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Swan Mabie Todd ink flow


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Hi,

 

I've been trying too get a Swan Mabie Todd I inherited from my grandmother working. It writes very wetly at the best of times. Sometimes it's useable for a few minutes and will then deposit a big drop of ink on the paper, other times it starts off with a big drop of ink. I got some Pelikan 4001 ink as I read that it could help with wetter pens, but it's the same. My impression is that there's too much space between the nib and the feed beneath it. I've tried gently moving them around but hesitate to apply much force. Would someone have a suggestion to handle this?

 

Best,

Hunter

mabie todd-1.jpg

mabie todd-2.jpg

mabie todd-3.jpg

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  • HunterR

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best to wait for an expert to answer. whats the condition of the sac. I am guessing there is a problem with the sac causing this. did you have it replaced at some point?  Is there a visible gap between the nib and the feed ? (side ways image of the nib will help)

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Which model is it? An eyedropper? Sometimes the nib/feed combination  just a bit of adjustment a little to slow the ink flow down. They also prefer being fairly full (eyedroppers are more likely to burp when ink levels are low). 

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16 minutes ago, mizgeorge said:

Which model is it? An eyedropper? Sometimes the nib/feed combination  just a bit of adjustment a little to slow the ink flow down. They also prefer being fairly full (eyedroppers are more likely to burp when ink levels are low). 

Thanks. I'll try filling it again and see if that changes something, but I had filled it as much as I thought it could hold and it still dripped quickly.

 

How can adjust the nib/feed? I've seen talk about heating them...

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Im not sure how about how pineapple feed work, so i cant really comment on it. based on the images of the nib and feed, I wouldn't expect it to leak like this. Best to get some one to have a look at it .

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You might find this thread useful

 

I don't have one (I wish I did), but it does seem that the bulb is the key to the flow.

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11 hours ago, shalitha33 said:

Im not sure how about how pineapple feed work, so i cant really comment on it. based on the images of the nib and feed, I wouldn't expect it to leak like this. Best to get some one to have a look at it .

Thanks!

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11 hours ago, mizgeorge said:

You might find this thread useful

 

I don't have one (I wish I did), but it does seem that the bulb is the key to the flow.

Thanks for that. Does sound similar. Maybe the bulb on mine has moved - I'll see if I can move it around, gently.

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Your nib and feed seem to be well set and matched, from what I can see in your pictures.

 

I'd leave them as they are and start looking at the 'pineapple', as mentioned in the thread mizgeorge posted.

 

Nice pen, though. Congratulations.

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3 hours ago, CS388 said:

Your nib and feed seem to be well set and matched, from what I can see in your pictures.

 

I'd leave them as they are and start looking at the 'pineapple', as mentioned in the thread mizgeorge posted.

 

Nice pen, though. Congratulations.

 

Thanks, it is beautiful!

I was able to remove the "pineapple", there doesn't seem to be any adjustment possible with it though.

I tried inserting a fine twisted wire into the square feedhole to see if I could reduce the flow through. That does seem to help. Still writes very wetly but it doesn't seem to drip as readily. Writing on an angled board or with the pen at a very low angle also helps...

I've attached a few more photos showing the nib/feed without ink swell to better show the gap. Does it still seem all right?
 

mabie todd 3-1.jpg

mabie todd 3-2.jpg

mabie todd 3-3.jpg

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I think the nib/feed look just right, so I'd be focusing on the flow into the feed, and I think the 'pineapple' is where it's at. 

 

Looking at yours and at the one posted on the thread I linked to, I suspect that the bulb needs to sit closer to the feed to slow down the flow, and it sounds as though it was designed to be screwed in/out to regulate it. There's a similar feature on a much more modern pen - the original Aurora 88, though I've never found the little twiddly bit made much difference on any of mine!

 

I would try just gently pressing it as close to the feed as you can (you might have to use some sort of temporary fixative to just hold it in place whilst you experiement) and see what difference it makes. 

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The pin looks so deliberately smooth, that it had me wondering if it was some type of float valve.

The fuller the barrel, the higher the pineapple.

 

But, more realistically, I'd imagine that if it's not threaded, it was some sort of friction-fit, with an adjustable position.

With your specific issue, I'd agree with mizgeorge: my first experimental position would be as close to the feed as you can get.

 

Good luck.

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Thanks for your answers.

The "pineapple" is a friction fit on the slightly tapered shaft. There isn't more than a millimetre or two leeway in positioning it and it doesn't seem to be enough to affect ink flow. I am going gently as I can just imagine snapping that shaft clean off! Out of curiosity, I tried wrapping the "pineapple" with a layer of tape to see if that had any effect on restricting the flow, but it didn't. 

 

The wire in the square channel does still seem to be helping though!

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It would be very useful if one could locate the patent for this feed as its likely going to tell us how it works :(. Is the shaft (not the pineapple itself) movable ? just wondering if the rod is a shutoff / regulating system.   

 

Its probably best not to make any "modifications" until we know how it works exactly :P

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20 minutes ago, shalitha33 said:

It would be very useful if one could locate the patent for this feed as its likely going to tell us how it works :(. Is the shaft (not the pineapple itself) movable ? just wondering if the rod is a shutoff / regulating system.   

 

Its probably best not to make any "modifications" until we know how it works exactly :P

 

In this thread ( https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/325252-swan-no-8-safety-screw-cap-fountain-pen/?tab=comments#comment-3884856 ), the shaft has come off with the pineapple. I hesitate to apply enough force to remove it on mine from the feed block.

 

My wire in the feed channel is easily reversed!

 

 

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Interstingly, yours seems to have the pineapple separate to the rod, and the picture in the other thread is the opposite, with the pineapple attached and the rod going into the feed (if I recall, it was broken). Have you tried contacting the OP from that thread, who seemed to have a good outcome in the end. 

 

And of course, I'm now looking out for Swans with a pineapple!

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