Omas Demonstrator Stuck Please Advise !

[Arrivistepen]

Hello FP wizards & Omas FP fans!

 

I have a problem. (yeah, I know what you are thinkin ... too many pens ), but this particular issue has to do what I think is a Omas Extra 630 Demonstrator. I bought it as part of a grouping (one of two pens that induced me to buy the group of FP’s).

 

The piston is stuck. It has traces of ink that have dried over the years. It will not budge, I gently tried to turn it. Not wanting to break or damage it I didn’t force it. I have soaked it in a tall glass bath of water and 2 squirts of liquid hand soap for 2 days. No movement.

 

I have a choice to send back the all of the pens (which I would prefer not!), or tell the seller that it is not able to be repaired w/o professional FP fixer help and request a partial refund of the purchase price of the lot. I like the pen too much to give up that easily or to send back the lot.

 

So, what say you? I have an Ultrasonic cleaner that I have used on other FP’s w/ success. Would you advise using this cleaner? I could simply continue to soak it, but it the water has not entered the piston chamber to dissolve the residual ink (a testament to the seal!) I am not expert at taking apart such a pen and wouldn’t risk damage to it by attempting to.

 

Please, please let me know what you would advise!

 

Pic’s:

 

1. The first was snagged off our friends Peyton Street Pens website, looks like my pen, although theirs was in pristine condition! PICS#: 2, 3 and 4 are the subject of discussion.

 

Measurements:

 

Capped: 5.25" or 133.35 mm ||| UnCapped: 4.34” or 110mm ||| Cap = 2.25” or 57.15mm

 

Thank you for any comments, advise or predictions! George

 

[Bibliophage]

To me, it appears to be made of plastic that will be unharmed by the ultrasonic cleaner. I'd use warm (not hot!) water as well - it assists in the cleaning process (faster molecular movement, plus dissolves things a bit better)

 

That said, I've only held an Omas pen _once_, and that was more than ten years ago.

[Arrivistepen]

Thanks!

[fabri00]

Try to remove the nib and feeder and to put warm water inside the pen.

[Arrivistepen]

THank you! Yes. I removed nib/feed yesterday (happy to say they both are in mint condition!) Soaked all night. A few ultrasonic sessions. Still stuck. The piston turner will not budge, with a little pressure. I'm careful not to apply to much as we know it is plastic! I'll soak some more, then I'm thinking I will inject some Silicon grease (more liquid version) to see if it will free it up.

[sansenri]

one other approach, before considering that the problem is with the piston, which it might well be, is after removing nib and feed and filling the pen partially with warm water, cap the opening with your thumb and shake it.

Shake it at length...

Dry ink is sometimes very stubborn, just soaking might not work.

The ultrasonic cleaner should do a similar job but shaking with energy might do more...

More pictures after treatment to show the inside (being a demonstrator) would also help to understand whether it is still a dry ink issue.

 

A few times I have also used a syringe with needle to squirt water inside the piston from the nib/feed opening. This has more effect on dry ink.

Edited October 24, 2019 by sansenri

[Bibliophage]

I'd avoid using ammonia or alcohol - although they generally don't affect the newer plastics and rubbers used in the pens I've worked on, the risk of some being trapped for an extended period of time in a crevice isn't worth the additional cleaning power.

 

I would also avoid the silicone grease for a while longer.

 

I've soaked some items for up to three days in soapy water just to loosen stuff up a bit, as well as used an ultrasonic cleaner for over 30 minutes. Remember that the first three to five minutes of ultrasonic activity is mostly to remove air bubbles from the water itself. Then the cavitation really starts to gear up.

[Arrivistepen]

Thank you both for the suggestions!

 

I was able to remove the nib/unit I soaked 20 hours and ultrasound maybe a total of 20 minutes – sporadically at 2-3 minute sessions throughout the day; testing the piston knob in between. No movement. There is no play in the end knob (name?). I attached labeled a picture. I’m wondering also, why a small gap between the piston knob and the body section. Water is now inside of the piston, my doing since I thought it would help dissolve the dried ink. I have no idea who long it has been since it has been used or cleaned but think it is likely many years. I'll go ahead and keep soaking and doing 2-3 minute ultrasound sessions at random.

 

 

What would it mean if there is a ‘problem with the piston’? Due to the potentially long period of ink drying in it (a shade of brown) I’m thinking maybe it is just a matter of time with soaking and ultrasound to slowly dissolve the ink.

 

I’m also wondering, if I’m better off considering repair by an experienced pen doctor. The parts for this pen I think are hard to come by, as a lower production Omas Extra Demo.

 

Thank you for your thoughts.

 

 

 

[Arrivistepen]

Addition to update: Sansenri, I did shake vigorously before the soaking and ultrasound regime. Despite the shaking vigor, it was still stuck!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[sansenri]

it was worth trying before looking for more experienced assistance, soaking in water can do no harm and often resolves

 

if the piston is still stuck more experience assistance may now be required, I would not know whom to recommend your side of the world...

best to ask further here...

