How Much Ink...

[Bucolic Buffalo]

should a 5 inch tall Parker Vacumatic hold? Has anyone counted the number of drops after they think they have it filled?

[dannzeman]

Can you be more specific about the model? Maybe post a pic? If not, then please specify whether it's a lock-down or not and I can get you an approximate volume.

[Bucolic Buffalo]

A blue major, plastic filler, single jewel, I think it's a 1945. (Checked later, it's a 1944 model) It seems to hold like 7 to 10 drops of ink. So I was wondering if it needed to be rebuilt. It's been polished, so you might think it was new. Sorry, no pic at the moment.

[Ernst Bitterman]

That's not a lot of drops, even allowing for variation in local conditions and ink viscosity. I think I once counted something like 30 from a similar model-- if not more. Is it still clear enough that you can watch the filling take place as it happens? You might find that there's nothing travelling in the breathing tube, which would defeat complete filling. The good news is, it's not the diaphragm, as you'd either get nothing at all, or it would all fall out shortly after completion.

[Bucolic Buffalo]

No, it's pretty hard to see inside. It looks like there is plenty of ink if I hold it just right. But the only sure thing I can do is count drops. But if a diaphragm is either good or bad, then I suppose it's still good.