Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 20 of 25

Thread: Fountain pen blues

  1. #1
    Senior Member Linkinyeah's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2016
    Posts
    598
    Thanks
    120
    Thanked 65 Times in 43 Posts
    Rep Power
    8

    Default Fountain pen blues

    This past week has been a very bad week for me and fountain pens. I first had a beautiful Skyline barell break on me when I barely applied any tension to the angle in which I was holding the pen. Next, I was trying to get the section and feed of a Parker Junior Vacumatic and the threads separated from the rest of the section, ruining it. I was heating it up, but I don't know if I caused this because I didn't heat it up enough. Then, I was so excited to get a working Parker VS in this blue color, but it started leaking ink from the section so I was attempting to remove it and the same issue, the threads stayed in place and the rest of the section broke. From what you can tell, is this happening because I am applying too much force when turning? I have allowed the section to get hot enough where I can feel it in my finger when I put it on the section. Is this caused by someone sealing them with a glue? What is a good measure of knowing that one has got the section warm enough? I did apply a fair amount of force when attempting to twist them off, but I did this because they were not turning after several attempts of heating them up. I would appreciate any advice to this frustrated newbie. I included a picture of my makeshift heat gun from my wife's blow dryer.

    Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

  2. #2
    Senior Member Linkinyeah's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2016
    Posts
    598
    Thanks
    120
    Thanked 65 Times in 43 Posts
    Rep Power
    8

    Default Re: Fountain pen blues

    Also, any ideas on how to get the sections out of the two barrels now?

    Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

  3. #3
    Senior Member penwash's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Location
    Dallas, as in the 80's TV Series
    Posts
    3,662
    Thanks
    3,364
    Thanked 6,703 Times in 1,972 Posts
    Rep Power
    14

    Default Re: Fountain pen blues

    I'm speaking from the perspective of someone who has experienced all of the above... multiple times... on more difficult to replace pens

    This is really when your mettle in taking on vintage pen restoration is tested. I was asked one time, who makes a good restorer? And after thinking about that for a while, my answer is that the one who stick to it no matter how many pens he/she broke and at the same time learn from *each* breakage (sometimes it's not your fault).

    So take heart. Breaking stuff is part of the journey of a restorer, fountain pens or anything else.

    As for getting the broken section out, I would use a drill bit that is smaller than the barrel but not too small.
    Last edited by penwash; January 5th, 2018 at 10:12 AM.
    - Will
    Unique and restored vintage pens: Redeem Pens

  4. The Following User Says Thank You to penwash For This Useful Post:

    Linkinyeah (January 5th, 2018)

  5. #4
    Senior Member Deb's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Highlands of Scotland
    Posts
    1,747
    Thanks
    2,353
    Thanked 1,927 Times in 842 Posts
    Rep Power
    12

    Default Re: Fountain pen blues

    There might have been a number of reasons for these pens breaking but as general advice I would suggest expecting to take quite a while over disassembly. I often make many attempts at getting a section out of the barrel. Patience is the best tool in your toolbox, but as penwash says, we have all broken pens. Still do, though not as often.
    Regards,
    Deb
    My Blog

  6. The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to Deb For This Useful Post:

    inklord (January 5th, 2018), Linkinyeah (January 5th, 2018), penwash (January 5th, 2018)

  7. #5
    FPG Donor ♕ Chrissy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    United Kingdom
    Posts
    11,406
    Thanks
    6,879
    Thanked 10,367 Times in 3,978 Posts
    Rep Power
    24

    Default Re: Fountain pen blues

    I have a heat gun and the diameter of the end where the hot air exits is about 1.5 - 2". I think that maybe your hair dryer cone might be too narrow, so it could be that you have concentrated hot air too close to one specific part of the pen.

    Try cutting some of your cone off so that you are heating a slightly bigger area and holding the pen slightly further away from the heat. Or take the blue cone off altogether because the hairdryer doesn't look like it's particularly wide at the end. Then you might be heating the part where the original glue is.
    Last edited by Chrissy; January 5th, 2018 at 01:51 AM.