[Bibliophage]

Frankly, if water gets into that area, you're getting closer - it means that there's now some moisture in the thread section that the vibrations will act upon. Shaking puts air bubbles back in the water, which have to be vibrated out by the unit before cavitation gears back up again. I'm looking at this much like a plastic pen cap, where there can be dried ink trapped behind the inner cap. It doesn't come out easily, and often keeps showing up for several cleaning sessions. When it's a metal cap, I just shrug and live with it - the additional rust risk isn't worth cleaning out the ink. Plastic caps, I'll vibrate the besnoogers out of.

 

You could try to make a small wire stand for the pen to sit in the unit, so you can have the water behind the seal alternate between being against the threads, and against the seal. A lot depends on how large (deep) your unit might be. Mine is larger than a standard jewelry UC, but smaller than one that you'd use for a carburetor.

[Freddy]

Inexpensive student pen........

Fred

[Arrivistepen]

Bibliophage: Thank you for your observations.

 

May I have permission to use the word "besnoogers" ?

 

Great idea. The ultrasound is large enough for the pen section to be vertical, I'll devise a stand today, and let you know what happens.

 

Another question: I've been doing the ultrasound sessions in 2 - 3 minute sessions, as long as the water does not get hot is there any risk to 10 minute or 20 minute sessions? Also, I wonder about the recommendation that I've seen many times to use liquid dish soap. I use liquid hand soap (tiny amount.... maybe 2 squirts), since to me it is easier to rinse off. Whaddya think?

 

Thanks again!

[Bibliophage]

Bibliophage: Thank you for your observations.

 

May I have permission to use the word "besnoogers" ?

 

Great idea. The ultrasound is large enough for the pen section to be vertical, I'll devise a stand today, and let you know what happens.

 

Another question: I've been doing the ultrasound sessions in 2 - 3 minute sessions, as long as the water does not get hot is there any risk to 10 minute or 20 minute sessions? Also, I wonder about the recommendation that I've seen many times to use liquid dish soap. I use liquid hand soap (tiny amount.... maybe 2 squirts), since to me it is easier to rinse off. Whaddya think?

 

Thanks again!

As far as I know, I own no rights to the word besnoogers.

 

When cleaning a carburetor or similar, it's often 20-30 minutes of running. The jeweler I've done work for does the same.

 

I think the main risk is with the vibrating disk on the bottom overheating on its own - I haven't managed to burn mine out yet, and I've run it for up to 6, 8 minute stretches, one after another, when working on cleaning up some ancient safety razors. *cough* don't let it run dry. I found out the hard way that my unit _doesn't turn off the heater_ after you've turned it on. Even if you turn it off, it's still running. That's why I unplug mine when done now. (If it's not turned on, it doesn't turn it on automatically. It just ignores the 'turn off' button. Pretends to turn off and shuts off the heater light, but the heater keeps running)

 

Dawn concentrate dish soap (the 2x or 3x) works really well. How much you use depends on how much water you have, frankly. Don't use hand soap, it tends to be a bit more gummy, in my experience. Yes, the Dawn might take a teeny bit longer to rinse, but it doesn't leave any sort of weird 'moisturizing' extras. Once you're done, you can always use clean water, then run the ultrasonic cleaner for a minute or two to help rinse everything out.

 

The water -can- be hot. Just not boiling. The cavitation action alone will tend to heat the water up. I guess I can toss a couple of cracked Jinhao barrels into my cleaner and run it for an hour with the heater on, and see if they crack any further. (Better test than an undamaged piece of plastic)

 

It's not an Omas, but I've done this on my WingSung 3008, on my various Jinhao 599's, bunch of Sheaffer and Parker cartridge pens. I was _not_ expecting the level of ink that came out of the barrel of one of the Sheaffers.

[Freddy]

For your consideration............Rapido-Eze is the way to go.....also...patience and perseverance....

You can read 'bout the product....just mosey on over here......https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/336998-ok-got-the-rapidoeze-and-the-ultrasonic-cleaner-now-what/?p=4067310

 

Fred

Edited October 27, 2019 by Freddy

[Bibliophage]

For your consideration............Rapido-Eze is the way to go.....also...patience and perseverance....

You can read 'bout the product....just mosey on over here......https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/336998-ok-got-the-rapidoeze-and-the-ultrasonic-cleaner-now-what/?p=4067310

 

Fred

The main difficulty is getting _anything_ to where it's stuck. That's where the ultrasonic cleaner helps. Unless you want to spend the money to completely fill the UC with Rapido-Eze, water, soap, and time is probably best, at least to start. I agree that it's probably much better for cleaning out feeds/etc in pens that are being difficult.