Pilot Con-70 Help?

[drgoretex]

This is a great converter. Sometimes all these small bubbles form up while I am trying to fill my pen,

but I cheat by using a syringe to put even more ink into the converter and get full capacity. A little

OCD-ish behaviour, but I think all those bubbles are a waste of space, really...

 

Sounds familiar. Had trouble getting the converter to fill well, even going slow etc. And I guess I must be a bit of a 'converter is half empty' kind of guy, cuz that bothered me. So I stopped pumping and just took the converter out and syringe filled it. Now ink lasts a loooong time.

 

Ken

Edited November 3, 2010 by drgoretex

[shane27]

+1 on syringe filling for maximum ink capacity and no worries

[Robert Alan]

Hi,

 

Put it back in the pen and make sure the stopper rides freely up and down. Pump the converter and the pen should fill.

 

Dillon

 

Hello all! The CON-70 is a classic vacuum-filler and it is an elegant and excellent design. It should be filled by pumping and, of course, the converter must be fitted to the pen. The white plastic "pump" seen when the button is depressed is what does the filling. Filling it with a syringe is really not the way to go since it could be over-filled that way. Over-filling could create an imbalance in the system and could prevent proper ink flow. All converters and cartridges must have room for air to come in to replace ink as it leaks out the feed (Lewis Waterman's idea!).

 

That black rubber piece is not a "stopper." It is there, riding freely on the metal rod (not a "breather tube")--in order to help the ink to flow properly (using gravity and capillary action in the feed). It also helps to bring together the multiple bubbles, that sometimes occur (be sure the nib is completely immersed when filling), with its back & forth movement, into one large bubble--like the one air bubble in a carpenter's level. That one air bubble should be able to move back and forth freely (indicating proper ink movement), like the bubble in a level. If it doesn't, the converter is not functioning properly (there's an air leak somewhere; the converter may not be seated properly, etc.).

 

Used properly, the CON-70 holds more ink that any other converter, and it should be convenient. It functions just like the famous Parker Vacumatic and Vacuum-filled Parker 51 pens' filling system. I can't imagine going through the trouble of filling those pens with an eye-dropper or syringe.

 

Regards, Robert

[nicholasyeo]

Hi,

 

Put it back in the pen and make sure the stopper rides freely up and down. Pump the converter and the pen should fill.

 

Dillon

 

Hello all! The CON-70 is a classic vacuum-filler and it is an elegant and excellent design. It should be filled by pumping and, of course, the converter must be fitted to the pen. The white plastic "pump" seen when the button is depressed is what does the filling. Filling it with a syringe is really not the way to go since it could be over-filled that way. Over-filling could create an imbalance in the system and could prevent proper ink flow. All converters and cartridges must have room for air to come in to replace ink as it leaks out the feed (Lewis Waterman's idea!).

 

That black rubber piece is not a "stopper." It is there, riding freely on the metal rod (not a "breather tube")--in order to help the ink to flow properly (using gravity and capillary action in the feed). It also helps to bring together the multiple bubbles, that sometimes occur (be sure the nib is completely immersed when filling), with its back & forth movement, into one large bubble--like the one air bubble in a carpenter's level. That one air bubble should be able to move back and forth freely (indicating proper ink movement), like the bubble in a level. If it doesn't, the converter is not functioning properly (there's an air leak somewhere; the converter may not be seated properly, etc.).

 

Used properly, the CON-70 holds more ink that any other converter, and it should be convenient. It functions just like the famous Parker Vacumatic and Vacuum-filled Parker 51 pens' filling system. I can't imagine going through the trouble of filling those pens with an eye-dropper or syringe.

 

Regards, Robert

 

A really interesting I have observed is that many small bubbles appear, not the one air bubble you have mentioned.

Does this mean that my converter is not working up to it's proper standard?

[drgoretex]

 

Hello all! The CON-70 is a classic vacuum-filler and it is an elegant and excellent design. It should be filled by pumping and, of course, the converter must be fitted to the pen. The white plastic "pump" seen when the button is depressed is what does the filling. Filling it with a syringe is really not the way to go since it could be over-filled that way. Over-filling could create an imbalance in the system and could prevent proper ink flow. All converters and cartridges must have room for air to come in to replace ink as it leaks out the feed (Lewis Waterman's idea!).