  8. The Following User Says Thank You to Chrissy For This Useful Post:

    Linkinyeah (January 5th, 2018)

  9. #6
    Senior Member Jon Szanto's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Posts
    6,617
    Thanks
    7,796
    Thanked 11,042 Times in 4,011 Posts
    Rep Power
    22

    Default Re: Fountain pen blues

    Broken pens are
    the tuition collected at
    DIY Pen Restoration
    University.
    "When Men differ in Opinion, both Sides ought equally to have the Advantage of being heard by the Publick;
    and that when Truth and Error have fair Play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter."

    ~ Benjamin Franklin

  10. The Following 6 Users Say Thank You to Jon Szanto For This Useful Post:

    AzJon (January 5th, 2018), Chrissy (January 5th, 2018), Jerome Tarshis (January 5th, 2018), Linkinyeah (January 5th, 2018), penwash (January 5th, 2018), Scrawler (January 9th, 2018)

  11. #7
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    SFO USA
    Posts
    1,375
    Thanks
    13
    Thanked 1,113 Times in 573 Posts
    Rep Power
    12

    Default Re: Fountain pen blues

    Don’t feel so bad...on a Skyline you usually break the barrel.

  12. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Farmboy For This Useful Post:

    Chrissy (January 5th, 2018), Linkinyeah (January 5th, 2018)

  13. #8
    Senior Member Linkinyeah's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2016
    Posts
    598
    Thanks
    120
    Thanked 65 Times in 43 Posts
    Rep Power
    8

    Default Re: Fountain pen blues

    So heating the pens up and trying to somehow twist the broken sections loose is probably a lost cause?

    Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

  14. #9
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    SFO USA
    Posts
    1,375
    Thanks
    13
    Thanked 1,113 Times in 573 Posts
    Rep Power
    12

    Default Re: Fountain pen blues

    Heat cycle the barrel a few times then try to unscrew the the rest of the vac section with an easy out. I find it easiest to drill out the Skyline sections.

  15. #10
    Senior Member Linkinyeah's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2016
    Posts
    598
    Thanks
    120
    Thanked 65 Times in 43 Posts
    Rep Power
    8

    Default Re: Fountain pen blues

    Sorry, what do you mean by "easy out"? Is this a tool?

    Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

  16. #11
    Senior Member Jon Szanto's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Posts
    6,617
    Thanks
    7,796
    Thanked 11,042 Times in 4,011 Posts
    Rep Power
    22

    Default Re: Fountain pen blues

    Quote Originally Posted by Linkinyeah View Post
    Sorry, what do you mean by "easy out"? Is this a tool?

    Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
    Yes is it. Moderately common one, Google is your friend.
    "When Men differ in Opinion, both Sides ought equally to have the Advantage of being heard by the Publick;
    and that when Truth and Error have fair Play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter."

    ~ Benjamin Franklin

  17. The Following User Says Thank You to Jon Szanto For This Useful Post:

    Linkinyeah (January 6th, 2018)

  18. #12
    Senior Member Linkinyeah's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2016
    Posts
    598
    Thanks
    120
    Thanked 65 Times in 43 Posts
    Rep Power
    8

    Default Re: Fountain pen blues

    I apologize if I am frustrating people with my questions. I did a search to try and answer this question but I couldn't find this specific question. I just received my vac tool and removed 3 plunger filling mechanisms. One has no issues at all, but the other two will not depress the plunger now and seem to be stuck. They both worked before depressed before I took them out of the barrel. I have tried heating them up and a couple of cycles through the ultra sonic. Do I just need to keep trying. Are they now broken? Any advice would be appreciated.

    Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

  19. #13
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    SFO USA
    Posts
    1,375
    Thanks
    13
    Thanked 1,113 Times in 573 Posts
    Rep Power
    12

    Default Re: Fountain pen blues

    Is the broken one the bottom one pictures...the all plastic filler?

