Jump to content

51 Vac Eyedropper Mod


CarrotBasket

Recommended Posts

First I realize this will sound like heresy to some, but bear with me.

 

I got this 51 vacumatic from 1946 last week, I cleaned it completely of dried ink and prettified rubber diafragm however I don't have the special wrench to remove the pump which also has a broken pelet holder.

 

My hypothesis is it would be possible to bypass fixing the pump which I don't really care for by using it as an eyedropper by removing the collector and filling with a seringe.

 

The other problem is I don't have to money to send it for a proper pump repair. That would run me 3 or 4 times what I paid for the pen at the flea market.

 

What do you think? Will the metal in the spring react with the ink? Has anyone done this?

post-143078-0-17493800-1535645551_thumb.jpg

Edited by CarrotBasket
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 10
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • CarrotBasket

    4

  • pajaro

    2

  • Glenn-SC

    1

  • woleizihan

    1

Top Posters In This Topic

Posted Images

If you adhered or sealed the blind cap permanently, it might not leak. Eyedroppers usually burp for me.

 

 

Perhaps you could use another pen.

"Don't hurry, don't worry. It's better to be late at the Golden Gate than to arrive in Hell on time."
--Sign in a bar and grill, Ormond Beach, Florida, 1960.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

IMO, the best option is just to sell it and be honest about the brocken pellet holder. I imagine you can probably get around $30 for the parts. However, I'm not sure how do you know the pellet holder is brocken without removing the pump. Did the holder just fall out?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is that a black pen?

"Don't hurry, don't worry. It's better to be late at the Golden Gate than to arrive in Hell on time."
--Sign in a bar and grill, Ormond Beach, Florida, 1960.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think your idea is a bad one. Shells are not made to be removed on a regular basis, nor is the collector. I think you have the wrong take on this. Its not what you paid for the pen. If you got it really cheap, GREAT! But it is about what the pen is worth restored. Do you want to throw that money away???

 

Pellet cups are available, which will let you repair the pen, as are reproduction pumps. The guy's name escapes me at the moment, but they're really quite reasonable.

spacer.png
Visit Main Street Pens
A full service pen shop providing professional, thoughtful vintage pen repair...

Please use email, not a PM for repair and pen purchase inquiries.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

First I realize this will sound like heresy to some, but bear with me.

 

I got this 51 vacumatic from 1946 last week, I cleaned it completely of dried ink and prettified rubber diafragm however I don't have the special wrench to remove the pump which also has a broken pelet holder.

 

My hypothesis is it would be possible to bypass fixing the pump which I don't really care for by using it as an eyedropper by removing the collector and filling with a seringe.

 

The other problem is I don't have to money to send it for a proper pump repair. That would run me 3 or 4 times what I paid for the pen at the flea market.

 

What do you think? Will the metal in the spring react with the ink? Has anyone done this?

Firstly Welcome Carrot Basket........

Bad idea...........Good luck.

How's the restoration with the Aurora {early} 88 goin'...........

Fred

Re: Reproduction Pumps.........Jack Lynch...Vacumatic Filler Units....which are excellent.............

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Firstly Welcome Carrot Basket........

Bad idea...........Good luck.

How's the restoration with the Aurora {early} 88 goin'...........

Fred

Re: Reproduction Pumps.........Jack Lynch...Vacumatic Filler Units....which are excellent.............

 

The restoration on the Aurora was a success, lucky the piston still worked without problems. It put down a lot of ink and the flex nib was glorious once tuned a bit, i still miss it lol. I gave it back to the former owner and haven't heard from it since. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

IMO, the best option is just to sell it and be honest about the brocken pellet holder. I imagine you can probably get around $30 for the parts. However, I'm not sure how do you know the pellet holder is brocken without removing the pump. Did the holder just fall out?

 

Yes, it fell off as I was poking to remove the dried rubber bits that lined the barrel. After tinkering some more with rubbers and small pliers I managed to completely disassemble it. The pump is in better shape than I expected, I just need to get myself a new cup holder and diaphragm it looks like. :doh:

Edited by CarrotBasket
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Yes, it fell off as I was poking to remove the dried rubber bits that lined the barrel. After tinkering some more with rubbers and small pliers I managed to completely disassemble it. The pump is in better shape than I expected, I just need to get myself a new cup holder and diaphragm it looks like. :doh:

Normal procedure would be to remove the filler unit and using a bottle brush to clean the barrel instead of ramming sticks into the barrel to dislodge the remnants of a diaphragm.

 

New fillers should you need one run between 20-45 depending on how nice you want one to be.

San Francisco International Pen Show - The next “Funnest Pen Show” is on schedule for August 23-24-25, 2024.  Watch the show website for registration details. 
 

My PM box is usually full. Just email me: my last name at the google mail address.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Most Contributions

    1. amberleadavis
      amberleadavis
      43844
    2. PAKMAN
      PAKMAN
      33501
    3. Ghost Plane
      Ghost Plane
      28220
    4. inkstainedruth
      inkstainedruth
      26627
    5. jar
      jar
      26101
  • Upcoming Events

  • Blog Comments

    • Shanghai Knife Dude
      I have the Sailor Naginata and some fancy blade nibs coming after 2022 by a number of new workshop from China.  With all my respect, IMHO, they are all (bleep) in doing chinese characters.  Go use a bush, or at least a bush pen. 
    • A Smug Dill
      It is the reason why I'm so keen on the idea of a personal library — of pens, nibs, inks, paper products, etc. — and spent so much money, as well as time and effort, to “build” it for myself (because I can't simply remember everything, especially as I'm getting older fast) and my wife, so that we can “know”; and, instead of just disposing of what displeased us, or even just not good enough to be “given the time of day” against competition from >500 other pens and >500 other inks for our at
    • adamselene
      Agreed.  And I think it’s good to be aware of this early on and think about at the point of buying rather than rationalizing a purchase..
    • A Smug Dill
      Alas, one cannot know “good” without some idea of “bad” against which to contrast; and, as one of my former bosses (back when I was in my twenties) used to say, “on the scale of good to bad…”, it's a spectrum, not a dichotomy. Whereas subjectively acceptable (or tolerable) and unacceptable may well be a dichotomy to someone, and finding whether the threshold or cusp between them lies takes experiencing many degrees of less-than-ideal, especially if the decision is somehow influenced by factors o
    • adamselene
      I got my first real fountain pen on my 60th birthday and many hundreds of pens later I’ve often thought of what I should’ve known in the beginning. I have many pens, the majority of which have some objectionable feature. If they are too delicate, or can’t be posted, or they are too precious to face losing , still they are users, but only in very limited environments..  I have a big disliking for pens that have the cap jump into the air and fly off. I object to Pens that dry out, or leave blobs o
  • Chatbox

    You don't have permission to chat.
    Load More
  • Files






×
×
  • Create New...