Help With My First Duofold

[PeterR-C]

I have just found a nice-looking black duofold in an antiques market. It appears to be one of the 1948-53 ones, with 'made in England' on the barrel. My problem is that I cannot remove the top end of the barrel to fill it. There is a gap of about 0.5 mm, the top isn't screwed tightly down, but despite repeated washing in warm water I cannot shift it. I presume it is supposed to unscrew? Or does it slide straight off? Any advice on how to shift it would be really helpful!

 

Peter

[sansenri]

I'm no expert on vintage Duofolds but certainly a photo would help also to get advice from more experienced vintage Duofold owners

 

check here on how to

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/339100-problems-uploading-photos/?hl=%2Bhow+%2Bpost+%2Bphoto&do=findComment&comment=4098428

Edited October 23, 2018 by sansenri

[PaulS]

if your pen is from the period you mention, then it's very likely to be what is known as an AF (aluminium filler) Duofold, and if this is the case then there should be a blind cap at the rear of the barrel which is unscrewed to reveal a silver colour button. If the pen is functioning correctly then this will be your means of filling the pen. The reason the section is stubborn maybe that someone has used shellac to secure the two parts. If you do buy the pen, remember that black is the least commercial colour - also that this model is not rare - check the nib for smoothness and assess the price taking these factors into account. It is always possible someone has used adhesive on the pen to prevent a buyer from checking that the pressure bar is present. Ask the seller to remove the section - that way if he breaks the pen it won't be your fault.

The later Newhaven Duofolds - from 1953 onwards - which superceded these AF models, used a squeeze method of filling, whereby the section is removed to expose a sac and sac guard.

If you are able to look again at the pen, see what the full imprint reads.

 

Best of luck.

 

P.S. Peter - your comments about the production period for this pen are astute - being curious, may I ask the source of your information

Edited October 23, 2018 by PaulS

[peterg]

Sounds like someone has cross threaded the blind cap. Usual advice would be to clamp tightly and unscrew but as the cap is plastic it will more likely shatter. Did that with a Miller pen!

[PaulS]

Peter - I got the impression that it was the section to barrel join that the op was having problems with.

[mitto]

It is the OP who can tell us whether the pen has a blind cap on its barrel or has it a barrel without a cap on its end. A picture or two would be helpful.

[hari317]

I have just found a nice-looking black duofold in an antiques market. It appears to be one of the 1948-53 ones, with 'made in England' on the barrel. My problem is that I cannot remove the top end of the barrel to fill it. There is a gap of about 0.5 mm, the top isn't screwed tightly down, but despite repeated washing in warm water I cannot shift it. I presume it is supposed to unscrew? Or does it slide straight off? Any advice on how to shift it would be really helpful!

 

Peter

Is the blind cap stuck?

 

Warm the end of the barrel with dry heat like from a hair dryer and use a pair of rubber sheets for grip while unscrewing the blind cap.

[PaulS]

judging by the op's comments, the pen in question may well not yet be in their possession - in fact it may never end up being theirs

[PeterR-C]

Thanks to everyone for your responses. I did in fact buy the pen, it was only £30 and I thought it was worth the risk. The problem was the little cap at the top of the barrel, covering the filler. Hari317 - thanks for your advice, I followed it and have finally been able to remove it. This is what's called the blind cap, is it? (This is my first duofold so I'm in unknown territory). I found a video on youtube

which shows what appears to be the identical pen. Paul - nothing particularly erudite about my dating! tells me that this form was introduced in 1948, and the filler was changed in 1953, so those have to be the bracketing dates I presume.

 

So I've now removed the blind cap, but the aluminium filler button is locked rigid. The youtube viseo shows it should be depressed easily. I'm soaking it in warm water and some very ancient-looking ink has oozed out from the filler button, but no movement yet. I've no idea what these things look like inside, can the mechanism jam in some way? And I gather from some of the comments above that the section is also unscrewable? That surprised me because I cannot see any trace of a join. The whole barrel and section appears to be one piece.

 

Where should I go from here? Am I looking at getting the pen professionally serviced?

