C/f Problem

[secrep]

I have two Waterman C/F pens both of which are in fine cosmetic shape. I also have a supply of empty cartridges that I cleaned out and filled with Waterman's Florida Blue ink. I have soaked the sections and put them in my ultrasound jewelry cleaner for extended periods of time. My problem is that the ink does not want to start to flow and even when it does, the line is faint and dry. Obviously something is interfering with the proper flow of ink and I am at a loss about what to do. These are really attractive pens and I would like to use them. Does anyone have any suggestions or pointers that might help?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

 

 

[graystranger]

Did you add a little ammonia to the cleaning solution in the ultrasonic cleaner?

 

Once I tried to flush out and clean my 1965 Sheaffer Lifetime pen after some 20 years of disuse. I soaked it and flushed it with warm soapy water until no more ink came out. Would only write a line or two then stop. A few years later a friend told me I needed to all a little ammonia to the soapy water. All kinds of small flakes came out and the pen has been working perfectly ever since. Now when I toss a the grip section of a pen into my ultrasonic cleaner the water has a few drops of Dawn dish washing detergent and a little bit of ammonia.

 

One thought, did you use the commercial jewelry cleaner that is normally used with ultrasonic cleaners? I would not use that, my jewelry cleaner is very alkaline and I'm not sure if using it in a fountain pen is recommended. The Dawn and ammonia in water works very well for me and a lot of others too.

 

Another thought is to "floss" the nib and feed slot with a thin sheet of brass foil. I get mine from Goulet Pen Co. and it works cleaning out any stuff blocking the slit or the feed groove below the slit. I am not familiar with the Waterman C/F pens, so don't know if it is easy to disassemble the nib and feed.

[ac12]

Can you force water through the feed using a bulb syringe? That will tell you that the ink inktake path is clear. Although I don't know the intake and writing ink paths of the CF feed. Since you can write, there is a small ink path down the ink channel. Flushing with a 10% ammonia solution with a bulb syringe may clear the ink channel.

 

How long did you soak the pen?

It sounds like you may have an internal clog of the in channel.

Soak the section, nib down, overnight and see if any ink comes out. If it does, keep soaking it until nothing comes out. This may take several days.

 

The ultrasonic cleaner should work.

If a 10% ammonia solution does not work, you could have run into what I have...a pen that resists cleaning. You may have to resort to using a commercial techinal pen cleaner.

 

Be very careful flossing the nib. Use 0.001 inch thick brass sheet. If you use too thick a sheet, you could create a different problem, too much space.

[beanbag]

In my experience, soaking and flushing don't work all that well for pens that haven't been used for a really really long time. You need to take it apart.

 

Carefully unscrew the metal threads from the section. If it doesn't go, soak some more or apply some force.

Keep track of all the parts that come out.

The feed easily pushes out towards the back (not the front)

Clean this manually with a toothbrush.

Both the feed (with the ridges) and the little tube have a narrow slit that runs the entire length. Use a thin piece of sheet metal or shim to clean it out.

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/230369-waterman-cf-write/

 

Also, both my CF pens are on the dry side and came with nibs where the tips of the tines touch. The usual techniques of opening up the tines by jamming in sheet metal doesn't work on these 14K nibs because they are much more elastic. I haven't tried very much to open up the tines more, although I think I should.

Edited July 10, 2015 by beanbag

[secrep]

Thanks folks!

 

I only used plain water in the ultrasonic cleaner so perhaps detergent and ammonia may be the answer. I've never tried ammonia. What kind or brand of ammonia should I use?

[spotted and speckled]

Thanks folks!

 

I only used plain water in the ultrasonic cleaner so perhaps detergent and ammonia may be the answer. I've never tried ammonia. What kind or brand of ammonia should I use?

Plain, non-sudsing ammonia. Look on the bottom shelf in the store in the cleaning aisle, not at eye level. Cheap is fine. No colors or scents. Windex is NOT ok to use--it leaves residue, and I had a pen it bubbled the paint on my metal section on.

[ac12]

1 part ammonia + 9 parts water + 2 drops of liquid dishwashing cleaner

 

If that does not work, then use a technical pen cleaner.

http://www.amazon.com/Koh-I-Noor-Rapido-Eze-Pen-Cleaner-oz/dp/B0026I6SOQ/

[terim]

I would make sure you have a good connection between cartridge and nipple .... Those old re-used carts can stop making a good seal after a while.

[hilsedwards]

In my experience, soaking and flushing don't work all that well for pens that haven't been used for a really really long time. You need to take it apart.

 

Carefully unscrew the metal threads from the section. If it doesn't go, soak some more or apply some force.

Keep track of all the parts that come out.

The feed easily pushes out towards the back (not the front)

Clean this manually with a toothbrush.

Both the feed (with the ridges) and the little tube have a narrow slit that runs the entire length. Use a thin piece of sheet metal or shim to clean it out.

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/230369-waterman-cf-write/

 

Also, both my CF pens are on the dry side and came with nibs where the tips of the tines touch. The usual techniques of opening up the tines by jamming in sheet metal doesn't work on these 14K nibs because they are much more elastic. I haven't tried very much to open up the tines more, although I think I should.

Many thanks for this information, just what I was looking for. My C/F has a very hesitant flow so a dismantle and thorough clean should sort things out.

Amazing how FPN members are a fountain of valuable and in depth information!!!

[Slpederson]

Flossing with thin (.003) brass shims worked for me. My CF is one one of my favorites of too many Watermans. I use it whenever I want a truly fine line, the fine nib is actually fine like the more modern pens in my collection.

[Ernst Bitterman]

Just a note on the ink/air channels in the C/F feed, or at least the one shown in the thread linked above-- it's VERY simple, like the inner feed of a Sheaffer Snorkel (and if you shine a light at the cartridge nipple on any Sheaffer made since, you'll see much the same thing). The larger thing that looks like a feed I really should have labelled as "collector", because all it does it take any excess ink that comes down the little feed and park it in the section.

[BCastle]

A tip for when dismantling.....try to keep the cap clutch ring attached to the shell: it is a simple pull-off affair but it covers two teeny-weeny ball bearings that enable the satisfying push snap attachment of the cap. The little so and so's will fall out and you will never see them again (as I found out to my horror-sob)!

 

 

P.S Ernst - thank for your hard work on your website, it has been a constant source of fountain pen inspiration