Latest pen tinkering that takes more time than it should

[penwash]

So I bought this pen thinking it's a good-looking one, it's a lever filler, and it's metal (no barrel warping and less issues with cracks), I'll spend 10-minutes max replacing the sac and I should be good to go.

Boy was I ever wrong.



I spent hours getting this pen to write.

[Chrissy]

Congratulations. It looks good now.

[penwash]

Thanks Chrissy.

Here's a photo of the pen before I install the nib.
That section has been modified to fit this pen. I should have taken a picture of the section before it went into the lathe.

[EMQG]

What all did you have to do to it?

[penwash]

- Drill out the broken off section (without cracking the barrel).
- Find a section that sorta, kinda fits. Of course I didn't have one, so I have to go to a different source (not ebay).
- Work that replacement on the lathe until it actually fits
- Find a nib that fits. Of course I didn't have one, so I have to go to a different source (not ebay).
- Found a nib that fits, but was messed up (tines point to different directions)
- Work on the nib until it writes again
- Work on the nib some more until it stops railroading and start to write smoothly

You know, ... stuff like this.

[FredRydr]

Is it all vintage no-name? I agree that it's quite a handsome barrel and cap, worth the effort and parts.

Fred

[dfo]

need more photographs.... awesome work.

[Chrissy]

We haven't even seen the nib yet.

[penwash]

Is it all vintage no-name? I agree that it's quite a handsome barrel and cap, worth the effort and parts.

Fred

Indeed. There is an initial GV on the cap finial, it may be the brand of the pen, but GV doesn't ring any bells for me.
Sometimes I am puzzled with the existence of no-name vintage pens.
Obviously this pen is not that easy to make and most likely not mass produced, why not put your brand on it at all?

need more photographs.... awesome work.

I'm keeping this pen for a while I think, so there will be more photos of this pen. At the pen club breakfast, I already got an offer to trade for it

We haven't even seen the nib yet.

The nib writes awesomely, but the cosmetic is rough, it was messed up when I got it.
Another writing sample coming up.

[EMQG]

Very cool! I'm very curious about this mysterious source of yours you've told me about...

Have you thought about machining a slightly longer inner cap for the pen to make the facets line up?

[penwash]

Very cool! I'm very curious about this mysterious source of yours you've told me about...

Have you thought about machining a slightly longer inner cap for the pen to make the facets line up?

Nope. I have spent enough time on this pen.
The facet not lining up does not bother me at all.

But just for the sake of discussion, how would a longer inner cap line up the facets?

[EMQG]

Very cool! I'm very curious about this mysterious source of yours you've told me about...

Have you thought about machining a slightly longer inner cap for the pen to make the facets line up?

Nope. I have spent enough time on this pen.
The facet not lining up does not bother me at all.

But just for the sake of discussion, how would a longer inner cap line up the facets?

A longer inner cap would butt against the section sooner, thus stopping the cap from screwing on quite so far. If you use the exact right length inner cap, it'll line up perfectly. If you read this little blurb on Richard Binder's site, it's the same concept as lining up the clip with the lever. It was mentioned on FPN somewhat recently with an Omas (I think) whose facets didn't line up.

[penwash]

Very cool! I'm very curious about this mysterious source of yours you've told me about...

Have you thought about machining a slightly longer inner cap for the pen to make the facets line up?

Nope. I have spent enough time on this pen.
The facet not lining up does not bother me at all.

But just for the sake of discussion, how would a longer inner cap line up the facets?

A longer inner cap would butt against the section sooner, thus stopping the cap from screwing on quite so far. If you use the exact right length inner cap, it'll line up perfectly. If you read this little blurb on Richard Binder's site, it's the same concept as lining up the clip with the lever. It was mentioned on FPN somewhat recently with an Omas (I think) whose facets didn't line up.

I see what you mean, but I am not sure that the inner cap is the one stopping the thread, at least not on this pen.
Even if that's the case I am not going to spend more time fashioning the inner cap.
The pen is perfect for me as is.

[Seattleite]

Very cool! I'm very curious about this mysterious source of yours you've told me about...

Have you thought about machining a slightly longer inner cap for the pen to make the facets line up?

Nope. I have spent enough time on this pen.
The facet not lining up does not bother me at all.

But just for the sake of discussion, how would a longer inner cap line up the facets?

A longer inner cap would butt against the section sooner, thus stopping the cap from screwing on quite so far. If you use the exact right length inner cap, it'll line up perfectly. If you read this little blurb on Richard Binder's site, it's the same concept as lining up the clip with the lever. It was mentioned on FPN somewhat recently with an Omas (I think) whose facets didn't line up.

Let me first say, nice pen. Button fill?

As for alignment of facets, since you have turned a new section, you could back cut a bit of material from the visible part of the section where it meets the barrel, assuming that there is clearance for nib in the inner cap. This would accomplish the same thing as the much more involved replacement of the inner cap. You would also have to adjust length of the pressure bar. The only hitch is that you may have triple cut barrel threads on an octagonal barrel. If so, you would only line up i/3 of the time.

I fully support your decision not to bother. I mention this mostly for those who may find this thread while researching their own project.

Good to see some people willing to get their hands dirty, not just ink stained!

Bob

[Chrissy]

Let me first say, nice pen. Button fill?
Good to see some people willing to get their hands dirty, not just ink stained!

Bob

Will says it's a lever fill in his original post. That's why he thought it was a quick 10 minute fix to just put in a new sac.

[penwash]

Let me first say, nice pen. Button fill?

As for alignment of facets, since you have turned a new section, you could back cut a bit of material from the visible part of the section where it meets the barrel, assuming that there is clearance for nib in the inner cap. This would accomplish the same thing as the much more involved replacement of the inner cap. You would also have to adjust length of the pressure bar. The only hitch is that you may have triple cut barrel threads on an octagonal barrel. If so, you would only line up i/3 of the time.

I fully support your decision not to bother. I mention this mostly for those who may find this thread while researching their own project.

Good to see some people willing to get their hands dirty, not just ink stained!

Bob

Hi Bob,

As Chrissy pointed out, this pen is thankfully a lever filler (with a very nice and robust lever mechanism with zero wobbling).

Good tip on back-cutting the section to combat innercap distance issues. I have used that in other pens whose lower section of the cap threads have become worn out, to make the section be able to go deeper into the cap.

Nice to see another experienced restorer onboard FPGeeks.

[Marsilius]

Good to see some people willing to get their hands dirty, not just ink stained!

Bob

I am enjoying this thread, but you do NOT want to see what happens were I to get MY hands dirty. (The next step would be a pen restorer.)

[Seattleite]

Good to see some people willing to get their hands dirty, not just ink stained!

Bob

I am enjoying this thread, but you do NOT want to see what happens were I to get MY hands dirty. (The next step would be a pen restorer.)

Its the good kind of dirty!