Welcome to- The Fountain Pen Community!

DWL · ***

So what would you likie to learn to do?

r1roller70 · Experienced

Snorkels are no problem.� I have actually done a couple in the last couple of months.� The hards part is getting the outer shell off from around the sac.� If you look at one you will see what I am talking about.� I love the snorkel pens.� They are the some of the best writers that I have, not to mention they have some really cool colors.
I would like to learn how to do more though.�

Wes

DWL · ***

Right on, thanks for chiming in Wes. Snorkels aren't really that hard, but they do have a couple of steps that you need to follow in a semi certain order & your right they are wicked nice writers.

We all know a fp is pretty much just an 'ink holder' with a controlled leak in it. As you write there is an exchange of ink/air in the ink sac/diaphrap/ink chamber through the nib breather hole/feed. Now, while a snorkel will hold a smaller volume of ink than say a 51 (either style vac or aero) & certainly less than most pens out there, the ink flow/air exchance rate is regulated much much better. In short & generally speaking, it's got less ink, but will write more words. The snorkel is the most over engineered pen in history, but man what a fun piece to work on & use.

A tip or 2 for getting ossified ink sac off the inside of the sac protector.

get a 3/16" drill bit and bore out the sac protector, or hold the sac protector in a pair of pliers, hemostats or ?? and useing a heat gun, warm up the metal & release the rubber from the guard. It'll stink like copious ammounts of uncut nasty ass & burning rubber, but gets the job done.

When trying to get the black plug (section) out of the sac guard, use a thin piece of wire/rod that will fit in the hole at the end of the sac guard, push it in and from the side wall, push & work the plug/section side to side from the inside & it will come right out. Then when it's clear, you can carefully go at the crimps on the top face of the guard that hold the plug in place.

Do you by anychance happen to have a spare ring that rides the outside of the sac guard & holds the spring in place? I'm working on a clients pen & don't have the replacement it needs. (snork parts supply is startingto run dry around here.

Speaking of snorkels, check out this sweet as can be Peacock Blue model w/ a buttery smoove broad PDAG silver palladium nib I sold in ebay last week.

PETERPARKER51 · Seasoned

i can do sac, j bar repalcements and a bit of nib smoothing and tweaking, but that's all cry

Aussie FP · Seasoned

Dennis,

I can replace sacs in lever fill pens, but have never seen the inside of any other sort.� I have seen a diagram of the exploded view of a Vacumatic and a Snorkel; and it scared the you-know-what out of me!

I saw your video on Vacumatic diaphragm replacement, but don't know how to get all those bits out of the pen to start with.

Does the Section on the Parker Vac pull out, or is it threaded?� I want to see if I can get the section out and clear out the ink when its not in use, to prevent staining the inside of the transparent barrel.

I'd also like to know how to make a nib smoother, and to get a bit more ink flow to the nib.� It's a bit scratchy; and I don't think I should have to apply ballpoint type pressure to a fountain pen to get it to put a good line of ink down.

Thanks. Gerard.

r1roller70 · Experienced

I agree.� I don't use alot of pressure when I write with fountain pens, andonly have a couple that need a little extra pressure and don't use those as often.� Being a student I have to write fast and love the way that FP's just slide across the paper.
Wes

DWL · ***

"I have seen a diagram of the exploded view of a Vacumatic and a Snorkel; and it scared the you-know-what out of me!"

Like JFK said, 'There os nothing to fear but fear itself' Think back to when you fort started to drive a car. Remember how nervous you were, and how it faded after you had some time behind the wheel. Same deal here. It's just a matter of knowing the steps and parts involved. Hell cars can kill you, these are just pens...lol.

'I saw your video on Vacumatic diaphragm replacement, but don't know how to get all those bits out of the pen to start with. Does the Section on the Parker Vac pull out, or is it threaded?�"

Theadded & sealed with rosin or shellac. You'll need a heat gun (with a setting in the 140 degree range, any hotter & pens generally turn to burning flares. Shellac melts at about 135 degrees or so, plastic & celluloid go poof in the 150-160 range so be careful w/ the heat)

"I want to see if I can get the section out and clear out the ink when its not in use, to prevent staining the inside of the transparent barrel."

Unless your transparency is close to perfect I wouldn't stress it much, just use a good neutral/safe injk like Skrip, waterman, parker, mont blanc, aurora etc etc you shoulkd be ok with a good flushing. After it's filled with water, wrap it in a paper towell and shake it like a thermometer until dry, then fill & shake again untill all ink is out. Ant micro bits that may be hiding in the feed or crevices inside won't mess with it at all. One way to help�preserve clarity is to keep it out of prolonged exposure to UV rays.

"I'd also like to know how to make a nib smoother, and to get a bit more ink flow to the nib.� It's a bit scratchy; and I don't think I should have to apply ballpoint type pressure to a fountain pen to get it to put a good line of ink down."

Ok nib worrk is very tricky & not for the faint of heart. My strongest advice is to start off with inexpensive nibs, learn the basics on them & slowly start to work your wy up from there.

The fist thing a smooth nib needs is perfect alignment. under strong magnification (10X minimum) point the nib at your eye so your looking at the tipping. Check the <-->, V^ to start off with, then make sure the slit is straight like this ll, and not / l or l \.�

For the ^V adjustment you can use your�fingernail. For the <-->, you'll need a nib burnishing tool. (tryphon.it under parts) If the tines are 'rolled' in and the slit is off angle, you'll need a pair of smooth jawed jewlery pliers to grip and roll the tine back out to a parallell�position.
After you have the alignment correct, using the mylar buffing boards (10-12000 grit) or lapping film hold the pen as you would normally write, and using your arm to move and not your hand or wrist, begin gently making figure 8's. while rolling the nib with a <--> to shape the profile of the tipping material to a smooth round ball. Avoid grinding flat spots at all costs. The end result your looking for is a round ball shape. After you graduate to the highest grit mylar, get a brown grocery bag & with the pen inked up, begin the 8's again & this will help finish off the nib.

Now keep in mind the above are the very very basics of nib work & probably just enough info to make someone dangerous...lol. I've been doing nib work for several years now & I still manage to magle nibs�& break pens in the process of repair, thats just the namture of the beast we all love. Start off with cheap nibs/pens & gradually build your skills.

The flow is regulated in part by the feed, the top of the�feed needs to be set flush with the bottom side of the nib. If there is a gap between the nib & feed it will most likely not flow very well or if it's set too close to the nib it can choke off the flow.

Using the heat gun with the nib/feed installed. Hold/wave the nib feed in the heat stream for just a couple of seconds 3 or 4. (keep it moving to avoid heat bulid up/fire) then using your thumb, stroke the feed from the�tail to the tip with your thumb, hold it in place and then dip it in cool water to set the new shape. If the flow is too thin, stroke the feed from the tip to the tail and cool as above.

Another anemic flow issue can be the tines have been pushed too close together, Get a piece of .002 sheet brass from a hobby shop & floss the tines. this will most likely open the flow up some & get it writing as it should.

Hope this helps some
Dennis