Vac-Fill Re-Repair

[Hooker56]

Hi all,

 

I posted last month (Parker Forum) about a free oversized Balance late vac-fill that I received. It had a crack in the cartridge that I successfully welded with MEK, but the nib assy is, was, and will ever be STUCK, I cannot remove the nib. I spent about two weeks trying, so I finally decided to cut the plug at the glue line, Update the packing using the Zorn method, then epoxy back together. (see below)

 

I had to sand the glue joint so close to fit back into the barrel that after a short time it failed...in my shirt pocket. (Thank you Amodex for saving my shirt).

 

After much thought about how to create a stronger joint without fouling the inner cartridge barrel or building up glue residue on the outer cartridge barrel, I've concluded that the way to proceed is carefully epoxy another polystyrene C-washer onto the plug, let it cure, and then epoxy it into the cartridge barrel therefore increasing the glued area around the i.d. of the cartridge.

 

Ron, Gerry, Tim, please let me know if you see a better way forward...or any tips you might have. I only have one feasible shot at this and wish not to screw it up.

 

Many thanks in advance,

 

Clayton

[Czechmauseritis]

Clayton,

 

This is exactly how I did my last cartridge vac-fil. I bonded it with MEK and it has remained solid as a rock.

 

I tried this with epoxy like you did previously and got no joy... Pinholes everywhere in the bond and it wouldn't hold the vacuum... This all before I put it in my pocket ;-).

 

A cool thing you can do with a vac-fil and MEK also is that if you do happen to have pinholes, is bring the plunger out, and while brushing MEK over the pinholes suck it into the holes by pushing down the plunger and creating a vacuum in the tube. This collapses the pinholes on themselves and creates an airtight bond..

 

I did this on a cracked section on a Pelikan 400 with Tenax 7R in lieu of MEK but using the piston to create the suction. Worked like a charm on a very fine leaky crack.

 

.

Edited August 19, 2014 by Czechmauseritis

[Hooker56]

Thanks, Czech,

 

I got ambitious before I got an answer! I epoxies the ring onto the plug. Waiting for it to cure before making the final bond. Not sure at this point whether I try your MEK solution or butter it with epoxy. Now that I've increased the surface area to glue, I think epoxy will fill and hold.

 

My only reservation with using MEK is that Ron told me that over time as the MEK weld off-gasses it can sometimes shrink and weaken.

 

Thanks for the quick reply. I'll post pics when I complete this.

[Czechmauseritis]

Good luck! The MEK worked for me and it's holding. Although I do have some reservations. I guess time will tell. :-)

[Hooker56]

Here's my finished re-repair.

 

I don't know why I wrote Sheaffer Balance as it's a Triumph Lifetime

 

I ended up using epoxy because I had a larger surface area inside to glue to this time. Seems to be very solid.

 

Time will tell. Thanks Czech!

[Czechmauseritis]

Very nice! Congrats! I'm going to keep your washer build up idea in mind as it's always nice to have another method under your belt for solving a problem. The triumph nib cartridge style vac-fils present a unique challenge because of the issues the nib assembly presents. If you see enough of these to justify getting the proper tools to go through the nib end, then I feel like many others that that's the way to go, but I've done it this way too and it does work! I just did another older one with the standard nib assy that was as smooth and easy a packing refurb on a vac-fil I've done. It's really not too bad when you don't have access issues.