Swan Lever Fillers - What Do I Have Here?

[Effin1]

I must confess there is no way I could replace a riveted clip. I just find an accommodation clip and re-plate with my 'goldy' machine. Takes a while mixing the gold solution to approximate 14ct but I have a metal practice barrel and cap that I use to test the colour. In fact I have 1 I'm in the process of refurbishing but don't want to set up until I have a few more pieces to do.

It's for a blue lapis Watkins Swallow (never heard of this pen) that has a rather interesting MT nib. It's a lever filler with 1 gold cap band so I will try to match the clip to these. Should look very smart when finished albeit a frankenpen.

[Wet-Noodle]

Aye loon, jes gang easy wee yon driech Aberdonian blether, ahm frae furry-boots-toon masell' ye ken..... fit a scunner!

 

Ask Effin1

 

Would I take the pen back to Waterman's! I like it just as it is. Though it wouldn't surprise me if they did repair it under guarantee, the public relations publicity would be tempting. However, it would open the floodgates to every ancient, battered pen on eBay!

[Cob]

Aye loon, jes gang easy wee yon driech Aberdonian blether, ahm frae furry-boots-toon masell' ye ken..... fit a scunner!

 

Ask Effin1

 

Would I take the pen back to Waterman's! I like it just as it is. Though it wouldn't surprise me if they did repair it under guarantee, the public relations publicity would be tempting. However, it would open the floodgates to every ancient, battered pen on eBay!

Yes I have a couple of candidates here - including a genuine French JiF 06!

 

Cob

[Cob]

I must confess there is no way I could replace a riveted clip. I just find an accommodation clip and re-plate with my 'goldy' machine. Takes a while mixing the gold solution to approximate 14ct but I have a metal practice barrel and cap that I use to test the colour. In fact I have 1 I'm in the process of refurbishing but don't want to set up until I have a few more pieces to do.

It's for a blue lapis Watkins Swallow (never heard of this pen) that has a rather interesting MT nib. It's a lever filler with 1 gold cap band so I will try to match the clip to these. Should look very smart when finished albeit a frankenpen.

I am considering the gold-plating process; one does get fed up with apologising in one's listings for "slight brassing on the clip" etc.

 

The Watkins is strange; Swallows were of course a Mabie Todd America product.

Cob

Edited March 26, 2015 by Cob

[Wet-Noodle]

A goldy machine... That sounds fun! I'm still in awe of ATMs, extraordinary things, you stik a bit of plastic into it and someone else's money comes out. I was thinking of installing one on my bedroom wall to save me getting up in the morning. But a Goldy Machine sounds much better, like a medieval alchemist's dream come true.

 

Seriously though Effin, can you do silver plating too with this?

[Effin1]

Yes Wet-noodle if you have the silver plate chemical. They are good fun but not as easy as you might think and I only use on certain pens. If you want a flawless finish the preparation is key. If you don't nickel plate first the gold will tarnish. I was disappointed with the colour of gold on my first attempts but discovered a solution that can be mixed to change the gold carat from 24 to as low as 9. There is also a rose gold mix. Getting the exact colour to match other furnishings can be problematic hence my tester cap and barrel. The other problem is the cost of the solution.

[Cob]

Yes Wet-noodle if you have the silver plate chemical. They are good fun but not as easy as you might think and I only use on certain pens. If you want a flawless finish the preparation is key. If you don't nickel plate first the gold will tarnish. I was disappointed with the colour of gold on my first attempts but discovered a solution that can be mixed to change the gold carat from 24 to as low as 9. There is also a rose gold mix. Getting the exact colour to match other furnishings can be problematic hence my tester cap and barrel. The other problem is the cost of the solution.

Very interesting.

 

Can you give us an idea of the cost of the materials and sources?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Cob

[Wet-Noodle]

Very interesting.

 

Can you give us an idea of the cost of the materials and sources?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Cob

It is interesting Effin, though I doubt that I could ever justify the cost of buying a goldy machine, but it's the sort of restoration work that appeals. I understand how vital the surface preparation is, as of course it's just the same for other pre-plating such as watch cases, I've been thinking of preparing and silver plating a sadly battered watch case as the movement merits it.

[northlodge]

I have tried gold & silver plating, have been reasonably happy with the gold but have been less than thrilled with the silver.

