What is on your bench?

[VacNut]

13 hours ago, FarmBoy said:

The prevalence of Super Glue, Teflon tape, Kragle, and foreign objects such as tape and wood sticks should not be under stated.

Sméagol,

I wonder sometimes if prolonged exposure to the gold ring has changed your perspective…precious…my precious…

😂😂😂

 

Admittedly FB has been exposed to the best and worst of this hobby.

[VacNut]

22 hours ago, Black16 said:

The section unscrewed easily (and so with taking out the nib, I swapped with a new one already), the problem is only with the stuck filling mechanism and I didn't manage to knock it out. That is why I want to try the ultrasonic cleaner - it is stained with ink inside so my guessing is the ink residue holds it all together. So I want to get rid of the ink to be able to remove the mechanism. Well at least it is what I thought can be done at this point.

 

Jewellers do not usually work with pens or non-metal stuff in general and I learnt everything I know by myself, so thanks for the wishes! I'll try my best with this pen (it is a personal thing, this particular one) and will learn on other pens first as I usually do.

 

Am not sure if none of the parts are missing, but for example the cork can be replaced and so many other parts. So I guess the first step will be to remove the ink blockade to disassemble the pen and to inspect if anything needs to be replaced, etc.

Congrats on your progress. 
You can try the naphtha down the barrel from the section side. If it doesn’t leak out from the filler, you can replace the section and let it soak overnight.

If it leaks out you may have to keep it soaked inside a small jar or test tube, but that is a good sign as it means the filler isn’t completely seized.

 

Good luck 

[VacNut]

After years of avoidance, I started working on my Camel Pens from the mid 1930’s. (Mr Binder has a great write up on the history and internals of the pen). My first attempt to restore a Camel Pen years back was not successful, but after a few years I decided give it another try, as the pens were just sitting inside a box.

 

The early Camels had an ink pellet system inside the rubber orange canister underneath the end cap. The user only needed to draw water into the pen and the pellets would dissolve to make ink. I have no idea how they controlled the darkness and concentration of the ink, as I assume the pellets would continue to dissolve when submerged in a liquid. I also have no idea how the pellets could be replenished as the cartridge is sealed by the sac. There is nice reminder on the rear push button to remind the user there is no need to empty the pen.

 

The sac is shellacked to the section and the rubber cartridge. Metal collars on each end of the sac hold the j-bar in place. I don’t think the collars were intended to secure the sac in place as the sac could be scrapped off without removing the collars.

Since the section is screwed into the barrel, the entire filling system is inserted from the section end of the barrel, with the sac shellacked in place. The push button at the end of the pen actually turns as the section is screwed into place. The entire filling system is only secured at the section.

 

The issue with this system, and  as I discovered in my first attempt, is that dried ink and an ossified sac adheres to side of the barrel or corrodes the push bar, and it is nearly impossible to remove the filler without breaking the metal push bar, as evidenced by the corroded push-bars in the photos. Many times Camel Pens are converted into simple push button fillers because the push bar has corroded, or the rubber pellet cartridge has deteriorated to the extent that the sac can no longer be sealed onto the cartridge.

 

I can see from my examples that they modified this filler system throughout the life of the company. The rubber cartridges were eliminated in later pens and the pen was converted to a push button filler by adding an alum threaded collar to secure the blind cap.

The sections and bibs have been flushed to ensure flow. I have left the pens without the sac, as I am uncertain of the size and length. 
 

I can see there were 4-cap band designs and about 6-7 different celluloid colors, with the red-speckled green marble or shadow wave being the most striking. The gold trim on the earlier models are a higher quality than later pens.

Given that Parker was introducing vacuum fillers when this pen was introduced, I am not sure the ink pellet system had much of a chance for success. I am guessing you had to return the pen for service to refill the cartridge and to replace the sac.

 

It may be the later work of a skilled pen technician, but I have a Camel Pen with a lever filler and the typical end cap. It is just an odd pen.

 

 

 

 

[VacNut]

An update. I was able to loosen the section on a black Camel Pen but could not completely unscrew the section because the sac and dried ink was blocking the push bar; you can soak the filler end of the pen with the end cap removed in water to soften the ink and sac. You should turn the push button with the section so that they rotate simultaneously rather than torque the push bar and risk braking the bar. Be gentle and repeat several times. 

Once the section becomes fully detached, you can push down gently on the push button with a chop stick while gently pulling on the section to remove the filler.

 

I found the black push button can be unscrewed from the orange rubber retainer. The ink pellets can be refilled by removing the push button without removing the entire filler.

Very clever

[Black16]

On 6/26/2025 at 4:26 PM, VacNut said:

Congrats on your progress. 
You can try the naphtha down the barrel from the section side. If it doesn’t leak out from the filler, you can replace the section and let it soak overnight.

If it leaks out you may have to keep it soaked inside a small jar or test tube, but that is a good sign as it means the filler isn’t completely seized.

 

Good luck 

No good signs noticed unfortunately, the ink goes out only when ammonia is used but I still do not tend to soak vintage pens for long even in plain distilled water so am attempting this one slowly as well. Hopefully after a week of such baby steps something will change. Anyway I don't have to hurry and at least some progress about this ink finally going out is present. This blockage of dried out ink (still not sure if it is actually just ink though) seems to be the biggest trouble here as the cracks aren't that deep and the mechanism seems to have all parts, hopefully. So I'll just proceed this slow cleaning, will update on it here later. Thanks for all the help.

[LoveBigPensAndCannotLie]

Does anyone know the proper sac size for a Parker Pastel ringtop? I've restored one before but I don't remember what I used. Pensacs.com recommends a #15, it fit in the barrel fine but left absolutely no room for the pressure bar.

