Who Can Restore An A. A. Waterman?

[sidthecat]

So I bought an A. A. Waterman twist-filler (a ringtop, mind) with a flexy but misaligned nib.

It needs a seeing-to, but is there anyone who works on them?

I gather they're fiddly.

I may simply transfer the nib to a more conventional pen (assuming one exists) but it's always nice to have an original thing?

[Hanamizu]

I did it, so you probably can too. Hardest part was separating the section from the barrel—I've had experience breaking pens at this stage. The step I thought would be hardest—driving the metal pin from the filling knob at the back went pretty smoothly for me. You take a regular sac, measure carefully to get the correct length and then cut off the closed end. Shellac one end to the section and let dry. After it is truly dry and set, install the section and sac into the barrel. Reach into the back (filler-knob end) of the barrel with tweezers/forceps and stretch the sac out so you can glue the other half of the ink sac to the filler knob mechanism. You will have to fiddle with the alignment of the section and the filler so that the sac is straight when the filler knob is in its normal closed position and the sac is wound up when the knob is turned. And, of course you need to reinstall the pin that holds the knob to the rest of the filling mechanism.

 

It is all clear in my mind as I write this, but it's probably clear as mud as you read it. But it is doable—a bit more fiddly than a standard lever filler, it not nearly as tricky as a vac-fill. HTH

[sidthecat]

As an inaugural project, I recollect the reply of the Down Easter who, when asked how to get to the next town, replied "I wouldn't start from here."

[FarmBoy]

In my time zone it is still Wednesday. On Wednesday this month we recommend Ron Zorn at Main Street Pens as the restorer of choice.

 

[Hanamizu]

Ron would be an excellent choice, but his website says he's going to clear his backlog of pens to be repaired before he can accept new pens.

[Greenie]

I repaired my AA Waterman twist filler. The pin in mine was a bit hard to drive out. After that, no problems.

 

Marshall and Oldfield have a good page on this. They do it like Hanamizu said, but this is the hard way!!!!!! Reassembly is easier than they say.

 

Disassembly:

1. Remove section like any other pen

2.Drive out the tiny pin in the end knob

3. The end knob unscrews off the threaded part (the one that goes inside the barrel). Left hand thread.

4. The threaded part is then turned/screwed into the barrel to be removed via the section end

Tune and fix:

5. Do all your normal work to flush the section, tune nib, etc.

Sac:

6. Measure a sac vs the barrel, section, and twisty end threaded part. Not too hard to measure parts against the pen to see how long to cut the sac with both ends of the sac open.

 

The easier part:

Be sure to clean the threaded twist plug and its threads so that it rotates easily....

7. You can then assemble the end plug to the sac, and the section with nib and feed to the other end of the sac. Let them dry quite well. Then insert the completed assembly but don't push the section into the barrel. Start twisting (left hand threaded) and the plug will start to come out the end of the barrel. A little talc might help.

I thought this was easier than stretching the sac to glue it - glue it first, then the stretchy part is on reassembly AFTER it is good and dry..

 

Then of course put the end knob back together.

[sidthecat]

These instructions are clear, cogent and completely terrifying.

[pen lady]

You already know that the nib needs ironing out a bit, if this was my lovely pen (and I have a real soft spot for ring-tops) I'd be shipping it off to a specialist as soon as I could. If you think about how few of these particular pens still exist (unlike, say a P51 or an Estie) you might consider it something of a responsibility, if not to have it fixed, to at least, do it no harm.