 

Ball park figure for a basic / off the shelf set up is probably around £100 - £125 mark. You could put the components together bit by bit for less I reckon. Also, better results can be expected if you were to invest in a bath plating set up, but expect to pay £500 - £800.

[Wet-Noodle]

Umm, I guess that the bath plating option would really need space that I really don't have these days, but Cob probably does. Thank you for the info though.

[Effin1]

I started off buying a gold plating kit from E Bay for about £370 but I suspect that buying separately as Northlodge suggests would work out cheaper because the kit has things I have never used eg. chrome stripper. The problem with bath plating is you need to remove the items for plating and it's not always possible. Incidentally Nothlodge takes the blame for all my expenditure on my foray into plating. A bottle of gold solution was £100 and then the mixing solutions another £47, I saw a U Tube video with someone plating using a large battery plus other easy to obtain bits but my machine is very easy to use and I've had some amazing results. If you polish aggressively though the plating (which is quite thin) will just come off. Northlodge also sent me my tester pen. I will try to take a picture tomorrow. He will be amazed.

[Cob]

Umm, I guess that the bath plating option would really need space that I really don't have these days, but Cob probably does. Thank you for the info though.

Space? S-P-A-C-E?!

 

Whatever gave you that idea?

 

C.

[Wet-Noodle]

Space? S-P-A-C-E?!

 

Whatever gave you that idea?

 

C.

I really don't know Cob. I just had a vision of you in a Mabie Todd sized space surrounded by beautiful pens and nibs in various states of repair and fine tuning.

 

We've recently moved into a smaller flat. We love it, but it didn't have one cupboard or draw in it when we arrived and, well, we are still surrounded by packing cases. It feels cramped, and with two cats on Prozac and my wife freaking out, the thought of me saying "look what I've got darling..... it's a goldy machine." doesn't really bear thinking about, I'd be on life support within seconds. Believe me Cob, compared to me you have S P A C E!

Edited March 29, 2015 by Wet-Noodle

[northlodge]

Space? S-P-A-C-E?!

 

Whatever gave you that idea?

 

C.

 

There must be a rumour going around that defence cuts has left Berkshire looking like a ghost town

[Wet-Noodle]

I just wanted to wish you the very best of luck with your fabulous Onoto 1000 sale today Cob. I'm just praying that all the serious bidders have forgotten to put their watches and clocks forward. Though if I were to buy it it would have to stand to attention like everything else in this flat and find its place on the Tokyo rush hour principal.

[Goudy]

I now have an explanation for that odd looking Swan "overfeed" that I posted a while ago:

 

 

http://i.imgur.com/PiTwg8A.jpg

 

 

This is, in fact, just the standard metal Swan "overfeed" that someone has put in the wrong way round:

 

http://i.imgur.com/PWspHpT.jpg

 

Inserted correctly, with the spoon-shaped part tucked into the section, it should look like this:

 

http://i.imgur.com/O0MBFRw.jpg

[Cob]

Oh!! (Blush!)

 

Cob

[Wet-Noodle]

Ha ha ha!

[Wet-Noodle]

A daft question...

 

I know that you aren't personally a great fan of flex Effin though Idon't doubt that like Cob you know what can and can't be done with these beautiful Mabie Todd nibs.

 

I really do enjoy trying to master the best use of flex and have had great luck in buying both Effin and Cob pens, both of which offer interestingly different and very pleasing characteristics. My Waterman's 52 / Early NewYork Mabie Todd "Frankenpen" proved to be a wonderful find, someone rightly treasured that nib enough to add it to the Waterman's barrel and having cleaned it up and fitted a new sac it's a joy to use.

 

My other "back of a dusty attic" find is my Mabie Todd 3 S.F. BRD, its larger size is pleasant to handle and its #3 nib is full of promise, it is very capable of the finest of fine writing and yet the tines happily spread for wide down strokes - the variation is terrific. However, this #3 nib is harder, a bit too hard for my liking, the pressure required just makes using it more demanding.

 

The daft question: In "the hayday" did nibmeisters temper and re temper nibs for their clients? One would think that they probably did. If so does that art still exist and how was it done? I don't propose to try it myself of course, but I would love to know what you think, maybe you do it?

 

Wet-Noodle

Edited April 24, 2015 by Wet-Noodle