Clogged?

[Reefallo]

Got a nice old Sheaffer lever filler in the mail last week. The dark nib cleaned right up with just water; looks brand new. Put on a new sac this morning and -- it won't fill.

 

Consulting my inner scientist, I decided to perform some analytical testing. Which is to say, I put the section in my mouth and BLEW. Nothing. Air will not move through the feed and into the sac, so it makes sense that ink wouldn't move, either.

 

Tore off the sac and repeated the blow test. Nothing.

 

SO: what in the world is clogging this thing, and where, and how can I fix it?

[Ron Z]

You can try a soak in pen cleaner, but sometimes you can't get around knocking out the nib and feed to scrape the crud out of the ink channels... especially on a vintage pen. It could also be that someone used India ink in the pen, which makes it even more entertaining.

[Reefallo]

I assume the section is celluloid; is it safe to soak that overnight in water? How about that Fred Krinke Secret Sauce cleaner -- I have a bottle, and I think they told me that was safe on celluloid?

[ac12]

If you have or have access to an Ultrasonic Cleaner (USC), you can try that. Depends on how bad the clog is, the USC could blast through it, or if the clog is real bad, you may have to do what Ron said, and knock out the feed to physically clear the ink channel. But you need the right tools to knock out the feed without damaging the nib/feed/section.

 

If the section is colored, then celluloid or something else. I would be careful soaking.

If the section is black, then plastic or hard rubber, which is OK to soak, in room temp water. NOT HOT water.

As for Fred's cleaner, I would not use something unknown. Technical pen cleaner would be OK.

Edited May 19, 2016 by ac12

[3rdlakerobert]

If you have some guitar strings, try them, starting with the finest and working up. If the feed is clogged, you won't get the string (wire) in very far. If that happens, soak and cycle it a few times in an ultrasonic cleaner. (The UC is a great investment , if you don't have one. Not only will it help with pens, it's good for lots of other stuff, for instance eyeglasses.)

[Reefallo]

Good advice, thanks! I ran the nib and feed through the ultrasonic cleaner when I first got the pen (I have a jig that I use to suspend the pen and only immerse parts); now I'm running the whole nib/feed/section through.

 

I have lots of guitar and bass strings lying around, as it happens. But I can't see where they would go. There is a black plastic-ey rod poking out of the back of the section. It extends a little bit beyond the end of the nipple, and has a narrow channel cut in it. Am I trying to insert the guitar string into the channel?

[ac12]

 

Good advice, thanks! I ran the nib and feed through the ultrasonic cleaner when I first got the pen (I have a jig that I use to suspend the pen and only immerse parts); now I'm running the whole nib/feed/section through.

 

I have lots of guitar and bass strings lying around, as it happens. But I can't see where they would go. There is a black plastic-ey rod poking out of the back of the section. It extends a little bit beyond the end of the nipple, and has a narrow channel cut in it. Am I trying to insert the guitar string into the channel?

 

 

Yes.

But be gentle. If there is crud in the ink channel, you don't want to jam it in even harder.

I would grind the end of the piano wire into a wedge. That way the wire can be spun between your fingers to cut away at the clog.

[3rdlakerobert]

You should try to insert the wire into the orifice in the end of the feed that exists just where the "tail" (the groovey, plasticy thing) emerges from the feed, right above the groove.

 

The E string will be too fine probably and you won't be able to make it penetrate the clogged orifice. Try the B or G string and don't be afraid to force it. You'll find it's difficult if the feed is clogged.

 

Keep working it in and out. The more you open the channel, the better the cleaning solution will penetrate and help your cause when you put it back in the UC. It should eventually penetrate almost all the way to the tip of the feed. You will see that it's covered with inky stuff when you withdraw it each time.

[ac12]

Sounds like I need to pay a visit to the local guitar shop, and ask for scrap strings.

[Ron Z]

Its helpful if you grind the end to a bit of chisel point. When you rotate the wire it goes through the dried ink like a roto-rooter. It won't go through the plastic or hard rubber though.

[Bamapendude]

Guitar string. Ultrasonic cleaning attempt or remove the feed and clean it that way if you have the proper tools would be the way I attacked the issue. Also if you have a cleaning tool for gas welding torches that would be handy as they come in multiple sizes.

Edited June 17, 2016 by Bamapendude