Restoring An Mb 244 Green Marbled

[siamackz]

I recently added the first colourful MB to my vintage collection of plain blacks. Its a 244 in marbled green, from Denmark. I would date it to between 1948-1952 based on my dating for a plain black 244 that I own. My dating is based on (1) in 1948 a new line of MBs, with the 244, was introduced and all older models, like the 23x were discontinued (2) I have the black 244 from Denmark in a 1952 catalog (3) In 1952 the top of the 244 was redesigned to be conical with spade clip (unlike my pen which has the pointy crown). If you feel my dating is incorrect, please feel free to point this out!

 

Anyway, I bought the pen from a wonderfully honest and kind FPN member who was not interested in keeping it. The pen came with two issues: (1) the piston was jammed; (2) there is a crack on the nib. The nib will be sent to FP Nibs in Spain for laser welding. But, I fixed issue 1 i.e. the piston, and I am sharing how I did this in case it might be of use to someone in the future.

 

 

 

I had to soak the piston in WD 40 overnight:

 

I have experienced the following trick work on several stuck pistons i.e. don't keep turning with pressure in one direction. Instead, turn back and forth, sharp turns with speed, but don't force it too much. This dislodges the stuck piston a tiny mm at a time but is much safer and gets the job done:

Don't overdo the following step, just as much as needed for it to fit inside smoothly again (keep checking):

Now, I didn't photograph the making of a new cork for the 244, but I did this while I was making the cork for a 142 I recently acquired. I don't have any fancy tools, but these modest ones get the job done well. The steps are exactly the same across pens. So, the following pictures are going to be of me making a new cork for my 142, but you can imagine me having done the exact same thing on the 244:

The cork I used is 'flor overstock'. Flor is known to be the best quality, and overstock is just one step down from it (as per the seller I bought it from). Its great quality, and this cork came in large discs made for fishing rods. There is a seller in Portugal on eBay:

Now that it's close to the correct size (approx. 8mm outer diameter, but really the best way is to check by trying to push it in the section - if it fits with resistance its good). I then take the cork off the piston head and bathe it in 1:1 beeswax + liquid paraffin Au Bain Marie (I learned this recipe and technique from Fountanbel's posts). This seals any pits or holes in the cork. Then the cork goes back on the piston head and I tighten the screw. Test with water. If it's loose inside, then I tighten the nut on the piston head further. Keep doing this to help expand the cork till its a good fit. Remember to grease the cork with silicone before inserting it.

Finally, quick polish to the barrel using a water based liquid abrasive (Micro Gloss). Also, I believe this pen looks best with gold fill in its imprints, so I used gold leaf to make the imprints more prominent. And we're done!

Edited January 13, 2018 by siamackz

[niksch]

This is a fantastic tutorial/pictorial. Thank you very much.

[siamackz]

This is a fantastic tutorial/pictorial. Thank you very much.

Coming from a member with your experience and knowledge, this is very encouraging!

[niksch]

Thank you, but your methodology is sound.

 

I cut my cork seals differently, and I seal/cure the cork with wax. But otherwise our techniques are similar.

[hari317]

Thank you for sharing.

[farmdogfan]

Looks good.

[mana]

Thank you for this detailed and informative post!

[siamackz]

Thanks for the encouragement, All!

[CS388]

Great job. Thanks for sharing.

 

Fingers crossed for a successful nib repair.

[siamackz]

Great job. Thanks for sharing.

 

Fingers crossed for a successful nib repair.

Thank you!

[siamackz]

Comparison with the black 244, for those interested:

[slippery when wet]

I also enjoyed your detailed post, well done.

[raivtash]

Great job! It looks like the black Germany made piston mechanism is different from the Danish one. Have you tried to replace a cork on the black?

[siamackz]

Great job! It looks like the black Germany made piston mechanism is different from the Danish one. Have you tried to replace a cork on the black?

Thank you! Yes the piston is similar on both.

[raivtash]

Do you know how to dissemble the black tip from the piston rod? Thanks.

[Marcwithac]

Amazing post, Sia. You make it look so easy and simple. Thanks for sharing.

[siamackz]

Amazing post, Sia. You make it look so easy and simple. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks so much for the encouragement!

[siamackz]

Do you know how to dissemble the black tip from the piston rod? Thanks.

Thats an interesting looking rod, havent seen one quite like that yet. Cant you just turn the black top counter clockwise?

[KAC]

Not that I would attempt to service my vintage pens, but - if I were to do so - I'd certainly be guided by your explanation. Very well done. Thanks.

[raivtash]

Thats an interesting looking rod, havent seen one quite like that yet. Cant you just turn the black top counter clockwise?

I have tried but it didn't work. Your black 244 should have the same rod as this one.