 

 

I'm not sure I quite understand this, as the nice, big pilot cartridges are quite full of ink, with no air in them, and flow is perfect. When I reuse my pilot carts, I syringe fill them to completely full, and have no problem with flow. I assumed that filling the CON-70 to full would be like putting a BIG cartridge in the pen...?

 

Ken

[Robert Alan]

Hello all! The CON-70 is a classic vacuum-filler and it is an elegant and excellent design. It should be filled by pumping and, of course, the converter must be fitted to the pen. The white plastic "pump" seen when the button is depressed is what does the filling. Filling it with a syringe is really not the way to go since it could be over-filled that way. Over-filling could create an imbalance in the system and could prevent proper ink flow. All converters and cartridges must have room for air to come in to replace ink as it leaks out the feed (Lewis Waterman's idea!).

 

 

I'm not sure I quite understand this, as the nice, big pilot cartridges are quite full of ink, with no air in them, and flow is perfect. When I reuse my pilot carts, I syringe fill them to completely full, and have no problem with flow. I assumed that filling the CON-70 to full would be like putting a BIG cartridge in the pen...?

 

Ken

 

Hello Ken and others--If I look at any Pilot/Namiki catridge, I notice one bubble inside that moves back and forth, when the cartridge is rocked like a carpenter's level. The converter is, indeed, like having a big cartridge in the pen, but it should be filled through the nib & feed from a bottle.

 

If the ink stays in a bubbly, frothy-like state in the converter, there may be a problem with the converter or how it is attached to the feed. It could be an ink viscosity issue.

 

A lot of little bubbles could occur if/when air is leaking in from behind the plunger in the CON-70 (or any converter), or the nib is not completely immersed in the ink when filling (or one fills their pen with sea foam). Most of the time, those many little bubbles should join together into one bubble--as I said earlier. If the froth remains, I think something is wrong.

 

Not all converters work well (all cartridge/converter systems are NOT 8/10!). For example, one day I went through four Parker piston converters before I found one that worked properly in one of my Sonnets. The other three either leaked air in from the wrong end, or they did not fit securely enough over the feed nipple. As a matter of fact, that's the reason spare converters are sold. Often the convereter wears out and will no longer fit snuggly over the feed nipple (if they are often removed). That could also become a problem with regularly refilling and reusing cartridges.

 

Some of you may think this is nonsense, but it isn't to me. It's about fountain pen physics, chemistry, and chaos. It's actually one of the reasons that I prefer dedicated filling systems like piston-fillers (I was SO happy when Sailor came out with the Realo, and when Pilot came out with the vacuum-filled Custom 823). However, I do think that Pilot's CON-70 is one of the best converters manufactured today because its multi-pump vacuum-filler design allows for increased ink capacity, and its wide mouth offers excellent flow.

 

Good luck!

 

Robert

Edited November 8, 2010 by Robert Alan

[Pengrump]

I have 11 con-70 converters in 11 different Pilot pens. All work well, but all fill up with small bubbles that take up space and definitely do not turn into one bubble, if I pump quickly when filling the pen. The solution I have found to the problem of multiple bubbles is to pump more slowly and leave a bit of time between pumps. (I always have the nib and a good bit of the section immersed in ink with every pen I use except the Sheaffer Snorkel.) I was told (by an employee at Bromfield Pen here in Boston) that the same holds true for all converters, i.e., that people tend to fill them too fast and slower filling allows for a more complete fill. I don't know why this should be so, but it does seem to be, in my experience anyway.

[Robert Alan]

I have 11 con-70 converters in 11 different Pilot pens. All work well, but all fill up with small bubbles that take up space and definitely do not turn into one bubble, if I pump quickly when filling the pen. The solution I have found to the problem of multiple bubbles is to pump more slowly and leave a bit of time between pumps. (I always have the nib and a good bit of the section immersed in ink with every pen I use except the Sheaffer Snorkel.) I was told (by an employee at Bromfield Pen here in Boston) that the same holds true for all converters, i.e., that people tend to fill them too fast and slower filling allows for a more complete fill. I don't know why this should be so, but it does seem to be, in my experience anyway.

