What is on your bench?

[lobster]

Looks like you'd need a necked sac for that.
Perhaps a 15x2 1/8" would fit?

[VacNut]

I do not specifically have knowledge on the filler, but mfr’s sometime will use a push bar or tab to depress the sack, instead of the finger directly pressing on the sack. Parker 21s have a similar concept. The clear sack is accessible but you push down on a metal bar. I suppose it allows a more even compression down the length of the sack.

The adhesive looks like a DIY.

[VacNut]

On 3/1/2024 at 12:02 AM, Beechwood said:

 

Thanks but it is an Aero, The sac looks good, I suspect the hood isn't sealed as it shows no signs of cracking, either the sealing or feed to nib gap

 

The pen is a new eBay purchase so I am not minded to rip into the pen when there is a very real prospect of the pen going back.

 

I feel some guilt as a 51 was my suggestion to an MB person.

It is a great daily writer once it is sealed. I don’t think there is anything wrong with the design or quality of the pen. I use the same pen on a regular basis. I just flushed it out when I bought it 10 years ago, and the pen has never failed me. Wished it held more ink.

[LoveBigPensAndCannotLie]

10 hours ago, VacNut said:

I do not specifically have knowledge on the filler, but mfr’s sometime will use a push bar or tab to depress the sack, instead of the finger directly pressing on the sack. Parker 21s have a similar concept. The clear sack is accessible but you push down on a metal bar. I suppose it allows a more even compression down the length of the sack.

The adhesive looks like a DIY.

 

I don't think it's a DIY, these converters are almost impossible to reassemble and the sac is completely desiccated. Considering that these pens are from the 80's and I have Esterbrooks from the 50's with functional sacs I doubt it was ever replaced. I gotta say, I wonder what that says about modern inks and their effect on sacs. Or maybe Waterman just used bad sacs for these.

 

The Parker 21 sac protectors have the bar spot-welded to the "cage" so they shouldn't come out (although in my experience the welding is very weak and the bar ends up freeing itself). From what I've seen these converters have the bar "free hanging."

[VacNut]

On 3/3/2024 at 9:54 AM, LoveBigPensAndCannotLie said:

I got a Waterman Exclusive, looked to be of okay condition. Tried shoving a standard international cartridge in, but it's too fat for the barrel. And the wafer thin threads on the barrel (plastic threads going into a brass body, thanks Waterman!) have cracked as well.

 

The 80's and 90's were truly the dark ages for fountain pens. This is the last time I get a pen from this era. Why is it that a pen that on release cost > $100 in the late 80's has the build quality of a modern Jinhao?

 

Does anyone know what cartridges this godforsaken piece of (bleep) pen takes? Standard short international cartridges are too fat, standard long are too long. 

You may consider taking a break from the hobby. It isn’t a race and there is no finish line. It is fun disassembling pens and returning them to functional order, but the hobby is best enjoyed at a slower pace (imho).

I just reviewed an extensive collection that was left to the heirs of an estate. There are valuable pens, but also 2nd and 3rd tier pens that are not worth the postage to ship. I am sure the collector enjoyed acquiring the pens, but at some point, the collection becomes a burden to the heirs.

You can take my opinion for what it is worth, which is free…

 

[Inkyways]

I have several waterman and Mabie Todds -Swan pens at the time . They are all for CLC  and New-sack replacements. Nothing comlicating  as ONOTO piston filling seal replacements. I have two Onotos for that work but it is as a late project and they are in a separate label .

[LoveBigPensAndCannotLie]

6 hours ago, VacNut said:

You may consider taking a break from the hobby. It isn’t a race and there is no finish line. It is fun disassembling pens and returning them to functional order, but the hobby is best enjoyed at a slower pace (imho).

I just reviewed an extensive collection that was left to the heirs of an estate. There are valuable pens, but also 2nd and 3rd tier pens that are not worth the postage to ship. I am sure the collector enjoyed acquiring the pens, but at some point, the collection becomes a burden to the heirs.

You can take my opinion for what it is worth, which is free…

 

 

This wasn't really a repair though, it's a relatively "modern" pen since it takes modern cartridges. Well, I suppose it needed a repair after I nearly broke off the entire threads trying to put in a cartridge.

 

I have a friend's birthday coming up and I've bought like three pens over the past few weeks with the intent of picking one to give to him and trading or selling the rest at a pen show. This was one of the pens, modern Watermans aren't really my usual taste (and much now after this experience...). But now I have a pen that I can't gift and one I can't really sell either since I doubt anyone wants a pen with a crack in the threads. 

 

Valuable lesson learned at least, standard cartridges are not always standard and Waterman pens are incredibly picky about what cartridges they take. I do still want to figure out how to resac the converter, has anyone been able to do it?

[FarmBoy]

I’d think another good lesson is if it doesn’t fit force it into submission. 
 

 

[LoveBigPensAndCannotLie]

I dunno, I feel like when it comes to vintage pens, "forcing it into submission" is the right way to go a good portion of the time. Pen doesn't open? Apply a bunch of heat and twist with good force. Can't get the nib and feed out easily? Knock it out with a good whack. Putting the nib and feed back in? Again, heat it up and press it in with a good amount of force. Deliberate and careful use of force is an important "tool" for pen maintenance. Pressing a cartridge firmly into where it should be set should not really break it.

