Piston Maintenance Questions (Silicone, Wrenches, Inks)

[mog_genius88]

So I have avoided purchasing piston fillers all this time because the fact that the filling system was part of the pen itself made me a bit nervous - I.E. if I break a converter I can drop $5 to buy another one; if I break a piston the pen is done. However, I couldn't resist the call of the Pilot CH 92 and Lamy 2000 so I guess I now have 2 piston fillers.

 

I have searched FPN and Reddit for some tips regarding usage and maintenance of piston fillers but still have a few questions which were unanswered. Would appreciate any feedback!

 

1. This is the silicone grease that I purchased for lubricating the pistons in the future. Is this one that is recommended? It is 100% pure silicone grease: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000DCVZL/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

2. The most common recommendation for pistons is silicone GREASE, but I have seen some individuals who recommend silicone OIL over the more common grease. See below for 2 examples. Are these better lubricants than silicone grease? I've seen the grease that comes with TWSBI products and it looks more like silicone OIL than grease.

 

https://www.amazon.com/MicroLubrol-Silicone-Polydimethylsiloxane-centistokes-viscosity/dp/B00ZM36ER8/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1480720968&sr=8-9&keywords=silicone+oil

 

https://www.amazon.com/100-Silicone-Treadmill-Belt-Lubricant/dp/B00TOYAJ7C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1480720968&sr=8-1&keywords=silicone+oil

 

3. Would I be able to disassemble the piston with any .7mm wrench I find, or do I need a special .7mm wrench for fountain pens?

 

4. Some people say that using Noodler's Eel inks eliminates the need for silicone products. Is this misinformation?

[phillieskjk]

1. That looks like it should work.

2. I would just stick with silicon grease, because I know for sure that it works and I've never heard of silicon oil being used for a pen.

3. Different pens require different tooling, your wrench may work with some pens but many pens require their own special wrenches to take apart. If I'm not mistaken the tooling for TWISBI comes in the box with the pen.

4. Eel inks can help, but you should still probably get some silicon grease. Ideally you'll never have to use either, and you probably won't for a while, but in the event that you need to use them silicon grease would probably be the most effective.

Enjoy your new pens!

[mog_genius88]

1. That looks like it should work.

2. I would just stick with silicon grease, because I know for sure that it works and I've never heard of silicon oil being used for a pen.

3. Different pens require different tooling, your wrench may work with some pens but many pens require their own special wrenches to take apart. If I'm not mistaken the tooling for TWISBI comes in the box with the pen.

4. Eel inks can help, but you should still probably get some silicon grease. Ideally you'll never have to use either, and you probably won't for a while, but in the event that you need to use them silicon grease would probably be the most effective.

Enjoy your new pens!

 

Thanks so much for your input! I'm on a break so I'm just watching this thread right now lol.

 

Regarding tools: I've read that the most common tool is a .7mm wrench. TWSBI wrench does come with their pens but I don't own any TWSBI pens so i was looking for a way to obtain a wrench that would work on the CH 92 without purchasing a TWSBI.

 

Regarding Eel inks: I was under the impression that pistons had to be re-greased periodically but I guess that's not the case?

 

Thanks again!

[Runnin_Ute]

Most piston pens (TWSBI's being a notable exception) are not designed to be taken apart by the end user. Pelikan in their design provides not only for swapping nibs by unscrewing them from the section, but it makes it easy to apply silicone grease. Just remove the nib, put a dab of silicone grease on a toothpick and apply. I have no experience with either of the pens you have so can't comment on those specifically. Other pens which can be torn down like TWSBI pens are some of the Noodler's pens. I know the Konrad can be easily taken apart and silicone grease applied. I usually just pull the nib.

 

My experience with piston fillers is all with Pelikan, TWSBI, and the Konrad (4,2,1)

[T4TEXAS]

I have a mb 146 that I left sitting in a drawer for many years. When resuming writing with my old fountain pens, the mb piston was sticky when rinsing it out. Someone here suggested running a well lubricated ink like Noodler's Blue eel first, instead of shipping it to mb for service. It helped noticeably over a year using that ink. I use other inks now, but nothing noticeably unlubricated.

 

That said, I do not recommend blue eel as an alternative to a proper dab of silicone when needed, except in circumstances such as mine.

Edited December 3, 2016 by T4TEXAS

[jar]

Generally the rule on maintenance is "Don't take a pen apart unless there is absolutely no other possible option and then if possible get someone who has taken apart hundreds of them to do it."

[praxim]

Re: silicone grease vs silicone oil. It has two purposes in a pen: one is to lubricate, as you say, but the other is to minimise or prevent leakage of ink between the chambers. Grease works better for that purpose. It is a stable water stopper, which is why divers and plumbers use it.

 

I am quite familiar with silicone oil, having raced R/C cars. I would not use it on a pen, not even the thickest weight of oil. That is not its purpose whereas for grease, it is.