 

Richard Binder's chart recommends a 12, this seems way too small. I did not have a 14 so I ended up putting a 13 on and it feels... very snug on the sac nipple. It barely goes over the lucky curve portion of the feed. I don't mind having a slightly lower ink capacity (I can't imagine a 14 holds THAT much more than a 13) but I hope it does not impede flow on the feed.

[FarmBoy]

A 14 holds approximately 16% more than a 13. 
 

Take all recommendations on size as a place to start and use what fits. 

[LoveBigPensAndCannotLie]

I think a 14 would probably be ideal but given that I just have a 13 on hand it'll have to do. I figure it's always better to go a size smaller than a size larger, and the 15 is definitely too big. I tried fitting it without the section, just pushing the sac in with the bar in place and it would not go in.

 

Is it natural for the button to be a little... stiff? I have put the pen back together and the button does not have much "travel." I tried filling it with water and it seems to fill decently well. Shoots out the water at a pretty good pressure too. It seems to hold an appropriate amount for a size 13 sac so I think it's filling properly.

 

This is one of the earlier ones that have a threaded section and the bar that rests on the bottom of the section for tension. I always have issues placing these properly.

[LoveBigPensAndCannotLie]

Okay, I am once again confused. Different pen. This is the section from an early black and pearl balance, a small/junior size:

 

 

 

...I do not see where the feed and the section nipple begin or end. I scraped off the old sac and this is what is left. Strange "feed" with a hole in it. 

 

The feed looks like a Sheaffer feed, albeit I think a later one from 1937/1938ish? One of the somewhat transitional ones with before they put the combs all the way around. But I don't know what's up with the strange hole, or the bar in it. Or the lack of a standard "nipple."

 

Is this an "aftermarket" repair? I thought I might have accidentally chipped away the sac nipple but I don't think I did.

 

[FarmBoy]

From the picture I’d say there is no nipple.

[LoveBigPensAndCannotLie]

The bit in the middle is not the feed, it's fused to the section as best as I can tell. So... I am a little confused.

 

Edit: I tried knocking it out, it does not budge... that is not a feed. Or if it is, it is shellacked in.

[es9]

Clean it really well and then look for a seam. That’s a bigger step down from the part of the section that fits into the barrel to the sac nipple. If the sac nipple did crack off, you can make a new one. Turn down a piece of ebonite on a lathe, drill out the old section, and epoxy it in. It sounds more intimidating that it is. My only recommendation is to turn the replacement nipple out of new ebonite. I junked several old sections trying to turn them… old ebonite can be surprisingly brittle. 

 

[LoveBigPensAndCannotLie]

I see a seam but it looks almost like it's been shellacked in. I tried scraping at it, even used an alcohol swab (sometimes use this to get stubborn shellac remnants off sac nipples), can't get at it any better. I might try putting a sac on this anyways. Worst that can happen is it won't work.

[Ron Z]

I have seen cases where the sac nipple was broken and someone shellaced the sac directly to the end of the feed.  

[tmenyc]

I have seen those as well. A little risky for ink and airflow if any of the shellac gets in the channel, but it works....

even saw one where the sac was shellacked directly to the feed AND there was a sac nipple in place! 

Tim

[InkyProf]

In this coming week's episode of Ambition Without Skill, I'm hoping to replace the clip in a hard rubber Wahl from the late 20s. When removing the inner cap for access to the clip (I'm planning to use a tap), do you soak the interior of the cap first (i.e. plug the vent holes and syringe-fill standing up -- I know not to soak the whole cap), per Marshall & Oldfield? Or apply dry heat to the cap before tapping? Both? Neither? Luckily, I'll have to do this once on the donor cap before the real thing... thanks for any advice.

[VacNut]

I have never tried to replace a clip on a BHR Pen, but what is the intent of the soaking in ( I assume) water? I don’t think water will soften or dissolve any of the materials retaining the inner cap. Maybe Naphtha?

Is the tap a conical shape tap that matches the inner diameter of the inner cap?

Perhaps just dry heat?

 

[InkyProf]

I’m not sure: the rationale for soaking in Marshall and Oldfield is to “soften dried out ink” in which “all inner caps are encrusted.” (They specify “a mild alkaline solution,” which isn’t especially helpful.) I thought I read somewhere that soaking could also reduce the risk of damage to an HR inner cap from the tap, though this doesn’t make much sense to me. And the various instructions I’ve seen about reassembly don’t involve any adhesive, so I suspect there might not have been any adhesive in the initial assembly to dissolve either, which makes me inclined to do just dry heat, and not to mess with stronger solvents.

 

The taps I have are a set of metric and imperial taper thread taps, they’re not conical like screw extractors. A couple seem to be appropriately sized. Maybe I should be acquiring a purpose-made inner cap puller instead.

[VacNut]

I would think running the cap underneath a slow stream of water from the faucet followed by a q-tip would loosen almost all the ink. The inner cap may be secured by rosin or shellac, but dry heat should take care of that. I have seen inner cap pullers, but they tend to be made by specific to the pen. 
Have you searched thru this forum to research the process? You can easily damage the cap.

[InkyProf]

6 hours ago, VacNut said:

I would think running the cap underneath a slow stream of water from the faucet followed by a q-tip would loosen almost all the ink. The inner cap may be secured by rosin or shellac, but dry heat should take care of that. I have seen inner cap pullers, but they tend to be made by specific to the pen. 
Have you searched thru this forum to research the process? You can easily damage the cap.

Thanks! and yes, I’ve done a lot of reading here already (though that’s no guarantee I’ve found the most useful threads), and I know it’s risky: this was an inexpensive “practice” pen that I didn’t know was a Wahl when I got it; it’s already sufficiently flawed that it won’t be a huge loss if I damage it further, but not so flawed that I can’t make it functional if I’m careful and lucky.