Stiff Piston On 146 - Should I Care?

[YonathanZ]

Hi,

 

Yesterday I picked up a 146 and the piston works, but requires considerable force.

I don't have experience with other piston fillers as this is my first, but it's way harder to screw/unscrew than my converters.

 

My question is, should I spend money on getting it fixed or just use it until it's stuck?

 

Thanks.

 

[meiers]

The piston requires lubrication. Forcefully turning the knob will break the spindle that moves the piston.

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/290071-lubricating-the-piston-on-a-meisterstuck-149/?fromsearch=1

Edited August 26, 2019 by meiers

[siamackz]

Meiers is right, that tool is worth investing in along with a small bottle of 100% silicone oil for the piston head. A tiny bottle will last you years because only a drop or two is needed. I bought a similar tool from a dealer in China for a very reasonable price recently and I cant complain about the quality

[Nurmister]

Meiers is right, that tool is worth investing in along with a small bottle of 100% silicone oil for the piston head. A tiny bottle will last you years because only a drop or two is needed. I bought a similar tool from a dealer in China for a very reasonable price recently and I cant complain about the quality

 

What's the difference between silicone grease and silicone oil? Can I use the former in place of the latter for pistons?

[siamackz]

You can, I have. But I prefer oil for the piston head because grease tend to collect into goop at the top of the ink window.

[Erik Dalton]

The piston requires lubrication. Forcefully turning the knob will break the spindle that moves the piston.

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/290071-lubricating-the-piston-on-a-meisterstuck-149/?fromsearch=1

Listen to Meiers. Get the pen serviced or do it yourself. The shaft that pushes the piston up and down is plastic. Very durable, but forcing it can lead to failure. You should have little or no resistance operating the piston on a 146.

 

I just picked up a 146 with an oblique nib. Love how the pen writes, but the piston was really stiff. I finally gave in and took the pen apart. what i found was that some idiot had applied something similar to Barge Cement to the threads of the piston housing were it screws into the barrel. The stuff was everywhere that it should not be, as well as the piston operating mechanism. I tried water, Dawn, Amonia pen flush, everything I could find that would not be corrosive on the resin barrel. I finally ended up with Un-waxed dental floss in the threads, goo gone, and an old tooth brush before i got the stuff out of my pen. I had a zillion teeney balls of this rubbery sealant to remove. The last thing i wanted was for any of these particles to get down into the ink channels of the feed and nib.

Long story short. Once i got the stuff out of the threads and innards of the pen, I applied silicone grease to the piston mechanism, helix, piston head, and a tiny bit on the threads in the barrel. Once re-assembled, the piston ran effortlessly up and down the barrel.

If you are buying pre-loved pens, you have to consider that someone has been mucking about with it at one time or another. Sometimes not to a beneficial effect.

I use silicone grease and prefer the thicker version like what Goulet, Inde-pen-dance and others sell, because it pretty much stays wherever you put it. You don’t want any of it getting down into the nib assembly.

I usually get beat on here for suggesting people work on their own pens. If you’ve done your research, have the proper tools, and feel comfortable, then go for it, if not, send it in for Montblanc Service, or some of the service guys on here.

Hope this helps. Good luck, Best regards..

[Ron Z]

100% silicone oil for the piston head

 

Not silicone oil, silicone grease. Silicone oil (which is usually dimethicone) washes off very quickly in your ink. The proper silicone grease (I use and recommend Molykote 111) is designed for 0-rings, and is resistant to washing off. It will last much longer, and will not transfer to your ink and therefore won't get into the feed.

 

I'm inclined to thing that one may be using too much silicone grease if you can see traces of silicone grease on the window. I often see the stuff slathered all over everything. Don't glop it on. You don't need much silicone grease at all, just a thin film. I tell clients that it's almost to the point where if you can see it, you have too much.

 

If you don't have a scuba shop near by, the are a number of pen/parts vendors who sell silicone grease. I have small jars of the Molykote available.

[YonathanZ]

Listen to Meiers. Get the pen serviced or do it yourself. The shaft that pushes the piston up and down is plastic. Very durable, but forcing it can lead to failure. You should have little or no resistance operating the piston on a 146.

 

I just picked up a 146 with an oblique nib. Love how the pen writes, but the piston was really stiff. I finally gave in and took the pen apart. what i found was that some idiot had applied something similar to Barge Cement to the threads of the piston housing were it screws into the barrel. The stuff was everywhere that it should not be, as well as the piston operating mechanism. I tried water, Dawn, Amonia pen flush, everything I could find that would not be corrosive on the resin barrel. I finally ended up with Un-waxed dental floss in the threads, goo gone, and an old tooth brush before i got the stuff out of my pen. I had a zillion teeney balls of this rubbery sealant to remove. The last thing i wanted was for any of these particles to get down into the ink channels of the feed and nib.

Long story short. Once i got the stuff out of the threads and innards of the pen, I applied silicone grease to the piston mechanism, helix, piston head, and a tiny bit on the threads in the barrel. Once re-assembled, the piston ran effortlessly up and down the barrel.

If you are buying pre-loved pens, you have to consider that someone has been mucking about with it at one time or another. Sometimes not to a beneficial effect.

I use silicone grease and prefer the thicker version like what Goulet, Inde-pen-dance and others sell, because it pretty much stays wherever you put it. You don’t want any of it getting down into the nib assembly.

I usually get beat on here for suggesting people work on their own pens. If you’ve done your research, have the proper tools, and feel comfortable, then go for it, if not, send it in for Montblanc Service, or some of the service guys on here.

Hope this helps. Good luck, Best regards..

 

Yikes! I will definitely do something about that piston (diy or otherwise).

[siamackz]

 

Not silicone oil, silicone grease. Silicone oil (which is usually dimethicone) washes off very quickly in your ink. The proper silicone grease (I use and recommend Molykote 111) is designed for 0-rings, and is resistant to washing off. It will last much longer, and will not transfer to your ink and therefore won't get into the feed.

 

I'm inclined to thing that one may be using too much silicone grease if you can see traces of silicone grease on the window. I often see the stuff slathered all over everything. Don't glop it on. You don't need much silicone grease at all, just a thin film. I tell clients that it's almost to the point where if you can see it, you have too much.

 

If you don't have a scuba shop near by, the are a number of pen/parts vendors who sell silicone grease. I have small jars of the Molykote available.

Thanks for the tip, as always, Ron

[YonathanZ]

Hello again,

 

I've decided to open the piston up by myself, and that was easier than expected with a paper clip.

Here's the inside of the piston:

https://imgur.com/fpngallery/QCvrFBV

 

The stiffness seems to come from the transparent plastic piece, which is easy enough to lubricate using silicone grease.

The mechanism is smooth, otherwise.

However, I'd like to take the opportunity to clean it thoroughly. How do I get rid of that white gunk without damaging the metal or the plastic?

 

Thanks.

 

Edit: Damped cloth did it. The piston is smooth now.

Edited August 29, 2019 by YonathanZ