Visconti Power Filler Woes

[Precise]

First a beautiful Visconti Desert Spring, then a Homo Sapien, both don't fill as Visconti says they should.

 

Visconti says to extend to plunger, immerse the nib, then push the plunger to create a vacuum and wait a few seconds while the vacuum sucks ink. But neither work this way. I weigh them before and after and they don't drink a drop. Not even 0.1 gram!

 

Yet both will draw ink if I depress the plunger verrrry slowly (about a ten second stroke), allowing the pen to draw ink gradually. When I do this, I can draw over a gram of ink.

 

Do any of you have this problem?

 

Best,

 

Alan

[Ceelo]

Is the nib fully immersed in the ink, up to the section? Just thought I'd ask as I don't have the same problem with mine.

[PabloAU]

I've not had this problem with my Opera Master. It fills slower than my Pilot Custom 823 or TWSBI Vac-700 though, so my first fill didn't pull a full load as I removed the nib from the ink prematurely. No issues since then.

[Buzz_130]

My Visconti HS is one of my least used pens. The filling system is just one of the reasons. I never know how successful the fill was, and I'm never sure when that pen is going to run out of ink. As a result, it stays home and is rarely used.

 

Buzz

[Precise]

My Visconti HS is one of my least used pens. The filling system is just one of the reasons. I never know how successful the fill was, and I'm never sure when that pen is going to run out of ink. As a result, it stays home and is rarely used.

 

Buzz

I agree on fill uncertainty. But you can weigh before and after fill. Also for me, all heavy and/or large pens stay home. I like them on my desk, but prefer to carry medium size pens of less than 25 gram weight.

[Precise]

Is the nib fully immersed in the ink, up to the section? Just thought I'd ask as I don't have the same problem with mine.

Yes, the nib is immersed. But on one fill attempt it seemed to work when the section was about 3/4 inch deep - instead of my typical 1/4 inch depth.

 

How deep do you think a section must be?

 

Alan

[ggrosjean]

As long as I immerse part of the section and press the plunger slowly there is no issue, however, trying to speed it up usually results in very little intake and running out of ink prematurely.

[Precise]

As long as I immerse part of the section and press the plunger slowly there is no issue, however, trying to speed it up usually results in very little intake and running out of ink prematurely.

 

Yes indeed. You are describing my pen. But the Visconti web site, and several videos posted by Visconti dealers, say press quickly, then wait a few seconds for the vacuum that you've created to suck in some ink - which is exactly how my other vacuum pens work.

 

Best,

 

Alan

Edited May 15, 2016 by Precise

[Uncial]

I do it twice and get a full fill. I found that if I do it once it's a little it and miss when it comes to filling the pen, so I keep the nib and section immersed and plunge twice. This has worked for me since I started doing it over a year ago and I've had no problems since. It does mean that you need to ensure the pen is thoroughly cleaned out, which to be honest is a bit of a pain about this pen.

[ggrosjean]

Yes the second plunge will fill it, however, it works best if you point it skyward to SLOWLY bleed the excess air before immersing it and finishing the second stroke.....a bit dangerous but it works very well.

[BillZ]

I was confused at first when I read this thread as I have a HS, too but mine is a regular piston fill. Then I realized that I had bought the Midi. It fit my hand better and the price was less. I don't like the idea of no ink window either.

[katanankes]

Double tap is pretty much the way to go with this filling system.

[flipper_gv]

 

Yes indeed. You are describing my pen. But the Visconti web site, and several videos posted by Visconti dealers, say press quickly, then wait a few seconds for the vacuum that you've created to suck in some ink - which is exactly how my other vacuum pens work.

 

Best,

 

Alan

 

 

Bad top seal would be my guess. If you press hardly, I suppose the vacuum created is stronger and some air is sucked in from the top rod seal. If you go slowly, the strength of the vacuum is lesser so there is no leak.

[PabloAU]

 

 

Bad top seal would be my guess. If you press hardly, I suppose the vacuum created is stronger and some air is sucked in from the top rod seal. If you go slowly, the strength of the vacuum is lesser so there is no leak.

 

This is a possibility for those experiencing issues. I would imagine a small dab of silicone grease on the rod would go some ways to fixing the issue if this is in fact the cause.

[flipper_gv]

 

This is a possibility for those experiencing issues. I would imagine a small dab of silicone grease on the rod would go some ways to fixing the issue if this is in fact the cause.

 

Good call.

[Precise]

 

This is a possibility for those experiencing issues. I would imagine a small dab of silicone grease on the rod would go some ways to fixing the issue if this is in fact the cause.

 

Have you actually done this on a Visconti Power Filler? Did it fix the problem I described.

 

Many thanks,

 

Alan