TWSBI 580 cleaning and maitenance.

[TheRenaissanceBoy]

How many times per year should I clean my TWSBI Diamond 580al? I don't want to wear out the piston by cleaning it too often. What do you recommend?

[The Good Captain]

In my opinion, the same frequency as any piston-filler. If keeping the same ink, then every three fills or so. If changing,...clean it then! The piston won't wear out with regular and normal use, and I include flushing in that description.
I know they include instructions to 'disassemble' or whatever, but my instinct always says - if it's not broken don't mess with it!
As a slight digression; I've a 1930s Royal typewriter that was bought for my Mum in the 50s. I've a fair idea that it hasn't seen a lick of any maintenance since the day it first came off the shelf.


It's doing slightly better than I am...

[Anne]

Just one thing to add: even when it is clean, Eventually the piston seal will need to be lubricated with silicone grease. My pens are fairly new and I have already had to disassemble one for this reason.

[Jeph]

It just so happens that yesterday I pulled out my 580 from a moving box where it had been hiding for 6 months inked with Diamine Red Dragon. It wrote trouble free on the first stroke and there is no staining.

[naimitsu]

I mostly disassemble the pen every time I change inks to make sure I get everything out.
The piston gets pulled out, cleaned, and relubed.
Section comes out & cleaned.
Nib and feed gets pulled out, and cleaned separately.
Body gets flushed until the water runs clear, then dried and wiped to make sure all traces of the previous ink is out.

The only thing that stays assembled is the piston shaft and the end cap/mechanism because having to reset it is a pain. I had to do it the first time I cleaned my 580. I've been careful to keep that part together since then.

I have the colored AL versions, so there's a coating to the metal. It feels like there is enough clearance/tolerance between the moving pieces that there shouldn't be that much rubbing wear. Also, since I do disassemble the piston mechanism to clean, I notice that I don't actually unscrew the back cap as much as I would if I were to do the normal fill-flush with the nib on.