Cs Churchill Lever Filler Repair Help

[southpaw]

I posted this in the CS forum, but it's not getting much attention, so I thought I'd give it a shot here. I have recently acquired a Conway Stewart Churchill lever filler. I'm guessing it's one of the first generation models, as it's virtually brand new but the ink sac is apparently ruptured - it won't take a bit of water. Since I acquired it second-hand, I'm pretty sure CS won't cover it under warranty, so I'm looking for a bit of advice. What all needs to be done to get it back in working order and how's the best way to go about it?

 

THANKS,

Michael

Edited October 10, 2009 by southpaw

[ZeissIkon]

Sac replacement is one of the simpler repairs. Basically, if you want to repair it yourself, you'll have to get the section out of the barrel (without breaking anything), measure the old sac, assuming it's in good enough shape to do so, remove the old sac and chip the old shellac off the section nipple, select the correct size replacement sac, cut to length, apply shellac to the nipple and slide the new sac on, make sure it's straight and smooth, optionally apply a light bead of shellac over the edge (suspenders and belt practice here; not really necessary, but it makes some folks feel good), let the shellac dry for at least a couple hours, then dust the new sac with pure talc or dry powder graphite lubricant (talc is less messy, and costs about the same if you're going to have to buy this anyway) before reassembling the section to the barrel, aligning the lever with the top of the nib (for American pens) or the bottom of the feed (for British pens).

 

That first step, getting the section out of the barrel, varies more from pen to pen than the rest of the job; most sections aren't threaded, but a few are, and many are held in place with some kind of adhesive, usually softened with heat (and heat is good to prevent cracking the barrel even if the section is just friction fit). Not too much heat; 140º F is just about right, and if you can't touch the part of the pen you're heating comfortably with your lips, it's probably too hot.

 

Hopefully someone will come along who can say how the section is attached in a CS.

 

If that all sounds like something that scares you, or if you're the sort who pays someone to change the battery in your smoke detector, program your VCR/DVR, or set the clock in your car, you might want to just send to the pen to any of the round half dozen pen workers who are members of this forum, any of whom can handle a sac replacement (and will have the skills, and the parts on hand to repair anything else that's likely to be wrong if the sac turns out not to be the only problem).

[ArchiMark]

I posted this in the CS forum, but it's not getting much attention, so I thought I'd give it a shot here. I have recently acquired a Conway Stewart Churchill lever filler. I'm guessing it's one of the first generation models, as it's virtually brand new but the ink sac is apparently ruptured - it won't take a bit of water. Since I acquired it second-hand, I'm pretty sure CS won't cover it under warranty, so I'm looking for a bit of advice. What all needs to be done to get it back in working order and how's the best way to go about it?

 

THANKS,

Michael

 

Hi Michael,

 

Sorry to hear about your Churchill troubles...beautiful pens....

 

I'd suggest going back over to CS forum, look at the pinned post at the top from Mary Burke, CS rep in USA and contact her privately. I'm sure she'll offer you some advice as to how to get this resolved. If your not in USA, I suppose you can still contact her, let her know where you're located and who she'd suggest you to contact....

 

Anyway, just my 2¢

 

Mark

[southpaw]

Thanks for the replies thus far. I'll clarify a bit. I've done countless sac replacements. I know there were issues with the first generation of lever fillers. I'm hoping someone can comment as to what the specific issues were and what the proper fix is and if I can do it myself or if I have to send it off. THANKS

[southpaw]

Anyone?

[Maja]

Anyone?

Hi Michael, so sorry to hear about your problem with your CS Churchill fountain pen. For the amount of money they charge(d) for that pen, you wouldn't expect problems, but...!!

 

I do recall some problems with some of the earlier model *modern* CS lever-fillers from my early days on FPN.

 

Apparently, a bad batch of sacs were used in some modern CS pens (see thread here: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=66304) and there were design problems with the J-bar design itself (see here: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=44187)...but more frightening to me is the FPN thread mentioning that an adhesive like Loc-Tite had been used on some modern CS sections ( thread here https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=1948 ). Just wanted to warn you to be careful when/if attempting a sac replacement. Good luck!! ~Maja

Edited October 12, 2009 by Maja

[Richard]

There was s a double problem with early Churchills, and to some extent it still persists.

 

• About eight years ago, there was a bad batch of sacs from Wood Bin Ltd, the supplier from which Conway Stewart purchased its sacs. Those sacs are still turning up from time to time, in the Conways that got them and also in an unquantifiable range of other pens that repairers or collectors resacked with them.
   
  
• Conway Stewart, in an effort to use common parts, did not design the lever system properly. Their design works quite well in 58s and Dandys, acceptably in 100s, and poorly in Churchills. In the Churchill, because the lever cannot move the pressure bar very far, they bent the pressure bar's spring into an odd shape to get the pressure bar to apply some squeeze to the sac. The right way to do this would have been to sleeve the barrel in a manner similar to the way Esterbrook did in the Model J so that they could use the same lever and sac in all the J-series family pens. Also, the pressure bars were sometimes a little warped, and this warpage causes the lever to slip off the side of the pressure bar and jam the filler. To make matters worse, the rebent version was a bit too long, and it sometimes simply pulls the sac off the nipple (see below).
  

The sac problem does not occur in pens built since Glenn Jones purchased Conway Stewart from the former owner. The pressure-bar design has not been changed.

 

The section is glued into the barrel and must be broken free by careful wiggling with section pliers. (The material is reasonably strong, but don't ask Charles Atlas to do this for you.) The problem is that there is a thimble mounted on the section's nipple to hold the sac, and this thimble usually decides to stay inside the barrel. To remove it, you will need to come up with a punch that is the same diameter as the thimble. (A length of brass tubing will work; my punch is the cap from a torpedo-shaped Sheaffer school pen from the 1960s.) Stand the barrel up on its distal end and center the punch carefully on the thimble. Whack it gently with a small jeweler's hammer (mine has a 1-oz head) to dislodge the thimble in the barrel. Then, fashion a hook from a length of coat hanger wire and use the hook to lift the thimble out of the barrel, working from side to side so that you don't (bleep) it in the barrel.

 

If you do indeed have a gooey sac, have fun getting the goop out...