Edited December 3, 2016 by praxim

[mog_genius88]

Most piston pens (TWSBI's being a notable exception) are not designed to be taken apart by the end user. Pelikan in their design provides not only for swapping nibs by unscrewing them from the section, but it makes it easy to apply silicone grease. Just remove the nib, put a dab of silicone grease on a toothpick and apply. I have no experience with either of the pens you have so can't comment on those specifically. Other pens which can be torn down like TWSBI pens are some of the Noodler's pens. I know the Konrad can be easily taken apart and silicone grease applied. I usually just pull the nib.

 

My experience with piston fillers is all with Pelikan, TWSBI, and the Konrad (4,2,1)

 

Yea I used to have an ECO and never took it apart because I didn't trust myself to and I heard a lot of people having issues after having taken it apart themselves. That being said, it is strange that they provide you with tools and instructions to take apart a pen that probably should not be tinkered with.

 

My concern is: Wouldn't a piston filler eventually need to be taken apart to be greased? If this is not the case then it makes me feel muuuuch better.

[mog_genius88]

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Edited December 3, 2016 by mog_genius88

[mog_genius88]

I have a mb 146 that I left sitting in a drawer for many years. When resuming writing with my old fountain pens, the mb piston was sticky when rinsing it out. Someone here suggested running a well lubricated ink like Noodler's Blue eel first, instead of shipping it to mb for service. It helped noticeably over a year using that ink. I use other inks now, but nothing noticeably unlubricated.

 

That said, I do not recommend blue eel as an alternative to a proper dab of silicone when needed, except in circumstances such as mine.

 

Do you happen to know if Noodler's Eel inks are safe for pens? I have heard that CERTAIN Noodler's and Private Reserve inks are bad for you so I have not given them a shot yet, but Eel seems safe from what I'm hearing.

Actually, I do have a bottle of Private Reserve DC Electric Blue. I LOVE the color, but unfortunately it does not behave very well on cheap paper. Out of all the inks I have tried (Waterman, Diamine, PR, Pilot, Sailor), only the Pilot and Sailor inks have behaved consistently well on cheap paper for me.

 

Re: silicone grease vs silicone oil. It has two purposes in a pen: one is to lubricate, as you say, but the other is to minimise or prevent leakage of ink between the chambers. Grease works better for that purpose. It is a stable water stopper, which is why divers and plumbers use it.

 

I am quite familiar with silicone oil, having raced R/C cars. I would not use it on a pen, not even the thickest weight of oil. That is not its purpose whereas for grease, it is.

 

Thank you so much for this information; I found it to be very useful and will steer clear of silicone oil for FPs.

[Sandy1]

Hi,

 

While not an answer to any of your questions, I offer a personal nuance.

 

When cleaning your pens, always cycle the piston, and let your pen rest a bit in a nib-up posture so the cleaning fluid (water or other) can cuddle with the piston head.

 

Bye,

S1

[Bo Bo Olson]

Generally the rule on maintenance is "Don't take a pen apart unless there is absolutely no other possible option and then if possible get someone who has taken apart hundreds of them to do it."

Sandy1 also is always worth listening too.

Both tell the truth.

 

 

Ahab/Konrad and Twisbi are made to be taken apart.

Pelikan nor MB not.

Pelikan has a screw out nib, so one can add a half a rice corn of silicon grease smeared around the top of the barrel by the piston....every two or three years. According to Rick....Rick Papas, our Pelikan guru.

 

On the whole you can use an MB for decades with out having to grease it....if so use a Eel ink every once in a while.

 

I buy old pens that may have sat in the back of a drawer for 50-60 years. I will lube them. I listen to Rick.... and stopped lubing my Pelikan or Geha piston...or Osmia/O-F-C pens with screw out nibs....the late models....every time I turned around....being lazy that was about once a year....when I didn't need to do it so often.

Not preventive maintenance....but just in time maintenance.

If and when finally the piston drags or is hard to turn...lube it. Then leave it.

 

There is no sane reason to be taking a piston pen apart to clean it...in fear some ink could have gotten past the piston....if and when you have a problem...a natural problem, you will find out....in 25-40 years.

Take it apart often....and you can buy a new one real soon. Complain how cheap they are made....fall apart after only taking them apart 25 times!!!!

 

Press to fit plastic...being yanked apart will lose fit due to utterly un-planned destructive disassembly """Maintenance""" , by ham fisted amateurs.

 

Some folks really freak out if there is a bit of ink behind the piston on their demonstrator.....not realizing that demonstrates how well the pen works....even with 'a smidgen of ink' behind the piston.

 

Even the large...expensive 800/1000 with it's brass fittings is not made to be taken apart daily, weekly or monthly.

If your urge to so, is so strong...stay with a Twsbi or Ahab.

 

MB cleans out best of all the piston pens; using just the piston; fastest, and easiest. It has too, the nib can't be removed. It's glued in place with some sort of pinetar glue.

 

Pelikan's nib can be unscrewed, the piston area cleaned out with a needle syringe or a rubber bulb syringe. You need two. One for cleaning your C/C pens & the inside of a Pelikan...The second to be cut off so it matches the screwed out nib/feed so that can placed over the back of the nib/feed unit and be cleaned out quick and easy....

It will take you two minutes to clean out a Pelikan instead of one minute for a C/C pen.

With the proper tools....two rubber bulb syringes.

 

I don't have a Twsbi...but understand the tool needed is supplied.