Unknown pen disassembly

[Dhk123]

I like to know how to disassemble this pen and want to know what's on the inside. 

Maybe I'm able to repair this pen. 

It's for the birthday of my autistic son who's focused on pens.  It'll make him very happy.  I hope someone can help out. 

[DvdRiet]

Is the black thing on the end a screw knob or a push button? It looks like a screw knob to me, but it's a little hard to tell for sure from the photo. Figuring out how it fills is the first question in knowing what it will take to get it working again. And what's inside it 😉

[Dhk123]

It's a screw knop.  I've tried to loosen it further but I'm afraid to break it....

[Dhk123]

Do I need to take more photos?

[DvdRiet]

26 minutes ago, Dhk123 said:

It's a screw knop.  I've tried to loosen it further but I'm afraid to break it....

 

Ah, that's hopefully good news. That means it's a piston filler. You may get lucky and it's only stuck, so that a good soaking will get it loose. A push-button would have been more complicated because it would probably have an ossified ink sac inside that would need to be replaced. Not something I would recommend trying if you have never attempted a fountain restoration or repair before. 

 

I'm not an expert, but I would be happy to give you some tips that have helped me to get an old piston working again. There are a few things you can try yourself before it's advisable to send it to a professional.

[Nethermark]

I can't read fully read the inscription on the pen, but this looks like a rather standard German piston filler. The nib is made by Degussa, which is a very good quality nib producer. With virtually all of these type of pens, the piston unit is of the screw in type. However, often resin is used to keep the piston unit in place. Getting the piston unit out may not be easy, and there is always a risk of damaging the pen. You will probably also need to replace the cork on the piston unit, which is not necessarily easy to do either. So in all, this is not an easy repair to do.

 

To get the piston unit out, you should heat the back of the pen, where the piston unit is in the barrel. Use a heat gun or hair dryer for this. Be carefull not to over heat, as that may damage the barrel. I assume you don't have any specialised tools for this job; in that case, first try to screw out the piston unit by hand. You kan use a gripper pad or a piece of inner bicycle tube to get some more grip for this. If that doesn't work, you can use pliers, but always protect the threads with something soft (like the inner tube of a bicycle). 

 

If you can get the piston unit out, you need to replace the cork. You can either replace it with some O-rings that precisely fit, or you can make a new piston seal from cork. You can use a cork from a wine bottle for this. It's not easy to get the cork to the right size and to make certain it's nicely round. You will also need some silicone grease to put on the cork to make it move more easily in the barrel. 

[OCArt]

Please don't try to take the piston out until you've tried less forceful methods. As DvDRiet said, a good soaking is the first step, use a glass of water with a drop of dishwashing liquid. It may take several days for anything to happen. After a good soak try to gently move the piston knob a bit to suck up some water, then soak some more.  Don't submerge the pen any deeper that the black grip section.

 

The nib unit should be the type that unscrews and if it comes out you can get water in the barrel that way. But don't force the nib either, dried ink can really glue it in place and I've often needed several days of soaking to begin to free it. (I think the chances are high that you have a plastic, not cork, piston.  If so a good clean and a light greasing inside the barrel with silicon grease will put it right.)

 

Patience and a gentle touch are needed.

 

[como]

This looks the same structure of piston filler of vintage Montblanc 242/244/246 etc. The piston is glued in the barrel. You need to heat the section to unscrew the front end out (section with nib and feed). Then you can rotate the piston knob counter-clock direction until the piston head comes out towards the section. Keep unscrewing the piston knob until the piston head comes out from the front of the barrel. You can then make and install a new cork seal. That is, assuming that this mechanism works the same way as the MB 242 etc. This looks to me the same system, a very reliable German piston system of that era. Good luck!

[Dhk123]

The nip is out!!!! 

I tried to suck up some water but it didn't work. 

 

I assume that the threaded part screws out? Is that clockwise or counter clockwise?

[Dhk123]

The piston is out!!!

[Nethermark]

Great! Looks like it went rather easy. 

 

This is one of the piston fillers, where the cork is glued to the piston head. You can make a new one by taking some cork from a wine bottle. First cut a slice roughly of the hight you need and then drill a hole in it, so it fits rather tightly on the piston head. You can then cut the cork a bit to size - but not so small that it fits the barrel. After that use sandpaper to get it to the right size going to finer grades along the way. You will need some silicone grease on the cork to make it seal properly. You can also dip it in meltet paraffin wax from a candle. Actually, I do both, to make a good seal and ensure smooth operation of the piston)

[Dhk123]

[DvdRiet]

Hooray!! That was fast! I'm so happy you got it working! And a very happy birthday to your son!! 🎉

[Dhk123]

Thanks,  it all went smoothly.  

I turned the cork on my lathe then put it in candle wax and applied silicon to the outside. When I turn the knob now I can feel the resistance.  

 

It'll make my son very happy. The only thing to do is find the right size pencil.  

 

Thank you all for all the help!!!!

 

Maybe there is a new project,  in the same buy was an abused shaeffer snorkel. Someone took it apart and made a mess of it. The tube where the inksack goes is destroyed. And also the snorkel tube is separated from the rubber insert. 

[Ron Z]

Fortunately sac guards and other parts for these pens can be found!

[Dhk123]

[Nethermark]

On 10/22/2021 at 5:18 PM, Dhk123 said:

Thanks,  it all went smoothly.  

I turned the cork on my lathe then put it in candle wax and applied silicon to the outside. When I turn the knob now I can feel the resistance. 

Just great! (but you could have told us, you have a lathe... 😀: makes things a lot easier to explain)