What is on your bench?

[FarmBoy]

4th pen in bottom row.  ?

[VacNut]

9 hours ago, eckiethump said:

Quite an interesting bunch of pens here for the one customer.

 

Is that a yellow-green diaphragm on the brown Vacumatic? Something new? Do you typical chase the threads on the barrel for the collar?

[FarmBoy]

2 hours ago, VacNut said:

Is that a yellow-green diaphragm on the brown Vacumatic? Something new? Do you typical chase the threads on the barrel for the collar?

I already told you to always chase the threads on a Vac.

[VacNut]

I likely do an equivalent with the Ron Zorn homemade tool. The one with a filed down slot the length of a vac threaded retaining nut. I adhered it to a wood dowel, so it is easier to use. It may not clean/cut the threads as nicely as a dedicated steel tool, but it does the trick. I also apply silicon grease on the filler nut before the filler is installed. The filler usually goes in simply with little effort and can be easily removed. I don’t have the means to make a custom tool, and worry those made by others may be off on the thread spacing. I don’t want to risk ruining the  threads on the barrel. I actually have two tools. One for Canadian Vacs, which are sometimes just “different”. 

[es9]

Laurence Oldfield’s vac thread cleaners are fantastic. Well worth the price in my humble opinion. (I rarely find need for the seat cleaner, but it’s nice that it’s there.) And I am quite sure his have the correct thread specs. 
 

I always thought silicone grease was a no-no on pump threads because it’s a recipe for over tightening. Properly chased, pumps always screw on quite easily for me, though a little bit of gentle heat sometimes helps. I recall reading somewhere on here that the tiniest bit of silicone grease might help prevent corrosion. But that seems pretty remote compared to the more real risk of over tightening and stressing the barrel. If I ever reinstalled a pump with a plastic bushing, I would probably use a little silicone grease in case it helps reduce the risk of fusing. But plastic bushings go to my broken box, so that’s not a problem. 

[FarmBoy]

No grease. 

[eckiethump]

On 10/27/2022 at 12:04 AM, VacNut said:

Is that a yellow-green diaphragm on the brown Vacumatic? (Yes, I am pretty sure it is Italian made) Something new? Do you typical chase the threads on the barrel for the collar?

 

On 10/27/2022 at 5:08 PM, es9 said:

Laurence Oldfield’s vac thread cleaners are fantastic. Well worth the price in my humble opinion. (I rarely find need for the seat cleaner, but it’s nice that it’s there.) And I am quite sure his have the correct thread specs. 
 

I have the set of three of Laurence's vac thread cleaners as well as a quite a few of the other tools he makes. I have to make bespoke thread taps quite few times , but Laurence's tools such are far more elegant than my practical efforts.

Eric

[VacNut]

There are no many pens I no longer replace the diaphragm since it has a limited life. The barrels are also not sealed. I have my favorite daily users, so most of the vacs are cleaned and prepared for archive. Personally there is little chance to over-tighten the nut. 

[es9]

8 hours ago, eckiethump said:

Laurence's tools such are far more elegant than my practical efforts

Every tool I have of his is really fantastic. I’m currently trying to justify to myself buying his inner cap puller with attachments for plastic and metal snorkel/TD caps. 

[VacNut]

On 10/26/2022 at 10:09 AM, FarmBoy said:

4th pen in bottom row.  ?

Eckie, any news on the vac-like  pen? Thx

[eckiethump]

On 10/31/2022 at 12:52 AM, VacNut said:

Eckie, any news on the vac-like  pen? Thx

I have put these away again, the customer does not want them back till the middle of January, it does look to be of Italian origin, they did do vac style fillers.

[eckiethump]

One of the great things about doing professional pen service/repair, is the variety of items you receive.

McNiven and Cameron were the Edinburgh pen makers, innovators of the famous upturned Waverley nib, a tribute to Sir Walter Scott and his Waverley novels, whose, on the cap clip of this pen is his likeness. You do not see McN & C pens too often and this is the first combo by them I have seen.

The nib on this pen is a "Hindoo" 14ct Gold, which I do believe may have originally been a dip pen nib.

"The Pickwick the Owl and Waverley pen, they come as a boon and a blessing to men" The advertising for their nibs and the famous novels/poem of the  time

[eckiethump]

As before, some of the rarer pens customers send

Montblanc MRHR Baby Safety, still to remove the helix to access and replace cork seal,a tricky operation.

[CS388]

2 hours ago, eckiethump said:

As before, some of the rarer pens customers send

Montblanc MRHR Baby Safety, still to remove the helix to access and replace cork seal,a tricky operation.

 

Beautiful! A work of art, not to mention the engineering involved.

Good luck with it.

 

[SimonGuitton]

My first sac-filling restoration projects.

Do you remember the feeling when you first received a pen that looked neglected but promising ? when you used heat to disassemble a slip-fit section for the first time ? scraped that sac residue ? fiddled with the placement of a nib on a feed ? discovered how that lever-filling thing is arranged, or ought to be ? that curiosity and surprise and anxiety and satisfaction ? It's all happening again, for another person.

 

[IThinkIHaveAProblem]

6 hours ago, SimonGuitton said:

My first sac-filling restoration projects.

Do you remember the feeling when you first received a pen that looked neglected but promising ? when you used heat to disassemble a slip-fit section for the first time ? scraped that sac residue ? fiddled with the placement of a nib on a feed ? discovered how that lever-filling thing is arranged, or ought to be ? that curiosity and surprise and anxiety and satisfaction ? It's all happening again, for another person.

 

Awesome

[WestLothian]

Déjà vu. A ten-year service due on a 1938 Parker.

 

 

[VacNut]

On 11/24/2022 at 9:49 AM, SimonGuitton said:

My first sac-filling restoration projects.

Do you remember the feeling when you first received a pen that looked neglected but promising ? when you used heat to disassemble a slip-fit section for the first time ? scraped that sac residue ? fiddled with the placement of a nib on a feed ? discovered how that lever-filling thing is arranged, or ought to be ? that curiosity and surprise and anxiety and satisfaction ? It's all happening again, for another person.

 

The silver platter is a nice touch, as the pristine glass bowls. They look almost like appetizers!! Welcome to the restoration world.

[eckiethump]

Another interesting bunch of 1950's Montblanc mainly telescopic piston fillers.

Descriptions from right to left, yes I had pictured them upside down ! The MB139 was a particular trial, with a piston mechanism requiring a repair, a swaged collar to hold together, not just a service, also it was clogged with glue like ink.

1		Montblanc	#144G	Telescopic piston fill	Green Striated,
2		Montblanc	#244	Piston fill	Green Striated,
3		Montblanc	#146	Telescopic piston fill	Green Striated,
4		Montblanc	#126PL	Push button filler	Platinum Striped
5		Montblanc	#144	Telescopic piston fill	Black Celluloid
6		Montblanc	#146G	Telescopic piston fill	Black Celluloid
7		Montblanc	#139	Telescopic piston fill	Black Celluloid

  

 

[lionelc]

very nice