 

 

Yes, that is certainly a very important variable! Thanks so much for adding that information.

[nicholasyeo]

Ah! That is interesting. I never thought that filling it slower would help.

Time to un-ink the Namiki and fill it again!

[LexieS]

I just received my Pilot Custom 74 in the mail, and filling the con-70 was a dream. It was much easier than my other twist converters. I followed everyone's advice and pumped slowly, and allowed time between pumps, and I ended up with a very full converter. Thank you, everyone, for your help.

[toomanypelikans]

Even though I could get a full convertor of ink I have recently just wimped out and use a syringe to fill the CON-70 in my Custom 742. I was always scared on hitting the bottom of my ink with the FA nib and causing damage.

Edited April 28, 2011 by justdaveyb

[Ghost Plane]

I believe Goulet Pens carry them now as they've started carrying the Falcon pens.

[Aysedasi]

Watch Brian Goulet's video on YouTube. Surprised to read people suggesting you pump slower, when it's actually the opposite you need to do.... Just got a Pilot Bamboo today. Couldn't fill it at first. Then I watched Brian's video. Five quick pumps and it was full to the brim..... Easy

Edited January 22, 2015 by Aysedasi

[anderl]

A small comment:

 

I have two CON70s, one in a Justus, one in a 912. One converter always filled fantastically well, the other never made it beyond half full.

Or so I thought.

 

Turns out: it's the pen that's to blame, not the converter -- proved by simply swapping the "faulty" and the "good" converter. (The "faulty" one works perfectly in the 912.)

 

The feed ends (the "nipples") of the 912 and the Justus are slightly different, and it seems the CON70 fits the 912's much better than the Justus'.

 

I guess I'll just use a syringe for filling the Justus.

[Kuhataparunks]

Last year I posted a thread like this and found out you have to be very ROUGH with the converter.

 

The consistency/quality control of this product seems quite low. Some are easy to fill with slow pumps, and others, like the two I received, require a special method to fill all the way. Goulet pens has a helpful video of how to properly fill a CON70 converter.

 

It's an inconvenient nuisance, but to fill it all the way, first, be sure that black thing is all the way at the bottom.

 

Then, I recommend you fill a cup of colored water (so you can see the CON70 fill and how much it fills) to practice how much force you need to get an effective pump.

 

And the only way to describe it is not to press the button hard, but as if you were hammering a nail into a wall. Watch the Goulet video and the same message is conveyed.

 

It's honestly pretty difficult. So I just fill a cartridge. It's the same volume, just doesn't look as Sexy .

Good luck

[Algester]

but there are times that the ink can get stuck inside the converter which will result in pen hickups I have yet to check on my new CON-70 converter

[leejo]

I recently just got the con-70 and it filled it with no problems though. I did not do it like in Brian Goulet's video, just very intuitive pumping and releasing like any newbie would do. I did not even bother to make sure that the black thing is at the bottom either.

 

Either way, something interesting is that I realised that it does not suck any water up when I pumped it up from a glass of water without sticking it into the pen, unlike the squeeze bladder or the piston converter.

 

I wouldn't say I know what is wrong though for others. Just stating my experience.

[anderl]

Last year I posted a thread like this and found out you have to be very ROUGH with the converter.

 

The consistency/quality control of this product seems quite low. Some are easy to fill with slow pumps, and others, like the two I received, require a special method to fill all the way. Goulet pens has a helpful video of how to properly fill a CON70 converter.

.....

It's honestly pretty difficult.

 

It seems I didn't get my point across at all, small as it admittedly was:

 

One and the same converter (read: not just the same model, but the very same thing) works fine in one pen and not well in another pen.

(That the converter works well in one pen shows that I have some idea of how to operate it.)

(It also shows that the converter is not faulty by itself.)

 

 

I am guessing the problem is that the seal between pen and CON70 is very good in the 912 and comparatively bad in the Justus.

Whether that's a problem of just _my_ Justus, or a more general one, I don't know.

 

---

 

To turn the comment into something more engaging: perhaps others have made similar discoveries and -- assuming the issue is really a bad seal -- have found a way to improve matters.