don't see it until you get the filler out of the barrel.  There are reproduction 2nd generation pumps out there, but to my knowledge nobody has made reproduction lockdown fillers, which is why ones in good condition usually go for more than you paid for your pen.

[gweimer1]

Just for the learning, I decided to make my own shellac.  It came out pretty good, and is holding on the pair of pens I fixed this morning.

[LoveBigPensAndCannotLie]

1 hour ago, Ron Z said:

The problem is that when the diaphragm fails, ink leaks into the end of the pump, or between the cone and the tube, and the aluminum corrodes.  Sometimes the pump corrodes in place and is all but impossible to dislodge. (DON'T pound on it with a hammer to get it loose!) If you do get it to come loose, the slot is often eaten away, so the bar jams in the slot.  You usually don't see it until you get the filler out of the barrel.  There are reproduction 2nd generation pumps out there, but to my knowledge nobody has made reproduction lockdown fillers, which is why ones in good condition usually go for more than you paid for your pen.

 

Hmm, good to know. Well, it seems fine for now so I'll leave it alone. No need to give myself more problems.

[VacNut]

10 hours ago, LoveBigPensAndCannotLie said:

I found a picture of the blue/multi-color shadowwave pen by Googling... wow. Shame this wasn't a regular production model, it's gorgeous. Guess they didn't think it would do well (although I am pretty sure it is the same material as the blue Duovac).

 

This black pen is rather boring but still cool when you hold it up to the light.

I am not sure which photos the of the Blue Shadowwave you are referencing, but I am not aware of any photos of the pen. The pen is the longer speedline Shadowwave model. It is very similar to the grey model, but in a different color with a transparent barrel. It does not look like the later Duofolds.

[VacNut]

1 hour ago, gweimer1 said:

Just for the learning, I decided to make my own shellac.  It came out pretty good, and is holding on the pair of pens I fixed this morning.

You created your own formulation or made a solution from the dry flakes? Very impressive if you made your own formula.

[gweimer1]

Made from flakes and food grade ethanol.  I really have no need of a fifth of Everclear in my basement.

[VacNut]

2 hours ago, Ron Z said:

The problem is that when the diaphragm fails, ink leaks into the end of the pump, or between the cone and the tube, and the aluminum corrodes.  Sometimes the pump corrodes in place and is all but impossible to dislodge. (DON'T pound on it with a hammer to get it loose!) If you do get it to come loose, the slot is often eaten away, so the bar jams in the slot.  You usually don't see it until you get the filler out of the barrel.  There are reproduction 2nd generation pumps out there, but to my knowledge nobody has made reproduction lockdown fillers, which is why ones in good condition usually go for more than you paid for your pen.

There are titanium replacement lockdowns on auction sites, but I have no proof they are functional or appropriate.

[LoveBigPensAndCannotLie]

This is probably a dumb question, but in a pinch would a speedline filler be able to replace the lockdown filler? I would think the length of the filler would be similar, and the blindcap would hold down the filler when it is screwed in. Not ideal but would it work?

 

To be clear this isn't something I'm planning to try but I was curious if it would work.

[gweimer1]

I doubt it.  The lockdown allows for the short blind cap.  Trying to use a speedline would have you ejecting ink from the pen in order to screw on the blind cap, more than you would want, and it puts pressure on the threads.

[VacNut]

18 hours ago, LoveBigPensAndCannotLie said:

I found a picture of the blue/multi-color shadowwave pen by Googling... wow. Shame this wasn't a regular production model, it's gorgeous. Guess they didn't think it would do well (although I am pretty sure it is the same material as the blue Duovac).

 

This black pen is rather boring but still cool when you hold it up to the light.

A black shadow wave pen with an unambered barrel is quite dramatic, similar to a black candy-stripe vac. I think there are pics of a barrel with better than average transparency on this forum. 

[VacNut]

The speed line filler would work in place of a lockdown filler, but I would personally swap it out as a good alum speed line filler is more uncommon than a lockdown filler. 
I would agree there is more pressure on the end cap threads, but I am not sure of the long term impacts, since it is not a a lot of force. Come to think of it, I don’t think I have ever encountered worn threads on the end cap. The filler nut threads may be worn, but that is because of the vac wrenches.

There would be less wear on the diaphragm since the speed line filler does not stretch the diaphragm when not used.

 

[gweimer1]

1 minute ago, VacNut said:

There would be less wear on the diaphragm since the speed line filler does not stretch the diaphragm when not used.

 

If you replace a lockdown with a speedline, and still retain the short blind cap, the diaphragm will get the same amount of stretching, along with the hassle of keeping the plunger depressed while putting the blind cap on.

[Ron Z]

7 minutes ago, VacNut said:

I don’t think I have ever encountered worn threads on the end cap.

 I have.  I've had to replace the inside threads on a Maxima blind cap.

 

A Speedline filler in an early pen would mean that the pump and diaphragm are always in tension because the blind cap is holding the pump down,  and anytime you fiddle with the blind cap you have an absolute mess at the front end.  I've seen the mess that you get when you screw the blind cap down on a pump with worn notches, so that it sticks up higher than it should so gets pushed down.  If that wasn't fixed before I sent it out, or if I put a Speedline instead, the pen would boomerang for a warranty repair or redo.

[FarmBoy]

I thought someone wrote an article on fillers. I should go look. 
 

A lockdown could be made by adding notches to a Speedline. But why would you?

[es9]

1 hour ago, FarmBoy said:

I thought someone wrote an article on fillers. I should go look. 

It’s a good one. I have a copy if you need to borrow it.