How to empty and flush a vac-fill?

[Douglas]

I bought my first vac-fill pen this Spring and just got it back from Ron who did the restoration. Please help me understand how the mechanism works in reverse, i.e, how do you empty the pen and flush the barrel? When the pen is full of ink, I assume it is ok to extend the vac fill rod even though that compresses the ink in the upper chamber temporarily.

[PenHero]

I bought my first vac-fill pen this Spring and just got it back from Ron who did the restoration. Please help me understand how the mechanism works in reverse, i.e, how do you empty the pen and flush the barrel? When the pen is full of ink, I assume it is ok to extend the vac fill rod even though that compresses the ink in the upper chamber temporarily.

 

Vacuum Fillers flush very thoroughly, but care is needed to avoid damaging the pen and its seals.

 

The basics are:

 

In a filled pen the plunger has to move through the liquid to extend. The liquid has to go somewhere, and forcing it can create pressure that will push it through the base of the filler unit and cause leaking out of the barrel end of the pen.

 

Use light pressure, slow pulling, and a slight rocking (up and down) motion, to pull the plunger up through the filled pen. Then gently push the plunger down, again in short back and forth strokes until all the liquid us pushed out.

 

Don't rapidly pull the plunger up and down.

 

You may find this article helpful:

Sheaffer Vacuum Filling System

 

Cheers,

 

Jim Mamoulides

www.PenHero.com

Edited August 29, 2008 by PenHero

[ethernautrix]

Don't rapidly pull the plunger up and down.

 

 

 

Oops.

[Iridium]

Don't rapidly pull the plunger up and down.

Oops.

 

You know, there's this little concept known as "foster care" that you might want to look into. Just sayin'.

[ethernautrix]

Don't rapidly pull the plunger up and down.

Oops.

 

You know, there's this little concept known as "foster care" that you might want to look into. Just sayin'.

 

I was juuuuust flushing out my Snorkel Crest last night....

 

 

 

I tested the plunging mechanism this morning. It's okay. I didn't break it.

 

 

Say, speaking of flushing and plunging, how many times should I pull the plunger (GENTLY) up and down for a complete fill of ink -- twice? Four times? Is it an even number?

[jmkeuning]

Say, speaking of flushing and plunging, how many times should I pull the plunger (GENTLY) up and down for a complete fill of ink -- twice? Four times? Is it an even number?

 

It's even, but not round.

 

1.4

[Iridium]

I was juuuuust flushing out my Snorkel Crest last night....

 

I tested the plunging mechanism this morning. It's okay. I didn't break it.

 

Oh, a Snorkel. You don't have to be all that gentle with a Snorkel- or Touchdown-filler. In fact, if you don't "lower the boom" fast enough it won't take up much ink. You didn't hurt anything (baby steps ).

 

Say, speaking of flushing and plunging, how many times should I pull the plunger (GENTLY) up and down for a complete fill of ink -- twice? Four times? Is it an even number?

 

Once should be enough, but you can do it twice to make sure. If you're being really GENTLE with it, though, then I'd say it would take a few hours. The Vac-Fil system (the subject of this thread) is totally different.

Edited August 29, 2008 by Iridium

[weemeng]

Reading the various methods, here's a method which I think is less dangerous to the pen.

 

Find a syringe whose internal diameter fits the pen and use the method described in youtube; "refill pilot varsity pen" but in "reverse". ie: don't fill ink in the syringe, have the pen up and syringe at the bottom when u pull/push the syringe plunger.

 

The gravity and the vacuum created by the syringe would cause ink to flow down into the syringe at each plunger pull. The plunger push is to equalise the pressure in the reservoir to prepare for the next pull action.

 

If the syringe is a little too big, wrap white teflon/rubber plumber's tape around the pen first.

 

Always remember to start the action by doing a pulling motion to prevent ink from spraying out in cases where the seal between the syringe and pen is broken.

 

Forgot to add; to flush the pen with water, put water in the syringe, have the pen below the syringe and pull/push the syringe plunger. To remove water, syringe below the pen ...

 

Rgds

weemeng

Edited August 9, 2010 by weemeng