When Soaking Just Doesn't Do It.

[Pen Nut]

I have done a similar thread before when my trusty Charles Dickens required a more aggressive than usual cleaning but seeing as I have come across a 149 that was suffering from a clogged feed thought I would run another thread on ‘super flushing’

 

I bought this 149 from a super forum member with the understanding that it did have feed issues and, to be fair, was told that the flushing and soaking remedy had not really improved it much.

 

So on getting it I did the usual overnight x 2 remedy etc but alas still not feeding right.

 

Out with the piston mech and in with the ‘super soaker’. Before I did anything I looked down the barrel towards the feed and could not see anything at all. Following a couple of blasts with the syringe from hell all was clear. A bit of ink gunge was drawn into the syringe whilst doing the cleaning and the expelled ink did start off quite ‘inky’.

 

Taking a picture looking down the barrel now everything looks good. When it has dried out and been put back together I will let you know how it performs.

 

Dead easy to knock one of these together as the tube used is from any gear oil bottle, unused derrr, and the syringe is, well just a big syringe really. The tube fits very snugly into the pen barrel and away you go.

 

The important bit HANG ONTO THE PEN WHEN EXPELLING THE WATER otherwise it could land in a neighbours garden or fire into your kitchen units as a bit of pressure can be generated.

 

 

 

Saturn V or what !!!

 

[Randal6393]

Reminds me of the old water-powered rocket toys from my childhood. A firm grip is definitely required to avoid premature pen launch. Glad you could clear up the grunge with a bit of effort.

 

Enjoy,

[Mister Mont Blanc]

That is very neat pen nut! Thanks for the photos and that is quite a syringe there! In the last picture, that looks like a door on a hinge at the bottom of the barrel. Is it a moving part when ink is being pulled into the barrel or expelled out?

[logantrky]

Great invention, Pen Nut! I suspect this would work for the 147 traveller as well.

[Pen Nut]

Great invention, Pen Nut! I suspect this would work for the 147 traveller as well.

 

The Traveller would benefit from this a bit more than the piston fillers imo due to the 147 never actually drawing ink up through the feed so who knows what would be flushed out. Good point

[Opooh]

Great job, looks like KSC in miniature.

[Bringiton]

Would i be right in assuming you could grease the piston too without the disassembly of the nib?

[Sandy1]

Hi,

 

Very interesting!

 

If I may be so bold, I offer my tuppence worth:

 

When I've dealt with 'as found' used pens with dried ink, if they are c/c fillers I first soak the section to liquify the ink, then flush from the nib towards the c/c nipple - back flushing - which avoids trying to force gunk through the nib+feed bottleneck. With such a powerful syringe I wonder if the nib could be immersed in water, then use the syringe to create a vacuum in the barrel to draw gunk from the nib+feed+collector into the barrel then out? (Certainly not as much fun, but less risk exposure to an inadvertent flight test.)

 

Also, when rescuing a pen that endured a large bore clean-up, just in case there's a bit of stuff remaining, I do not let the pen dry out. Rather I just flick/shake the excess water from the pen, then charge with a benign Washable ink to confirm the source of the clog was removed. If there was a bit of inky residue (or worse) it won't dry-out in the pen, or if particulate seems less likely to become lodged in the collector fins. If the pen is still clogged, the Washable ink can be rinsed away with little effort, and further [chemical/ultrasonic] clean-up can go right ahead.

 

Bye,

S1

[Pen Nut]

Would i be right in assuming you could grease the piston too without the disassembly of the nib?

 

Yep, thats all done when the piston and rod is removed from the top of the barrel

[Pen Nut]

That is very neat pen nut! Thanks for the photos and that is quite a syringe there! In the last picture, that looks like a door on a hinge at the bottom of the barrel. Is it a moving part when ink is being pulled into the barrel or expelled out?

 

As far as I am aware, which isnt that far to be honest, the top of the feed / nib unit has no moving parts at all but I do see what you mean.

[Bringiton]

 

Yep, thats all done when the piston and rod is removed from the top of the barrel

Where did you buy the tool for removal of the piston?

[Pen Nut]

The tools for working on MB's seem to be offered by a few different sources at the moment. I chose to go with our very own Francis aka Fountainbel.

 

Many members make their own out of paper clips, forks etc but the tools supplied by Francis are made to the right dimensions and fit perfectly. If your paperclip slipped or failed you may then wish you had gone the other route.