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Thread: Coverter: increased flow when nearly empty

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    Senior Member silverlifter's Avatar
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    Default Coverter: increased flow when nearly empty

    I have a Franklin Christoph Model 20 fitted with a standard converter. The pen works exceptionally well until the converter is almost empty (around 5% full by rough estimate), at that point, the flow increases dramatically: the pen is almost gushing.

    I don't have many cartridge/converter pens, but I have never seen this before. I have tried swapping in a new converter, and the same thing happens. Is this a known issue? It seems the more air behind the feed, the more pressure pushing ink through. Is there a fix (other than treating it like an eyedropper and refilling more frequently)?
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    Senior Member fountainpenkid's Avatar
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    Default Re: Coverter: increased flow when nearly empty

    This sounds just like classic heat expansion (heat from hand warming larger mass of air at end of fill, large enough to push out ink and increase flow), which due to the inherent insulation c/c pens provide should be less common...but I am not well versed in c/c behavior as I have owned so few of them. Curious as to other ideas. The one FC pen I owned, a Pocket 20 in blue icey whatever finish, didn't do this.
    Will
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    Default Re: Coverter: increased flow when nearly empty

    This is typical for fountain pens, though some are better behaved than others. Parker has this as the first item under diagnosing why a "pen floods." The reason is that the pen is almost out of ink, and the solution given is, "Tell the customer to fill the pen."

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    Default Re: Coverter: increased flow when nearly empty

    Thanks fpk and Ron. I thought I might just have to live with it... It's weird, because my other FC (02) doesn't do this. Neither do my other converter pens (a Targa and a Ranga).
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    Senior Member Jon Szanto's Avatar
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    Default Re: Coverter: increased flow when nearly empty

    I'm just grasping at straws for an idea, but there is the remote possibility that the Model 20 is machined with thinner barrel walls than some of the other models, leading to more transfer of warmth from the user's hand. It's either that or gamma-ray interaction from an undiscovered black hole or something...
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    Default Re: Coverter: increased flow when nearly empty

    Quote Originally Posted by Jon Szanto View Post
    I'm just grasping at straws for an idea, but there is the remote possibility that the Model 20 is machined with thinner barrel walls than some of the other models, leading to more transfer of warmth from the user's hand. It's either that or gamma-ray interaction from an undiscovered black hole or something...
    Yes, this does seem a plausible explanation (hand warmth, not space lasers!).
    Vintage. Cursive italic. Iron gall.

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    Default Re: Coverter: increased flow when nearly empty

    Quote Originally Posted by fountainpenkid View Post
    This sounds just like classic heat expansion (heat from hand warming larger mass of air at end of fill, large enough to push out ink and increase flow), which due to the inherent insulation c/c pens provide should be less common...but I am not well versed in c/c behavior as I have owned so few of them. Curious as to other ideas. The one FC pen I owned, a Pocket 20 in blue icey whatever finish, didn't do this.
    Good point. We often forget that fountain pens are affected by temperature, relative humidity, and barometric pressure changes in the atmosphere.

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    FPG Donor ♕ Chrissy's Avatar
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    Default Re: Coverter: increased flow when nearly empty

    What Ron said. I've seen this happen with several different brands of pens. In fact it's one method of knowing my pen is almost empty.
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    Default Re: Coverter: increased flow when nearly empty

    Quote Originally Posted by silverlifter View Post
    Is there a fix (other than treating it like an eyedropper and refilling more frequently)?
    You could try screwing in the converter plunger to reduce the air available to be heated.
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    Default Re: Coverter: increased flow when nearly empty

    Quote Originally Posted by grainweevil View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by silverlifter View Post
    Is there a fix (other than treating it like an eyedropper and refilling more frequently)?
    You could try screwing in the converter plunger to reduce the air available to be heated.
    Yes! I usually do this anyway with c/c pens because most of the few I've owned lightened up on the flow at some point during the fill.
    Will
    If my p.m box is full, feel free to email me at dabantur@gmail.com.

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