  20. #14
    Senior Member Linkinyeah's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2016
    Posts
    598
    Thanks
    120
    Thanked 65 Times in 43 Posts
    Rep Power
    8

    Default Re: Fountain pen blues

    No both of these are not pushing up or down.

    Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

  21. #15
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    SFO USA
    Posts
    1,375
    Thanks
    13
    Thanked 1,113 Times in 573 Posts
    Rep Power
    12

    Default Re: Fountain pen blues

    Just a guess; are the nuts crushed so they are no longer round? Try putting on the blind cap, if it doesn't go then the nuts are crushed. Not uncommon on an all plastic filler.

    Other possibilities include a damaged spring that somehow got twisted and is holding everything in place. There is also the ferrule fused to the nut possibility and then there is the they got wet and the aluminum corroded though that doesn't happen on the all plastic filler.

    FB

  22. The Following User Says Thank You to Farmboy For This Useful Post:

    Linkinyeah (January 6th, 2018)

  23. #16
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    SFO USA
    Posts
    1,375
    Thanks
    13
    Thanked 1,113 Times in 573 Posts
    Rep Power
    12

    Default Re: Fountain pen blues

    Forgot...

    Yes they can be fixed. Pellet cups and springs have been remanufactured and the other parts live in parts bins from other damaged filler units. Good fillers are getting harder to come by but you can get reproduction fillers as well.

  24. The Following User Says Thank You to Farmboy For This Useful Post:

    Linkinyeah (January 6th, 2018)

  25. #17
    FPG Donor ♕ Chrissy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    United Kingdom
    Posts
    11,406
    Thanks
    6,879
    Thanked 10,367 Times in 3,978 Posts
    Rep Power
    24

    Default Re: Fountain pen blues

    Quote Originally Posted by Farmboy View Post
    Just a guess; are the nuts crushed so they are no longer round? Try putting on the blind cap, if it doesn't go then the nuts are crushed. Not uncommon on an all plastic filler.

    Other possibilities include a damaged spring that somehow got twisted and is holding everything in place. There is also the ferrule fused to the nut possibility and then there is the they got wet and the aluminum corroded though that doesn't happen on the all plastic filler.

    FB
    I've never seen an all plastic filler in a Parker Vac. I always thought the screw thread parts were metal. Thanks for letting us know that they exist.

  26. #18
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
    Posts
    269
    Thanks
    17
    Thanked 42 Times in 30 Posts
    Rep Power
    8

    Default Re: Fountain pen blues

    Oh......That's really unfortunate. One thing I learned is holding the section fixed and playing around with the barrel. And another thing I learned is staying away from Waterman taperite/commando......., basically anything that's produced during that time.

  27. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to mmd For This Useful Post:

    amk (January 10th, 2018), Linkinyeah (January 9th, 2018)

  28. #19
    Senior Member Jon Szanto's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Posts
    6,617
    Thanks
    7,796
    Thanked 11,042 Times in 4,011 Posts
    Rep Power
    22

    Default Re: Fountain pen blues

    Quote Originally Posted by mmd View Post
    Oh......That's really unfortunate. One thing I learned is holding the section fixed and playing around with the barrel. And another thing I learned is staying away from Waterman taperite/commando......., basically anything that's produced during that time.
    Somewhere in the depths of these forums is a thread on Taperites. I think KrazyIvan started it. I contributed. We BOTH had tales of woe, and mine included the pen that I broke in less than 30 seconds after getting it out of the packaging from the eBay seller.
    "When Men differ in Opinion, both Sides ought equally to have the Advantage of being heard by the Publick;
    and that when Truth and Error have fair Play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter."

    ~ Benjamin Franklin

  29. The Following User Says Thank You to Jon Szanto For This Useful Post:

    Linkinyeah (January 9th, 2018)

  30. #20
    Senior Member lowks's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Posts
    452
    Thanks
    75
    Thanked 125 Times in 62 Posts
    Rep Power
    12

    Default Re: Fountain pen blues

    Sorry to hear this. Hang in there.

  31. The Following User Says Thank You to lowks For This Useful Post:

    Linkinyeah (January 9th, 2018)

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •