What is on your bench?

[VacNut]

20 hours ago, es9 said:

Here’s a fun one I stumbled on a while back—it came in a lot with some other pens. A Waltham golden web! Not a particularly nice pen, but kind of neat. I assume Waltham just bought spare celluloid from whoever made the golden web stuff. 

Nice pen. It looks very similar to the Diamond Point Pens. Is the patterned barrel translucent or solid? The clear section wouldn’t be necessary if the pattern was translucent.

 

There are red and brown solid GW patterns on Italian pens.

 

[es9]

GW material is not translucent. 

[LoveBigPensAndCannotLie]

I have a question regarding touchdown fillers. I got a hold of a Craftsman, the touchdown variety, and when I took it apart it did not have a little washer in the blindcap. My understanding is these are necessary for creating optimal vacuum when filling the pen but I've encountered a few of these that were missing the washer.

 

Just these cheaper models, all the Snorkels and TM pens had intact washers. So I am wondering if these are actually necessary? Maybe they were not included originally. I don't have the necessary size washers so I usually just make a little homemade one out of leftover sac trimmings. Wasn't sure if it was necessary.

 

Edit: Eh, never mind. After poking around (literally), I think there is in fact a washer stuck up in the blindcap. Usually they just fall out.

[LoveBigPensAndCannotLie]

Reassembled it, fills well, I guess the washer is just fine. I undercut the sac by like 2mm unfortunately, I am really bad at eyeballing measurements. But I think in the grand scheme of things that'll probably be the difference of like .1ml ink capacity which is fine.

 

Gonna wait for everything to dry off from water testing before filling it, wondering how the nib is gonna be. It has one of the finest nibs I've ever seen. Sheaffer's accountant nibs really were something, this is finer than a formal "needlepoint" modern nib I have.

 

Did these brands specialize in different nib types or do I just have a small sample? In my experience ultra fine nibs are the most common in vintage Sheaffers, I see very few Parker and Waterman pens with accountant nibs. And even the explicitly labeled accountant Waterman nibs are not really as fine as Sheaffer's.

[Ron Z]

I doubt that you are going to notice any difference in how much ink is taken in by having the sac a little short like that. 

 

5 hours ago, LoveBigPensAndCannotLie said:

My understanding is these are necessary for creating optimal vacuum when filling the pen but I've encountered a few of these that were missing the washer.

 

The washer is needed so that you get enough pressure to squeeze the sac completely, which expands allowing ink to be drawn in.  If you don't hear a "chiff" at the end of the downstroke, air is leaking somewhere.  They usually are stuck in the blind cap.  But I also find them cut or so flattened that they don't seal well.  A piece of a bicycle tube will work well to replace it.

 

I find that in general the finer nibs were most common across most brands.

[LoveBigPensAndCannotLie]

Yup, it fills fine. I get that satisfying "whoosh" at the downstroke. These touchdown pens are some of my favorites, I think the touchdown is basically the perfect sac-based filling system. It's foolproof and pretty simple to restore unlike its little brother the snorkel.

 

Kind of wish they were made with slightly better plastic, I am not a fan of that forticel stuff Sheaffer used for their pens at the tail end of the 1940's. It has a unique stink to it and it's so soft. Hard to find any that are in good condition without huge scratches or gouges on them. Still nice pens though.

[John T]

Not the best lighting but Sheaffer White Dot slender Balance Vac Filler with a military clip.  The barrel is nicley translucent with green striations, good imprint, no heavy scratches

 

Waiting on front, aka plunger seals from Pentooling.com, need to get some acetone... I have everything I need to replace the rear packing..

 

And I am frozen, it's a very nice pen, If I screw it up it is another nice pen that will be gone forever. I need to find some really crappy Vacs to practice on before I try this, I can't fix the loose clip as of yet. 

 

Email sent to @Ron Z lol, asking him to finish this one. 

 

[es9]

7 hours ago, LoveBigPensAndCannotLie said:

Yup, it fills fine. I get that satisfying "whoosh" at the downstroke. These touchdown pens are some of my favorites, I think the touchdown is basically the perfect sac-based filling system. It's foolproof and pretty simple to restore unlike its little brother the snorkel.

