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Thread: Weeping 51 Vacumatic?

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    Default Ink Weeping from 51 Vac?

    I have a 1946 cedar blue 51 Vac with a weird problem.

    Every time the weather changes, the pen leaks from the nib area into the cap. Of all my pens, this one is the only one that does this.
    This is especially irritating because the 'leaker' is my favorite EDC pen.

    Anyone have any ideas for how to make this pen stop weeping so much?

    Thank you,
    ken
    Last edited by thelonestranger; October 2nd, 2013 at 08:52 PM.

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    Senior Member gweddig's Avatar
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    Default Re: Weeping 51 Vacumatic?

    Do you know the age of the diaphragm? One thought is that it may have a hole in it.

    -- greg

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    Default Re: Weeping 51 Vacumatic?

    Yep if air is able to leak in through the a micro hole in the diaphragm the pen body will loose its vacuum and gradually fail to hold the ink in the body, a change in air temp can effect the size of the hole. Air molecules are smaller than water so air will leak where ink will not.


    Paul

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    Default Re: Weeping 51 Vacumatic?

    That and a change in weather usually equates to a change in atmospheric pressure - resulting in the same condition Paul-H indicated.
    Cw



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    Default Re: Weeping 51 Vacumatic?

    I just changed the diaphragm last spring, and at the time it held air nicely.

    I'm going to change it again this weekend.

    Thank you,
    ken

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    Default Re: Weeping 51 Vacumatic?

    Ken
    Remove the blind cap, then put your mouth over the back of the pen and blow.
    If there is a hole in the diaphram you will see ink coming out of the nib.

    But changing the diaphram is a sure fix if there is a "micro" hole.
    Last edited by ac12; October 4th, 2013 at 09:43 PM.

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    Default Re: Weeping 51 Vacumatic?

    That's a good tip, and depressing the plunger at the same time would stretch the diaphragm and any hole that might be covered when it's retracted.

    Paul

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    Junior Member JuicyJones's Avatar
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    Default Re: Weeping 51 Vacumatic?

    There is also a good chance of a clog or blockage in the feed somewhere. This could cause the feed to malfunction and leak instead of doing it's job and holding the ink when it's volume changes because of atmospheric pressure or temperature. Take out the feed and look at it closely, you might have developed a little clot.

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    Default Re: Weeping 51 Vacumatic?

    I wish I would have thought of blowing through the pen to find microleaks. My 51 is apart right now in the ultrasonic cleaner, and I'm going to perform the 'blow test' on future repairs. Maybe then my wife will stop calling me 'bluefinger'.

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