Greetings! I recently received a Q2 1940 (I think) mfg'd Vac (pearl green, very cool!) as a gift, I have a couple of questions. The plunger (Speedline, non-locking) seems to work OK, but I have no idea what kind of shape the guts of this thing are in. Should I just send it to someone for an overhaul? I haven't tried to pump up any ink yet (in case I do have to send it away) but should I try water to see if it works? If it does, how do I get all of the water out? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!!
John
Full Version: ?'s about vintage Vacumatic
Hi,
Always worth trying with water to see how/if it fills. If you get some liquid in and want to empty it out, get as much out as you can with the plunger, I then shake the pen (a bit like when you shake a thermometer before/after use) over a sink for a couple of minutes until no more water comes out, but take care not to hit the pen/nib. You can then wrap the nib in a tissue/paper towel and leave upside down in a glass overnight to wick out the rest of the ink/water.
Good luck.
Andy
Always worth trying with water to see how/if it fills. If you get some liquid in and want to empty it out, get as much out as you can with the plunger, I then shake the pen (a bit like when you shake a thermometer before/after use) over a sink for a couple of minutes until no more water comes out, but take care not to hit the pen/nib. You can then wrap the nib in a tissue/paper towel and leave upside down in a glass overnight to wick out the rest of the ink/water.
Good luck.
Andy
OK, I know that this is going to sound like the service department manager at an auto dealership....
Unless you know that the pen has been serviced, you should plan to have the diaphragm replaced even if it draws ink into the pen. A diaphragm that is old may work today, and fail on you tomorrow. Maybe it won't draw ink the next time, maybe it will cause the pen to flood because a pin hole in the diaphragm allows ink into the pen. While the rubber may still be flexable, it may be starting to harden, and will tear or crack as you flex the diaphragm when you push the filler down.
If you want to test it to see if it fills, use water the first time, and ink only if it fills with the water. You'll have to shake the water out of the pen before you do fill with ink. Hold the pen with a firm grip, and shake down with a snap of the wrist, as if you were trying to shake down a fever thermometer. Holding a paper towel over the end prevents water from going all over, but it's more fun to shake it at your kids (water that is, not ink)
If you haven't repaired pens before and/or don't have the right tools, I recommend sending it to someone to restore. You'll be much happier in the long run!
Unless you know that the pen has been serviced, you should plan to have the diaphragm replaced even if it draws ink into the pen. A diaphragm that is old may work today, and fail on you tomorrow. Maybe it won't draw ink the next time, maybe it will cause the pen to flood because a pin hole in the diaphragm allows ink into the pen. While the rubber may still be flexable, it may be starting to harden, and will tear or crack as you flex the diaphragm when you push the filler down.
If you want to test it to see if it fills, use water the first time, and ink only if it fills with the water. You'll have to shake the water out of the pen before you do fill with ink. Hold the pen with a firm grip, and shake down with a snap of the wrist, as if you were trying to shake down a fever thermometer. Holding a paper towel over the end prevents water from going all over, but it's more fun to shake it at your kids (water that is, not ink)
If you haven't repaired pens before and/or don't have the right tools, I recommend sending it to someone to restore. You'll be much happier in the long run!
Thanks guys, I'll try to fill it with water and see how it goes. 
It should come as no shock that I agree with Ron completely!
I just started learning how to replace vac diaphragms recently, and I've done about seven. In at least three cases, the pens took up water just fine and might have worked for a while. Since I was trying to learn how to do the replacements, I took 'em apart anyway. In each of these cases, the diaphragms were clearly on their last legs -- sticky, somewhat brittle, and generally not in good shape.
Do the water test for fun, then send it off to someone who knows how to do the replacements properly! (Alas, I am not yet among them....)
Don
I just started learning how to replace vac diaphragms recently, and I've done about seven. In at least three cases, the pens took up water just fine and might have worked for a while. Since I was trying to learn how to do the replacements, I took 'em apart anyway. In each of these cases, the diaphragms were clearly on their last legs -- sticky, somewhat brittle, and generally not in good shape.
Do the water test for fun, then send it off to someone who knows how to do the replacements properly! (Alas, I am not yet among them....)
Don
As one who does NOT make money repairing pens, I agree with Ron Z.
It's worth the $35 or whatever it takes to make sure that the pen does not RUIN some pants or shirt.
Or someone else's shirt!
It's worth the $35 or whatever it takes to make sure that the pen does not RUIN some pants or shirt.
Or someone else's shirt!
Awesome avatar, threejean!
(And to keep the thread on track...I concur with the above opinions, and like James, I don't make any money on repairing pens.)
(And to keep the thread on track...I concur with the above opinions, and like James, I don't make any money on repairing pens.)
QUOTE(rroossinck @ Dec 31 2007, 02:35 AM) [snapback]462795[/snapback]
Awesome avatar, threejean!
(And to keep the thread on track...I concur with the above opinions, and like James, I don't make any money on repairing pens.)
(And to keep the thread on track...I concur with the above opinions, and like James, I don't make any money on repairing pens.)
Thanks rroossinck and all who responded!
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