Clean Behind Platinum 3776 Inner Cap

[Mafia Geek]

Hi fpn,

 

I got a platinum 3776 Sai a little while ago and have been using it quite a bit since I got it, really liking it. However, I have noticed some build up of stuff behind the inner cap on the seal mechanism. It looks like it might be metal shavings or something, maybe from the spring rubbing or something. Either way, it takes away from the pen a fair amount as the whole pen is so clear.

 

Does anyone know how I might clean behind it? I haven't tried soaking it yet, not quite convinced that will do it but might give it a try either way.

 

If anyone has any pointers, that'd be great.

 

Thanks.

[yannori]

I am having the same problem with my Platinum Cool. Does anybody know how to remove the inner cap lining of the Platinum Slip & Seal caps so they can be cleaned?

[Baric]

This is one of the problems with demonstrators. If this was black or some other solid finish, you would never know this and not worry about it.

 

Have you tried an ultrasonic cleaning? This can reach places you can't. How about a simple soak in a very mild dish soap solution overnight?

 

If it is shavings or some debris from manufacture, you might not be able to get it out short of dis-assembly depending on the size of the "stuff" and the inner and outer cap clearance. If you attempt to take it apart, you will void your warranty and any chance to get it it fixed by Platinum themselves. The 3776 is not inexpensive (relatively) and you might want to think twice before getting physical with the cap.

 

I don't have mine yet (the semi-opaque Chartres Blue), so take this with a pound of salt. Going just be the images, the slip and seal inner cap has a threaded post at the top that extends through the outer cap and clip base and into the clear cap finial. There appears to be a flat hex nut around the post keeping the inner cap, clip, and outer cap together. What I don't see from the inadequate pictures is if the finial is removable to get at the nut. Or if the nut and finial are a single fused unit and you can just unscrew it (like on a Montblanc Meisterstuck). There are other possibilities, but given the limited images, it's hard to say.

[KBeezie]

3776 or century 3776?

 

There is a differenc, which could make it more difficult to do so (though with tthe century 3776 not sure how ink can get in between the cap and inner cap, usually pretty well sealed once screwed on.

[Baric]

The Sai is a clear 3776 Century demonstrator. Best image I've seen of the cap, inner cap, spring, and finial is this from nibs.com:

 

http://www.nibs.com/www/WEBSITE%20PICS/Platinum/platinum-3776-sai-clear-demo-nib-detail.jpg

[KBeezie]

The Sai is a clear 3776 Century demonstrator. Best image I've seen of the cap, inner cap, spring, and finial is this from nibs.com:

 

http://www.nibs.com/www/WEBSITE%20PICS/Platinum/platinum-3776-sai-clear-demo-nib-detail.jpg

 

I'm just wondering if the ink that's being complained about is in between the Inner cap and Outer cap, or if it's simply inside the inner cap (where you can probably get at it with a swab or something). It's not a construction that I would personally attempt to try to take apart.

 

I haven't had the issue on mine yet, but even if I did, I probably wouldn't notice it:

 

http://static.karlblessing.com/pens/3776/bourgogne/capped_close.jpg

Edited September 16, 2014 by KBeezie

[Baric]

 

I'm just wondering if the ink that's being complained about is in between the Inner cap and Outer cap, or if it's simply inside the inner cap (where you can probably get at it with a swab or something). It's not a construction that I would personally attempt to try to take apart.

 

I haven't had the issue on mine yet, but even if I did, I probably wouldn't notice it:

 

Hard to say without a picture, but I assume the OP can tell the difference. The SAI is pretty clear, not a darker color like ours.

 

And I probably won't notice on my new pen but now I'll be on the lookout. It will be harder to spot since I'll be using blue ink in the Chartres Blue model.

[yannori]

I was able to remove most of the debris from the cap liner of my Platinum Cool with alternating 2 hours of soaking & shaking the cap while filled with Goulet Pen Flush. After another overnight soak, It still has a couple of spots with ink in the finnial though. I decided that attempting to remove the inner liner would crack the cap, so whatever ink is left in there, is going to stay. I guess I'll just have to choose the darker demonstrators from now on.

[Mafia Geek]

It actually isn't ink that I had between the inner cap and outer cap. The spring attached to the inner cap was scraping against the metal plate at the top of the cap and a metal powder was getting produced, and that was between the inner and outer cap.

 

It detracted from the look of the cap quite a lot. I still haven't figured out if there's a way to clean it, I was able to get a little bit of water behind there, but that didn't rinse out the little metal bits.

 

I might just live with it rather than risk breaking the pen, but I will keep an eye out for a solution.

[kenshiro]

I'm a little confused. Based on what I see in mine, I think the end cap that has the bolt captive just screws off, releasing the captive spring and inner cap.

[Mafia Geek]

I don't think it unscrews that easily. I had a look at that as well but I don't think the end cap is attached to the bolt in any way and if I tried to remove it, something would break.

 

I think I'm just going to put up with it for now and see if it gets worse.

[heymatthew]

This is a bit of an older thread now, but I recently gave my Sai a good cleaning and had a little of the Goulet Pen Flush stuck between the inner cap and outer cap. Try as I might, I couldn't unscrew that finial and I didn't want to resort to tools to try and get it out. Unlike TWSBI pens, where the inner cap can be pulled out using a rubber band to create friction, the inner cap of the Sai is attached to the spring, which is attached to the post, which is threaded into the nut, which is attached to the finial. Crazy...

 

Anyway... To get rid of the liquid, I just used a can of compressed air (3M "Dust Remover") with the long nozzle straw attached and basically forced the liquid out with several quick bursts. I then took a twisted-up paper towel and swabbed out the liquid that was forced out.

 

Voila! Clean as the day I bought it.