Home Made Piston Removing Tool For The Mont Blanc 146

[vates]

Yes, a lot of engineering gone into it. Maybe, it exists in one and only original, and the rarity commands the price...

[yamaha_no_46]

Good Sunday FPN members,

 

I just wanted to share my happiness to service my 146 the first time. The piston was so stiff that I was afraid of breaking the piston rod each time I refill my pen. I take great care of my pens and hesitated to service them myself until today but it was the time to do it to avoid any potential damage to the filler system.

 

I crafted the removal tool from a section of an old stapler. It was an U shaped profile with the edges 10mm apart center to center and 1mm thickness. I ground the rough shape wth my Dremel cutting discs and got the final shape with files and sand paper. To avoid any scratch or marring to the brass piston part, I polished the tool and adjusted the tips so that there would not be any play when it was insterted. I also placed a heat shrink tube to the handle part for more grip.

 

I tested the perfect fit and got confidence that it will do the job. Holding my breath, holding the tool with a steady left hand, I applied a medium force to turn the barrel anti clockwise and voila! I managed to remove the piston assembly easily, cleaned the piston seal, re-lubed with pure silicon lubricant and screwed it back turning gently and applying just enough force to tighten the whole assembly at the very last turn of the screw. Now it works like a dream and I am so happy that it ended without any little mark on the brass piston part.

 

This is not to say that professional tools are non required and do not worth the money. I always admired high quality tools and always bought the best I could afford for my toolbox (screwdrivers, wrenches, pliers, cutters etc.) A high quality tool will pay back over time and if I can, I will buy some professional pen service tools in the future. This tool was done just to meet the necessity today. Bad tools will result in bad ends if not today but someday. I respect those who put the effort to produce high quality pen service tools. Although I think they are overpriced, we must respect it. Low demand for such tools would not let them to produce in thousands to lower the production cost.

 

Thanks to everyone who contributed and accumulated so much information here. Highly appreciated!

 

Edited April 20, 2014 by yamaha_no_46

[hari317]

 

P1000332.JPG

Thanks to everyone who contributed and accumulated so much information here. Highly appreciated!

looks very nice and well made, congrats on a good job!

[vates]

Great job!

[GUNGA GALUNGA]

If a tool is ridiculous priced or not is relative.

I also think it is not cheap (I would try to make one by myself as Paul), but I'm sure they are handmade from a single member in Europe and from good quality.

Special tools produced in low batches for special purposes are normally expensive.

In general good tools are expensive, e.g. I can buy a cheap screw-wrench from a discounter, made in China, or I can buy a high quality one e.g. made in Germany.

The price difference will be immense, but also the material quality and production precision.

My father always said to me don't try to safe money on tools, with cheap low quality tools you may even get hurt or you won't be able to do the job (destroy the workpiece, need much more time or the tool break down).

And this is exactly also my experience (I don't expect you will get hurt by a cheap Chinese MB tool, but I think you got the point)

Just for comparison, here I pay about 60€ - 90€ for a mechanics hour at a car garage, is it really a ridiculous price when a person develop a special high quality tool and produce it handmade in a small badge series for other pen enthusiasts who can't or don't want to manufacture it by themselves?

I don't think so.

What would you charge if you develop and produce a similar a tool in a small batch series as a goody for other pen enthusiasts (take into account your time for development, production, handling, selling, shipping, your machinery energy, materials,.....) ?

Don't compare it with cheap Asian (mass) products, this is unfair.

Spoken like a true capitalist. I could not not agree more

[fountainbel]

Hi all,

Congratulations on the tools you made, I agree all of these will work if you use them with caution.

However : Avoiding the tool fingers slide out of the housing slots when applying the loosening torque, i personally think one should be able to close the filling knob on the back of the tool fork before applying the loosening torque.

This allows applying high torque without any risks the tool fingers slide out of the slots and damage the filler slots and possible the barrel.

Just my 2 Euro cents...

Francis

[lahlahlaw]

Here's my contribution, it is made from a staple remover. All you have to do is flatten out the points, thin them out a bit, and squeeze them together ever so slightly. Works like a charm, and you get two tools from each !

 

 

[Nick13]

Never knew there were this many ways to get the piston out! Thank you guys so much for sharing.

 

 

Nick

[Paul80]

Just goes to prove you cannot make anything fool proof, because us fools are so ingenious

 

Paul

[YurijYuV]

Well...read.

Much liked.

Especially liked the fact that not only here in Russia, there are many who can do things with their hands. We have such people are called-Samodelkin.

About the tools: the subject of the dispute no. Expensive,high quality tool more suited to a professional who will work on it and money will cover the cost of the tool. And what about those guys who are such a tool is needed most often once a month? Also to pay for the expensive and high quality? But this will never be repaid! Therefore, the selection is small. Or buy a cheap disposable or make yourself.

That is my opinion.

So I try to make myself.

[JonB55198]

 

http://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy200/mikenycli/0c696395-f940-4b55-866c-bc4bd5f2c1f5_zpsf67a3a61.jpg

Not to get too far off topic. But where can one get a Montblanc music nib like that pictured on the right? That thing is beautiful! :-)

[friedrichwild]

i would also like to show my construction. I purchased a MB 146 from the 90's and the piston needed lubrication. So i went to ebay and serached for the appropriate tool to remove the piston.i found it but I had to pay 25$ for it. i thought that it was too much for such a tool. So i had an idea...and it worked perfrectly! I used a fork, pliers, polishing sheets and 10 - 15 minutes of my Sunday! And it is very sturdy and with a liitle modification you can use it to unscrew the nib unit too !! And believe me. I an not so skilled with constuctions. So if i did it, anyone can

Edited December 3, 2017 by friedrichwild

[RayCornett]

Here's my "MB tool" made out of a binder clip handle: bent, cut and then filed to fit the piston holes.

 

mb_tool.jpg

 

 

I am glad I found this thread. I ended up trying a thick paper clip bent and filed to the right size and although it worked it did not work well with my big hands. I ended up using a jumbo binder clip handle which worked awesomely.