 

Thanks again - Peter

[PeterR-C]

PS - sorry, I was trying to say that the Parker Penography website was where I got the info about dates, but the website seems to have been missed out of the posting.

[PaulS]

hi - quality pens do give the appearance that barrel and section are one - obviously this is not the case, though since the join is located precisely where the barrel threads begin, then the join is very non-obvious - the join is at the nib end of the threads. However, you should not need professional help to separate these parts - but I'd suggest you desist with the water treatment - water and f.ps. do not generally go well together - stick to dry heat.

Parting the section and barrel is the proverbial headache of pen enthusiasts - again it will require heat from the hair dryer, and it will be easier if you provide yourself with some non-slip material with which to grip both barrel and section as you start to turn these components. Old hands purchase section pliers which will provide the best of all possible grips, but if you heat the pen correctly - sometimes several goes are needed - then you should be able to separate these parts without buying this gadget. Don't over-force the torque - have patience and heat several times if necessary.

The reason the button will not depress is almost certainly because the sac has petrified and no amount of pushing will get the button to move - if you do force it you may damage the button and/or the pressure bar inside the barrel.

Once you have the section removed from the barrel - it should be a threaded join - you will then need to remove remains of the old sac - check the pressure bar is o.k. - and finally install a new sac. Then you should be up and running - fingers crossed.

The price you paid sounds good - a bargain in my opinion.

Edited October 31, 2018 by PaulS

[mitto]

Paul,you forgot to tell the OP to not pull out the pressure bar before making sure the barrel is clear of the old ossified and hardened sac. Also, to reinstall the pressure bar from the button end of the barrel after removing the button.

 

This video may help the OP in understanding the working of the AF Duofold and knowing as to how to resac and service it. I wouldn't advise, however, the OP to remove the nib + feed from the section. Soaking and flushing may be enough to clean the nib section.

 

[hari317]

The button wont depress since the old sac has hardened. The first step is to remove the button. A pair of serrated parallel action pliers will help you pull the button out neatly. Second step is to remove the pressure bar through the hole left by the button. The third step is to unscrew the section with the aid of dry heat.

 

Pls download the 1963 Parker repair manual. Read it carefully esp the button filler chapter. Your button filler is called the AF and its slightly different from the button fillers in that manual. But the principles are the same.

 

AFs are lovely pens which you will enjoy

Edited October 31, 2018 by hari317

[PaulS]

thanks Khan - possibly not the only thing I forgot to mention ...............… as a non-writer I obviously fall into such traps since I rarely re-sac pens, though I did this particular job the other day on an A/F and removed the bar after carefully taking out the old sac - I don't like using pliers on metal parts of pens. Of course I can understand why replacement of the bar needs to be via the button hole once the new sac is in place. Does anyone 'knock' out the button, with a thin metal/dowel rod, via the mouth of the barrel, rather than pliers on the button?

Edited October 31, 2018 by PaulS

[mitto]

Using a piece of rubber tube for good grip I grab the button with my fingers and pull it out. It has always worked for me.

[PaulS]

in that case we'll all send our AF Duofolds for refurbishment to you Khan.

[hari317]

If you unscrew the section without removing the pressure bar first, you risk mangling the pressure bar around the ossified sac.

 

Now for AF some repairers prefer removing the whole bushing using a vac tool. I prefer removing the button.

 

Used properly the serrated parallel action pliers grip perfectly and leave no marks IME. Maun UK sells a pair of fishermans pliers ideal for this task.

 

Now I too used to use my fingers and a rubber sheet to remove the buttons but on a recalcitrant button I discovered the effectiveness of the fishermans pliers and that is now my standard tool for this button.

 

HTH.

Edited November 1, 2018 by hari317

[mitto]

in that case we'll all send our AF Duofolds for refurbishment to you Khan.

 

You are welcome.

[PeterR-C]

Thanks to all for this advice and info. I'm away from home for a few days but will go through all this in detail and give it a go next week. Watch this space...

[PaulS]

forgot to thank hari317 for his experienced comments in reply No. 17 - so thanks.