What is on your bench?

[VacNut]

Interesting discussion. Would it be helpful to add a narrow strip of tape on the end cap and the barrel before the filler is removed, so you can realign the end cap to the barrel after the filler is installed?

 

I use this trick to align the nib and feed to the section on a Vac, if I ever have to knock out the feed. It makes it easier to fit the feed back in to the section. It also helps me align the hood and nib on a 51.

[Ron Z]

I've thought about that, but the difference in diaphragm thickness really is a factor, so marking won't help.  I had a batch of PSC diaphragms (all that I ever use) that were considerably thicker than earlier ones.  I don't know why they were thicker, but I had problems with some pens as a result.  I eventually used them up, and all was back to normal.  Mind you, I order a bunch at one time, so it took a while.   I don't like to change pumps because they may not line up right, so I try to rebuild rather than replace.

[FarmBoy]

If the pen hasn't been subjected to filing and/or sand paper to make the fit right it will always line back up no matter what the thickness of the diaphragm is, and it will line up without filing or sanding.

[LoveBigPensAndCannotLie]

I know you have magnitudes more experience than I do here but this hasn't been my experience, and I doubt that all of my pens were sanded down. The pens seem very persnickety when it comes to the blindcap alignment.

 

Or everyone else is a lot less anal retentive about it than I am, I notice if it's even a little bit off. And it's always a little bit off. I see people selling "restored" Parker 51 vacs on Etsy and eBay - people with hundreds or even thousands of positive feedbacks - where the alignment of the blindcap is off. Sometimes way off.

 

It seems like a lot of pens in the late 30's/40's/50's weren't really designed with repair in mind. Beyond something like replacing the entire barrel because they were so easy to come by back then. 

 

I got one of those type-2 Waterman ink-vue pens recently that are literally impossible to repair properly without some form of dark magic. Would love to know what Waterman's pen designers were thinking. Other than "these poor saps will just have to buy a new pen when this breaks." I'm just keeping that one in as-is condition for my collection.

[VacNut]

We forget that these were everyday items that were designed to have readily available replacement parts. That said there are literally hundreds if not thousands of 51 hoods, barrels, and end caps still available, although a double jewel end cap is a bit harder to source. I have a limited stock of 51 parts, but I am sure “others” here have plenty of stock.

 

No comment on the Waterman. They aren’t the best pens.

[FarmBoy]

Check the barrel and blind cap to ensure both are round and not an oval. 

[LoveBigPensAndCannotLie]

Can't tell if you're joking. 🤔

 

Anyways, have another question. I recently (well, over a month ago, just didn't feel like working on it) picked up a Parker Vac in blue pearl. I am trying to decide if I should work on it. The considerations are the following:

 

1) It appears to have been serviced "recently" (assuming, past decade or two) in that there are horrible plier marks on the section and the pen fills okay. Only issue is that the diaphragm feels like it sticks sometimes which I have a feeling is more due to it being cut too long than age.

 

2) I'd usually restore it even given the former but... it's one of the wartime fillers with plastic threads. I am a little bit scared of these, I know they're a lot more fragile than the metal thread varieties. I am hoping that since it was restored at some point recently the filler threads shouldn't be fused to the celluloid (I've heard this is a potential issue) but if it's been serviced there's also a chance they put shellac or some other adhesive where it does not belong.

 

Any special techniques or considerations for these wartime fillers? Also, any ideas on what to do with the gouges in the section? I was thinking of polishing it just a little bit to get rid of the sharp edges but they are so deep no amount of polishing will remove them.

 

Come to think of it, I do have another Parker vac of the same size with a broken plastic filler... I might be able to switch out the sections. I don't particularly feel like knocking out the nib/feed though.

 

Edit: never mind, the spare vac I have has a section that is in even worse shape than this one.

[LoveBigPensAndCannotLie]

Well, I am sure I'll find something else to go wrong on this one, but it actually turns out it wasn't a plastic filler! Just looked like one. It came out fine.

[VacNut]

There are so many plastic fillers recently made available, I wouldn’t worry about the threaded nut. Very worse case is the filler is fused and you have to send it out. Very, very worst case is it needs to be drilled out.

[LoveBigPensAndCannotLie]

1 hour ago, VacNut said:

There are so many plastic fillers recently made available, I wouldn’t worry about the threaded nut. Very worse case is the filler is fused and you have to send it out. Very, very worst case is it needs to be drilled out.

 

The for parts one I have unfortunately has a filler that needs to be drilled out. When I got it it was already mostly broken off, I thought I could carefully get it out but the threads broke all the way off. Nib was bad on it too, beyond using. But it was like $7 for a "major" size so I can't complain too much, it's worth more than that just for the cap.

 

Having more general issues, I noticed my bulb syringe was getting a little sticky around the interior edges. It's been a little sticky for a bit, hope none of it gums up my pens. I cut it open cause I figure it's beyond fixing and it had some black spots on the very bottom. 😵 I really hope it isn't mold.

