Vac Fill - Pull Out Plunger While Dipped In Ink First?

[Mister5]

I've read conflicting methods on how to properly fill a vac filler. (I have 1948 Statesman Vac Fill.) Some say to dip the nib in ink and then pull the plunger out, then push down rapidly to fill. Others say to never pull out the plunger while dipped in ink. Opinions?

[Freddy]

Sheaffer Vacuum-Filler: Only fills on the downstroke.

 

While a Syringe-Filler only fills when you push in and pull out.

 

Fred

[adyf]

I've read conflicting methods on how to properly fill a vac filler. (I have 1948 Statesman Vac Fill.) Some say to dip the nib in ink and then pull the plunger out, then push down rapidly to fill. Others say to never pull out the plunger while dipped in ink. Opinions?

 

 

Pull the plunger out before inserting the nib into the ink.

[Chrissy]

 

 

Pull the plunger out before inserting the nib into the ink.

 

That's what I would do. It all sounds a bit unstable if you have to pull the plunger out after you have put the pen in the bottle of ink, or worse yet in a sample vial.

[adyf]

 

That's what I would do. It all sounds a bit unstable if you have to pull the plunger out after you have put the pen in the bottle of ink, or worse yet in a sample vial.

 

 

I've always done this. I don't know if it would be detrimental to pull out the plunger while the nib is immersed. I know it is with snorkel fillers and I guess this is always at the back of my mind.

[Chrissy]

 

 

I've always done this. I don't know if it would be detrimental to pull out the plunger while the nib is immersed. I know it is with snorkel fillers and I guess this is always at the back of my mind.

 

Actually, I can see the potential problems now. If the plunger is meant to introduce air to form some pressure to fill it with ink, then immersing it in ink first could indeed be detrimental.

[Ron Z]

The plunger filler, i.e. the pens with a rod, fill with a vacuum. Pulling the rod out moves the head gasket to the back of the barrel. Pushing it forward again creates a vacuum in the back end of the barrel behind the head gasket. Just before the end of travel the inside diameter of the barrel widens a bit. As the head gasket moves into this area the vacuum is broken, and the ink is pulled into the pen... or to be more precise air pressure on the outside pushes the ink into the barrel as the vacuum is filled. The pen should fill about 2/3 to 3/4 of the way full with one stroke. More on the larger pens because of the greater vacuum developed, less on little pens like Tuckaways.

 

In general, this is a "one shot" filler, where the pen is filled the first time. But cycling the the plunger on a plunger filler won't hurt anything. Some Sheaffer instructions say to cycle the pen two or three times with the nib immersed in the ink to flush the pen. Sometimes cycling the plunger a couple of times gets a little more ink in the pen, but only a little. It certainly won't hurt the pen. As a matter of fact, I cycle the pen several times with the nib immersed when I'm done restoring them to test the seal at the back end, looking for leaks around or through the packing unit.

 

Note that these are very different animals from the Touchdown and Snorkel pens. In those pens pushing the tube/blind cap down compresses the air in the barrel, which in turn squeezes the sac. Pulling the tube back creates a bit of a vacuum in the barrel, though not enough to cause a problem. But with a snorkel it can be a problem if the nib is in the ink when the tube is pulled back. That vacuum can pull ink in around the snorkel tube past the point holder gasket, which means that the ink gets into the barrel (instead if just in the sac) which leads to rusted springs and all that. Rather nasty to clean up. Expensive too if you have to replace rusted parts.

[adyf]

 

 

In general, this is a "one shot" filler, where the pen is filled the first time. But cycling the the plunger on a plunger filler won't hurt anything. Some Sheaffer instructions say to cycle the pen two or three times with the nib immersed in the ink to flush the pen. Sometimes cycling the plunger a couple of times gets a little more ink in the pen, but only a little. It certainly won't hurt the pen. As a matter of fact, I cycle the pen several times with the nib immersed when I'm done restoring them to test the seal at the back end, looking for leaks around or through the packing unit.

.

 

 

 

Thanks for clarifying Ron, good to know that cycling the plunger won't hurt a plunger filler.