I completely agree—at least excluding something like the 51 aero. The pen I have devoted to IG ink is one of these because they’re so easy to disassemble and repair. The plastic can shrink, but they’re also so plentiful that parts can always be found. 

[VacNut]

10 hours ago, John T said:

Not the best lighting but Sheaffer White Dot slender Balance Vac Filler with a military clip.  The barrel is nicley translucent with green striations, good imprint, no heavy scratches

 

Waiting on front, aka plunger seals from Pentooling.com, need to get some acetone... I have everything I need to replace the rear packing..

 

And I am frozen, it's a very nice pen, If I screw it up it is another nice pen that will be gone forever. I need to find some really crappy Vacs to practice on before I try this, I can't fix the loose clip as of yet. 

 

Email sent to @Ron Z lol, asking him to finish this one. 

 

If you have the financial means you may consider putting this pen aside and finding a “not-so-nice” pen with a similar piston system to practice on. The pen has remained unrestored for decades, I wouldn’t let a few weeks delay prevent you from properly restoring the pen.

Some collectors have a “completist” approach to pen restoration and collecting. They cannot leave a pen tray partially empty or a pen partially restored - present company included.

Sometimes the best approach is to set the pen aside and come back to it when you are better prepared or in a better state of mind - albeit I have been fighting the urge to take apart a Vacumatic that arrived yesterday. I know I get into the most trouble when I rush a rebuild.

good luck 

[LoveBigPensAndCannotLie]

Little bit confused. I got a bunch of Parker 45s recently. Cleaned one out, it had a bit of a wonky nib and was strangely wet so after a few weeks using it I cleaned it out again. Soaked it for like a day and then spent some time flushing it the next day with the converter it came with which had an intact sac. No problems for a while.

 

After a bit it just stopped sucking up any water at all. The stranger thing is when I took the converter out of the pen and put it directly in the water, it sucked up water just fine! But not when inside of the pen. And pushing water in with the converter fully loaded, none of it would come out, like the pen was clogged. But it wasn't!

 

I figured maybe the sac in the converter went bad, ended up kind of destroying the converter trying to get it apart (oh well...). I inked it up with a cartridge. Took a long time for it to start writing - thought it was broken - but after a lot of shaking it's writing just fine now. I have no clue what's going on. I would assume it took a while to get going because the collector was still saturated with water from soaking. But it doesn't explain why the converter just suddenly stopped working.

 

I've also kind of changed my mine about Parker 45s. I used to recommend these as good beginning vintage pens because of ease of cleaning but I've seen realized that they are actually incredibly hard to clean out because the collector is very very hard if not impossible to take out (I don't know how... any tips?). 

[Ron Z]

9 hours ago, LoveBigPensAndCannotLie said:

incredibly hard to clean out because the collector is very very hard if not impossible to take out (I don't know how... any tips?). 

 

You don't.  Cleaning and flushing with the nib removed is usually sufficient.  If clogged, take the nib assembly apart.

[LoveBigPensAndCannotLie]

1 hour ago, Ron Z said:

 

You don't.  Cleaning and flushing with the nib removed is usually sufficient.  If clogged, take the nib assembly apart.

 

It's not enough in my experience, maybe I need an ultrasonic cleaner. From my experience it takes like two days minimum of soaking to get all the ink out. And mind you, the pen was inked with Waterman Serenity Blue which is a super washable ink. 

 

I find that these are pretty much the hardest pens to clean out, I've had less trouble with capillary filling Parker 61s, really.

[Ron Z]

Yes, an ultrasonic cleaner is helpful. Keep the tank full, and go for a couple of 3 minute cycles.  Flush with a bulb (like a desoldering bulb with the Teflon tip pulled out)  You don't need anything more powerful than 35-50W.

[LoveBigPensAndCannotLie]

2 hours ago, Ron Z said:

Yes, an ultrasonic cleaner is helpful. Keep the tank full, and go for a couple of 3 minute cycles.  Flush with a bulb (like a desoldering bulb with the Teflon tip pulled out)  You don't need anything more powerful than 35-50W.

 

Do you have recommendations for a good compact one? I have been putting off getting one because I have completely run out of room for more stuff, wish I could conjure up an extra closet out of thin air.

 

I am at the point where I might need to start selling some of my pens because I don't even have room to store those, I just have converted cigar boxes piled up all over my bedroom.