 

I will probably go to my local pharmacy and pick up a new one, but now I'm worried about the recent pens I restored, that bulb syringe is basically my most used tool. I thought maybe it was sticky because I use it with ammonia wash for steel nibs but it was only sticky at the mouth where it comes into contact with sac connector/nipples. Maybe shellac remnants?

 

I sometimes think I worry too much.

[VacNut]

👍👍👍👍👍👍

 

worry too much. The great thing about vintage pens is that there is very likely a way to repair or replace parts. I can’t say the same for modern or newer artisan pen.

[FarmBoy]

Back on blind caps. The barrel and blind cap were made on lathes. They are a circle. The holes in them are also circles and because they were well made the inside and outside circles are concentric so radial orientation doesn’t matter.  When manufactured the barrel OD and the blind cap OD at the joint were specified as the same diameter and tolerance. 
 

If no one messed with either of them they will both still be round and the threads still concentric with the outer diameter. 
 

If the joint doesn’t line up, remove the filler, clean the threads and reinstall it and don’t make it so tight. Then just push the blind cap into position. 

If someone in the past used sand paper or a file or aggressively polished the joint to make it look seamless you don’t have concentric coaxial circles and it becomes a challenge to make two “ovals” line up.  It is still a fixable issue but it isn’t usually worth it and you are allowed to express discontent for the prior pen repair person. 
 

 

 

[NickJC]

On 8/21/2024 at 7:21 PM, LoveBigPensAndCannotLie said:

 

I checked all of this, unfortunately (or fortunately?) I don't see any problems. I fit checked the sac protector for the correct orientation before putting the plug back in so it would match. The condition of the tube/sac protector and spring are all pretty much flawless with no rust or dents, the pen is near mint. The tube just feels really tight going through the gasket. 

 

I brought my pen into the office today and I had some other issues, it just completely stopped writing at some point. My understanding is this could happen if the snorkel tube is way misaligned (mine is a little bit misaligned but I think it is well within tolerances where the slots touch the sides of the "primary" feed) or maybe I put too much silicone grease on the snorkel...

 

Could also maybe be shaking from the pen being on transit? I think I've had that problem with snorkels before. I suddenly remember why I dislike restoring these. So many tiny little things that can go wrong and if just one thing goes wrong the pen won't work properly. Even vacumatics have a higher tolerance for mistakes.

 

It's interesting how my opinion changed over time. If anyone remembers my earliest posts in this thread (no reason anyone should, but if you do), I absolutely hated vacumatics and liked snorkels. Now I like vacumatics and dislike snorkels. Both are still a pain to clean out but restoring vacs is kind of fun.

I do not mind snorkels at all....they are intricate and a pain, but there is satisfaction in that.

 

A recent one that was sitting for a while, one with the gold tube (early?)...after assembly I could not figure why the snorkle would not extend easily.

 

Checking on everything it was infruriating...

 

Turned out when removing the plug to secure the sac, I must have deformed the sac protector at the plug end.  When I put the plug back and thought I crimped it right, I created a bulge.  That bulge seems to have prevented the easy movement..

 

But to get it back to proper dims all around was a pain.

 

Also as far as fixing a pen and then not have it working?  Yep, sadly happens and that's why I have multiples on my desk at any given time....  people I work with think I am nuts....till I explain that they are in states of repair and testing...lol

 

Working with a bunch of mid twenty folks that never seems to write anything down..but thats another story.

[VacNut]

FYI.

Am told, even though the Parker 51 has a hood that gives it a pointed appearance, the cross section of the pen is completely circular. I haven’t tested it, but I would be curious to find out. Now, to find a lathe….

….nuf

[LoveBigPensAndCannotLie]

On 9/7/2024 at 7:09 AM, NickJC said:

I do not mind snorkels at all....they are intricate and a pain, but there is satisfaction in that.

 

A recent one that was sitting for a while, one with the gold tube (early?)...after assembly I could not figure why the snorkle would not extend easily.

 

Checking on everything it was infruriating...

 

Turned out when removing the plug to secure the sac, I must have deformed the sac protector at the plug end.  When I put the plug back and thought I crimped it right, I created a bulge.  That bulge seems to have prevented the easy movement..

 

But to get it back to proper dims all around was a pain.

 

Also as far as fixing a pen and then not have it working?  Yep, sadly happens and that's why I have multiples on my desk at any given time....  people I work with think I am nuts....till I explain that they are in states of repair and testing...lol

 

Working with a bunch of mid twenty folks that never seems to write anything down..but thats another story.

 

Yeah, I've had that issue as well, it's not too bad to fix thankfully. Lots of things to troubleshoot on snorkels. I agree there is more a lot more satisfaction in repairing a snorkel vs. a simpler pen like a lever-filler but there's a lot of cursing, blood (not literally... usually) and tears involved in that journey. 

 

Back to the vacumatic, I saw Five Star Pens has replacement sections for only $6... very tempting. But I don't want to bother with knocking out the nib and feed and resetting it into a new section. I think I'll just assemble the pen with the section I have with the gouges and replace it at another point if it really bothers me.