Edited July 22, 2017 by adyf

[Mister5]

Thanks Ron and everyone. It sounds like from what Ron said it won't necessarily harm the Vac Fill. The '48 Statesman is fairly small by today's standards but should still get a comparatively large fill for its size, I'd think.

 

I've been cautious not to pull the tube back with the nib dipped in ink on my Snorkels and Touchdowns for the reason Ron mentioned. I learned this the hard way. I have a Thin Model Snorkel Sentinel with beautiful outsides but a horrid rusty spring on the inside. This triggered the snorkel being stuck in the extended position and a costly repair.

[JonSzanto]

I always enjoy this demonstration of the filling system in action:

[Chrissy]

The plunger filler, i.e. the pens with a rod, fill with a vacuum. Pulling the rod out moves the head gasket to the back of the barrel. Pushing it forward again creates a vacuum in the back end of the barrel behind the head gasket. Just before the end of travel the inside diameter of the barrel widens a bit. As the head gasket moves into this area the vacuum is broken, and the ink is pulled into the pen... or to be more precise air pressure on the outside pushes the ink into the barrel as the vacuum is filled. The pen should fill about 2/3 to 3/4 of the way full with one stroke. More on the larger pens because of the greater vacuum developed, less on little pens like Tuckaways.

 

In general, this is a "one shot" filler, where the pen is filled the first time. But cycling the the plunger on a plunger filler won't hurt anything. Some Sheaffer instructions say to cycle the pen two or three times with the nib immersed in the ink to flush the pen. Sometimes cycling the plunger a couple of times gets a little more ink in the pen, but only a little. It certainly won't hurt the pen. As a matter of fact, I cycle the pen several times with the nib immersed when I'm done restoring them to test the seal at the back end, looking for leaks around or through the packing unit.

 

Note that these are very different animals from the Touchdown and Snorkel pens. In those pens pushing the tube/blind cap down compresses the air in the barrel, which in turn squeezes the sac. Pulling the tube back creates a bit of a vacuum in the barrel, though not enough to cause a problem. But with a snorkel it can be a problem if the nib is in the ink when the tube is pulled back. That vacuum can pull ink in around the snorkel tube past the point holder gasket, which means that the ink gets into the barrel (instead if just in the sac) which leads to rusted springs and all that. Rather nasty to clean up. Expensive too if you have to replace rusted parts.

 

 

Thank you Ron for clearing up this point. It's good to know.

[Chrissy]

I always enjoy this demonstration of the filling system in action:

 

Thank you Jon. That is impressive. Almost like magic

[Ron Z]

"fun fact" - more weird fact. Triumph nib Sheaffer plunger fillers, no matter how big the pen is, all use the same head gasket, which means that they have the same inside diameter and hold about the same amount of ink. Obviously a Tuckaway is short, so holds relatively little ink. But Valiant, Statesman, Triumph.... all hold about the same amount, with minor differences for the longer pens. The ID is different only when you get to the standard size Balance, and of course the Oversize Balance, which holds a ton of ink. But the others are all pretty close to each other.

[JonSzanto]

"fun fact" - more weird fact. Triumph nib Sheaffer plunger fillers, no matter how big the pen is, all use the same head gasket, which means that they have the same inside diameter and hold about the same amount of ink. Obviously a Tuckaway is short, so holds relatively little ink. But Valiant, Statesman, Triumph.... all hold about the same amount, with minor differences for the longer pens. The ID is different only when you get to the standard size Balance, and of course the Oversize Balance, which holds a ton of ink. But the others are all pretty close to each other.

 

I thought "I did not know that " and the sound of the voice in my head was that of Johnny Carson.

[adyf]

The ID is different only when you get to the standard size Balance, and of course the Oversize Balance, which holds a ton of ink. But the others are all pretty close to each other.

 

 

Presumably medium and large size head gaskets?

[Ron Z]

....and the sound of the voice in my head was that of Johnny Carson.

 

Yeh, I can hear that.

 

 

 

Presumably medium and large size head gaskets?

 

For the standard size Balance and OS Balance respectively. The ratio is why I sell the assortment with 14 small head gaskets, 4 medium and 2 large - about what most of us are likely to encounter.