[Ron Z]

You'll find them on Ebay.  The blue ones by Staedtler Mars are very good.  Most jewelry cleaning size cleaners  are maybe 5 or 6 inches long.  You don't need one of the ones with a big tank.  Stay away from the ones with the buttons on the lid.

 

Power should be 35-50 W or so .  NO HEAT  You want the solution to stay cool so that it does not damage plastic parts.

[gweimer1]

2 hours ago, LoveBigPensAndCannotLie said:

 

Do you have recommendations for a good compact one? I have been putting off getting one because I have completely run out of room for more stuff, wish I could conjure up an extra closet out of thin air.

 

I am at the point where I might need to start selling some of my pens because I don't even have room to store those, I just have converted cigar boxes piled up all over my bedroom.

 

I found my first one in a thrift shop for $3.   It lasted long enough, and was pretty small.

[LoveBigPensAndCannotLie]

Hmm, okay. Well, I have another pen I have questions for. I recently picked up a 1st gen Parker Vac Junior for a very good price. I just got it and unfortunately I forgot the #1 rule of vintage pens - there are no good deals. 

 

 

How do I open this thing? I have done my usual routine of heating and trying to unscrew the section off, did multiple cycles and even used a little more heat than I am comfortable with. I cannot get it to budge. I know some earlier Vacs had one-piece barrels but I am assuming this is not one of them?

 

Besides that the pump is seized and pushed in too far and the clip is incredibly loose. I tried to get the "jewel" off but it appears to be hard stuck. Any recommendations for this as well?

 

Edit: It definitely unscrews, I was able to get it open like the width of a brass shim. Can't get it open any further and I am using a lot more heat and pressure than I am okay with. I will say this for these pens, they are sturdy. It feels like my fingers will break before the pen does.

 

Any tips? I set it to soak for a while, hoping the soapy water gets in and lubricates things a little bit.

[LoveBigPensAndCannotLie]

Ah, got it open. I guess after getting it open a little bit, the soapy water soak did the rest of the job. Didn't even take that much effort. I don't see any sealant on the threads, I think it is just tight from celluloid shrinkage.

 

Well, that's one out of three problems solved. I know the filler is likely going to be a gigantic issue. I can live with the spinny clip. 

 

Edit: After looking for a bit, it actually has some very nasty gunk near the bottom of the threads (nearest the section). Looks suspiciously like shellac... Anyways, what kind of diaphragm do I need for this pen? It is a two-band pen that is on the shorter side, I am assuming a Junior? 

 

From what I can find online these take a standard size diaphragm. I guess I need to buy one somewhere, I only have a deb size left, and that will not fit right properly right?

 

Edit 2: I got the pump out with minimal damage to the pen (some of the very end of the threads came off... the celluloid is very thin). What do I do with this now?

 

 

It's completely seized and I do not see a spring inside. I figure it's stuck or has long disintegrated. Can I fix this or is this beyond repair and I need a new pump?

[VacNut]

You can try soaking the brass knob end in naphtha to lubricate and loosen the filler.
 

Since it is a lockdown filler, sometimes the rectangular notch in the sleeve is torn and a slot keeps the spring from releasing.  It also looks like the sleeve was corroded by the ink. It is not recommended to soak the entire filler as the felt pad on the pellet end isn’t really meant to be soaked.

 

You can try the dry heat in a toaster oven method. Maybe the alum will loosen from the heat. I hear a diluted vinegar solution may loosen the parts, but I figure soaking in an acidic solution may just add to the corrosion.

 

As a last resort, if you really want to salvage the filler, you can gently remove the brass knob and disassemble the spring - making sure you keep track of the small metallic strip that keeps the spring separate from the “pellet-end” of the filler. This is a last resort as the knob is “crimped” into place by the thin alum sleeve and it is easy to damage the sleeve.

 

Good Luck

 

[LoveBigPensAndCannotLie]

Hmm, okay. Will give that a shot, hopefully something will work. Worst case scenario I can buy a replacement. This is a standard (not deb) size filler, right? As far as I can tell my pen is a Junior but I am not sure if it is a "Slender Junior" which I can see in Parker's catalog for 1934. I think the slender ones took a deb size filler/diaphragm.