Disassembled view of a Doric 2nd Gen Vac converted to a Button Filler

[KBeezie]

A disassembled view of the Wahl-Eversharp Doric Vac (2nd generation) in "Jet Black".
Which is also a Fraken Pen using a button, pressure bar, and blind cap from a Parker pen to convert it to a button filler.

Other notable changes is that the section is no longer threaded but rather has been fitted with a metal base (probably to aid in creating a sac nipple). The thin band trim that would normally be by the end cap is gone, and obviously the original faceted vac knob is not present.

To allow for some transparency a silicone sac is used.

The way the pen was received was in need of clean up (especially inside of the barrel with ink chips stuck to the walls), and the silicone sac was attached by a fir bit of shellac (the section was also shellaced into the barrel and required some heat to undo). The personal point nib unit and section needed to be heat set.

To wrap it up, I'll be attaching a fresh silicone sac with some silicone adhesive and rely only on friction fitting the section back into the barrel since it's snug enough without being sealed.

https://i.imgur.com/VigM2cb.jpg

[fountainpenkid]

I thought it might be a Parker parts conversion when you posted about it in the "What pens are you waiting for" thread...it seems this conversion was not a one-off but something done occasionally by pen repairmen back in the day. I wonder about the metal ring on the section--was it purpose-made or did it come from yet another pen?

[KBeezie]

I thought it might be a Parker parts conversion when you posted about it in the "What pens are you waiting for" thread...it seems this conversion was not a one-off but something done occasionally by pen repairmen back in the day. I wonder about the metal ring on the section--was it purpose-made or did it come from yet another pen?

Not sure what other pen it would be. But I imagine it was purpose made, since the pressure bar has to push into something when the button is pressed.

Also not sure why they would do so to a translucent barrel that would be made pointless with a sac and bar.

[Seattleite]

Hey Karl,

The section looks like the sleeved Wahl sections that went in the aluminum-lined barrels from the very first Personal Points. Figure that it is already set up with a nipple, has the proper length and diameter to seal with the inner cap, and is already bored and threaded to accommodate a Personal Point unit. The machining for the Personal Point unit would be a lot of specialized work from scratch. I imagine that a section made from scratch would just be bored to fit the nib and feed alone. boring the barrel is pretty easy by comparison. I imagine that this was done to save a functioning pen, without a worry as to what one saw when they looked at an already darkened barrel (at some point, amber gives way to strong coffee).

Having repaired a few Wahl plungers, and seeing the unsuccessful attempts of others in junk boxes, I can see where someone opted to convert this pen. Pretty tidy and clever work. I usually appreciate originality, but this is a pretty neat Franken.

Get her up and running!