 

One of the first pens I bought years and years ago, before I was into fountain pens, was a gift for someone else; it was a Platinum desk pen. I didn't know what cartridges were supposed to go with it and the sales person took a look at the pen and gave me a little pack and I bought it. I tried getting the pen working for my friend and we couldn't figure it out. Tried forcing the cartridge on for several minutes, to no effect. We eventually forced it on but the pen leaked profusely. 

 

Kind of gave up on it until two or three years later when I bought a Pilot Metro for myself and I realized the box of cartridges I bought for it looked suspiciously similar. Turns out the salesperson sold me Pilot cartridges to go with a Platinum pen. I bought a box of Platinum cartridges for my friend, and their pen was right as rain.

 

Point of that long story was, a $10 Platinum pen was durable enough to withstand having the totally wrong type of cartridge being placed in it. A Waterman pen that cost over $100 at release in the 80's/90's shouldn't be that fragile. But it is what it is, and this wasn't an era of pens I was particularly interested in the first place. I know not to buy more in the future.

[Ron Z]

13 minutes ago, LoveBigPensAndCannotLie said:

I dunno, I feel like when it comes to vintage pens, "forcing it into submission" is the right way to go a good portion of the time.

 

Which explains a lot. 

 

Farm Boy has a very subtle, dry sense of humor, and it often gets missed.

[LoveBigPensAndCannotLie]

I can't say that these days the pens I've broken are due to me using too much force, it's more me doing things I shouldn't.

 

Like trying to wiggle a Sheaffer feed out from the front. Or trying to take the pressure bar out of a hard rubber pen with really thin walls because I thought it was broken (it was not broken, it was just very thick). Or months and months ago when I tried to remove a section while the feed was removed and it cracked because there wasn't anything to support it from the inside. All very valuable lessons.

 

Or attempting repairs without the proper tools, like trying to unscrew the nib unit from one of the vac-fil Triumph pens. And I still don't think that one is completely my fault because virtually none of the instructions online (including Richard Binder's, which I use as my primary source for restoration instructions) mention that the tool is mandatory. But either way, lesson learned, I have not attempted one of those since then and will not until I find $200 of disposable income in my pocket to buy the proper tool for the job.

 

Maybe some of the earliest pens I worked on I ended up breaking due to putting too much force into it but you quickly learn what an appropriate amount of force is and what isn't. Don't think that's really my issue these days. I think I'm just cheap and a little bit impatient.

 

  

30 minutes ago, Ron Z said:

 

Farm Boy has a very subtle, dry sense of humor, and it often gets missed.

 

Oh, I thought he was being serious. But he's not totally wrong.

[Beechwood]

11 hours ago, Ron Z said:

 

Which explains a lot. 

 

Farm Boy has a very subtle, dry sense of humor, and it often gets missed.

 

 

Yes.

[GlenV]

Well all I can say is I've broken a few pens that make me sad, and still bother me, to a regular pen restorer these lessons have been learned already or avoided, I usually think about a pen for a few days to be sure the plan is clear what to do, since I don't do pens every day. 

[cat74]

3 hours ago, GlenV said:

Well all I can say is I've broken a few pens that make me sad, and still bother me, to a regular pen restorer these lessons have been learned already or avoided, I usually think about a pen for a few days to be sure the plan is clear what to do, since I don't do pens every day. 

Likewise! Google, this forum and youtube are invaluable for my limited forays into pen repair.

[VacNut]

17 hours ago, Beechwood said:

 

 

Yes.

Do we need to change inks or give it a good flush to improve the ink flow? Where do we put the bulb syringe? 😂😂😂😂

[Ron Z]

4 hours ago, GlenV said:

Well all I can say is I've broken a few pens that make me sad, and still bother me, to a regular pen restorer these lessons have been learned already or avoided, I usually think about a pen for a few days to be sure the plan is clear what to do, since I don't do pens every day. 

 

I started repairing pens about 35 years ago.  I still think about some pens for a few days or longer before I start working on them!

[lobster]

A while ago I realized that if I go slow and think more about what I'm doing, I tend to do less damage and the repair lasts longer. Since I do this because I enjoy it, it's a win/win for me.

[Beechwood]

1 hour ago, lobster said:

A while ago I realized that if I go slow and think more about what I'm doing, I tend to do less damage and the repair lasts longer. Since I do this because I enjoy it, it's a win/win for me.

 

 

That simile is a recipe for a happier life, not just pen repair.

[Beechwood]

On 3/4/2024 at 10:14 AM, VacNut said:

It is a great daily writer once it is sealed. I don’t think there is anything wrong with the design or quality of the pen. I use the same pen on a regular basis. I just flushed it out when I bought it 10 years ago, and the pen has never failed me. Wished it held more ink.

 

The pen settled down. It had not been used for over twenty years, it had been a collectors piece and sat in a drawer, everything looked ok but it leaked a great deal and was a little roof at the nib. The nib just needed some smoothing and the pen wanted use with some simple washable ink.

 

The ink capacity is not so great, agreed. With my own 51 I just make sure that I have a supply at work and fill the pen as first task of the day.

 

 

[cossar]

I’m fixing up the stylographic fountain pen found in this thread. It seems like a relatively simple repair, pretty much a clean, sac and J Bar replacement. 
 

I do have a question for the group though. What kind of adhesive is safe to come in contact with the ink long term?

 

 The wire (gold) and the weight (I’m guessing aluminum) in the stylograph nib separated, and I’d like to just give them together. Cyanoacrylate glue would be my first choice but I’m concerned about the ink degrading it and getting gunked up in the pen.
 

Any suggestions for a metal-to-metal adhesive that’s safe for the pen and ink?