Printable View
Hello all, a quick question if I may please.
My Platinum converter became very stiff to operate, so I've stripped and cleaned it. Happily, it's much better now :).
I'm just wondering, should I add a suspicion of silicone grease? Or is this not necessary / a bad thing?
Apologies if this has been covered before, I only did a quick search before posting.
Many thanks,
Gavin.
I have been known to add a suspicion of silicone grease to the edge of a plunger part of a stiff converter, if it can be taken apart and put back together. It works quite well. :thumb:
That's great, thank you!Quote:
Originally Posted by Chrissy
My silicone grease is so innocent and guiltless that any suspicion is utterly unfounded, but I also, as a matter of routine, will put a smearlet of minuscule proportions on any converter I may have cause to take apart. :)
Marvellous!
Should you grease it from the front or the rear end? I cannot (or should I say, I'm afraid of wrecking it) take apart my lamy converter, the one with the black handle.
There is a joke or two in there. Make it at home silently.Quote:
Originally Posted by aquafox
Platinum converters come apart easily.
I usually grease the piston rod (more jokes haha) and then the inside of the converter barrel and the rubber stopper. TINY amounts. I use a toothpick. Then work the piston up and down (oh baby) a few times.
Be sure not to use too much grease. If the grease gets anywhere in the ink path of the feed, you will not have a good time. Silicon grease is tough to remove. Make sure NOT to touch the nib or feed with silicon grease on your hands.
I've taken apart Lamy converters with the red handle part on there. The black one should be very similar. First you should be able to slide off the black band (sheath) near to the plunger (top or handle) end of the converter, then you should be able to carefully wiggle out the "black handle" from the tube, where it sat underneath the black sheath. Then you add the merest smidgeon of silicone grease around the ring, that slides up and down the tube, on the end of the plunger. That's the only part you need to add grease to. It's the only part that slides up and down inside the tube and is always in contact with the tube. It gets stiffer because of the friction of using the converter.Quote:
Originally Posted by aquafox
I do not disassemble my converters.
What I do is put a small amount of silicone grease on the tip of a small needle enter it into the opening gently and precise, trying not to touch it and grease the inside of the cylinder (all arround).
Afterwards operating the piston several times and I’m back in business.
Works quite well for me.
I disassemble converters when they can be disassembled easily. Not all of them can be. When they can't be, I grease them from the front. Now I typically use a syringe with a blunt tip that I have loaded with grease for this, but you don't need this because Pterodactylus's technique is fine. It's just possibly a little bit of a challenge to navigate the mouth of the converter without bumping into it.
Bear in mind that you don't want enough grease that accumulates in a pile near the mouth of the converter. If I overdo it, I've been known to take a paper towel and twist a corner so that it can be inserted into the mouth of the converter, then it can be used to remove excess grease, e.g. by extending the piston as far forward as it will go without pinching the tip of the paper towel and then twisting the paper towel around.
If a converter can be disassembled, it is then easier to grease the piston head with the right amount of grease, which is enough that it smooths things up but can't actually be seen bunching up on the inside of the cylinder walls.
A piece of thin, stiff wire or a thin toothpick with a very small amount of silicone grease can be inserted into the narrow ink aperture to grease the converter for the piston. Then you run the piston back and forth a few times.