 

I guess I should do it at some point. The rest of the pen is in excellent condition besides some brassing on the clip, tassie, and cap band. It feels like a shame to leave such a beautiful pen with a section with ugly plier marks. I'll post some pics when I have it working (hopefully working...).

[northlodge]

On 8/21/2024 at 3:13 PM, Ron Z said:

They do pull out.   But no matter what, they're a pain to get out.  Sometimes you can make a hook that will reach down past it to pull it out.   Sometimes you can lift a bit and then catch it with a pair of needle nose pliers.   Watch that you don't put pressure on the edge of the barrel in the process.

 

On 8/27/2024 at 9:23 AM, FarmBoy said:

There is a small tab on the tray that sits in a groove in the barrel. Slightly lift the front edge of the tray then use a probe with a hook to grab the back and slide it out. 
 

You need the tray or the pen will not fill as well. 

 

Thank you both!

The time it has taken to achieve the desired result would have cost a fortune if I had been paying someone the national minimum wage, but achieve it I did eventually.

 

I now know why I never took up fishing 😉 

 

[LoveBigPensAndCannotLie]

Well, here it is:

 

 

 

Predictably I could not get the blind cap to align perfectly. I could not get the filler to seat as far down as it had been before. Put a lot more pressure on it than I was comfortable with too. I decided to quit while I was ahead. Would you all consider this an acceptable level of alignment? It is bothering me but I couldn't get it closer.

 

I haven't tried inking it yet but I have tested it with water and I'm able to get it around 90% full (just a smidge under the beginning of the diaphragm - like the equivalent of two of the stripes) so I consider it a relatively successful restoration.

 

Might have undercut the diaphragm again (got it at around 26mm square but Richard Binder's site says 26.2mm is the recommended minimum) but I figure undercutting is better than overcutting in regards to it not jamming.

 

Not pictured is the butchered section or the tarnish on top of the clip. I still haven't decided if I want to replace the section. Too lazy at this point. Didn't ink it yet, too many pens inked at the moment. Hopefully it writes at least okay.

 

[Ron Z]

I think that the alignment is just fine.  There isn't enough offset to be an issue.  I'd even back off so that it's just snug.  By the way, are you using a lubricant on the diaphragm?  Just a bit of a water based "personal lubricant" is all that you need.  That allows it to slide down into position on the ring on the barrel.

 

The pen will only fill to the top of the breather tube, no matter what you do.  Past that point you'll just push ink out along with the air.

 

re.  diaphragm length.  It isn't critical.   The diaphragm should be short enough that it unrolls completely without stretching.  0.2mm isn't going to matter.  

 

Nice transparency on the pen, great color.  It's worth finding a new section.

[LoveBigPensAndCannotLie]

13 minutes ago, Ron Z said:

I think that the alignment is just fine.  There isn't enough offset to be an issue.  I'd even back off so that it's just snug.  By the way, are you using a lubricant on the diaphragm?  Just a bit of a water based "personal lubricant" is all that you need.  That allows it to slide down into position on the ring on the barrel.

 

The pen will only fill to the top of the breather tube, no matter what you do.  Past that point you'll just push ink out along with the air.

 

re.  diaphragm length.  It isn't critical.   The diaphragm should be short enough that it unrolls completely without stretching.  0.2mm isn't going to matter.  

 

Nice transparency on the pen, great color.  It's worth finding a new section.

 

I use a touch of soapy water near the bottom of the diaphragm and a little bit right where it's rolled over onto the filler. I am not sure if it is as good as a real lubricant or silicone oil, I guess I should pick up some at some point.

 

I think for this pen it might be the threads, when I was dry fitting the pump without the diaphragm it felt like it was sticking and really tight around 3/4 of the way through. The interesting thing is that it eased up after that. I cleaned out the barrel and raked the pump threads, don't see any sac remnants or dirt so not sure why.

 

Definitely really happy with the transparency on this pen, it's very nice. I did rotate the presentable side of the pen over for the picture though, the other side is a little less bright. 👀

[VacNut]

2 hours ago, Ron Z said:

I think that the alignment is just fine.  There isn't enough offset to be an issue.  I'd even back off so that it's just snug.  By the way, are you using a lubricant on the diaphragm?  Just a bit of a water based "personal lubricant" is all that you need.  That allows it to slide down into position on the ring on the barrel.

 

The pen will only fill to the top of the breather tube, no matter what you do.  Past that point you'll just push ink out along with the air.

 

re.  diaphragm length.  It isn't critical.   The diaphragm should be short enough that it unrolls completely without stretching.  0.2mm isn't going to matter.  

 

Nice transparency on the pen, great color.  It's worth finding a new section.

I agree with Ron. The alignment is correct. If you are really concerned, you can take a detailed photo of the cap before you remove it. I think you will find the alignment didn’t change much after the filler installation.

 

Is pure talc another option on the diaphragm?