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watch_art · Seasoned

increasing flow on a pilot c742

watch_art · Seasoned

okay, so more reading tells me that i might be able to heat the feed under the nib, and stroke it tip to barrel and increase the gap between the nib and feed? would that work on this pen???

or will i be learning how to knockout a feed pretty soon?

DWL · ***

This is a fairly easy one to handle. You wont need to use a knockout block on this one, modern nibs/feed units that use a cart/converter dont allow for a K/O block because of the cart/converter nipple. They are however easy to adjust.

You'll want to soak the pen in slightly warmer than room temp water for 10-15 minutes or so. Then with your thumb and index finger simply tug/pull the nib/feed straight out. after it's out, rinse both of well. Then with a new and sharp xacto blade lightly score down the feed channels to open them slightly. You can do it again if it's still not flowing enough, you cant go back and close them up again very easily. Then reposition the nib/feed and reinsert then back into the section. Check to see if there is a 'lug' inside the section t then just ge feed up correctly, if not, then just go for it and have fun.

Also, before you begin, make sure there isn't a gap between the bottom of the nib and top/end of the feed. That will cause skips and railroad tracks. If there is let me let me know and I'll post a how to heat set a nib/feed.

Hope this helps.

watch_art · Seasoned

wow! cool.

well, there isn't a GAP, per se, but i can wedge a piece of paper in there. it's pretty tight though.

That sounds EASY! I can't believe I was so close to sending it off. Hell, I clean my own mechanical watches, why couldn't I fix my own pen???

Thanks!

So if the gap is where I say it is, I should be able to go ahead and cut the feed channels?

DWL · ***

'That sounds EASY! I can't believe I was so close to sending it off. Hell, I clean my own mechanical watches, why couldn't I fix my own pen???'

E-zach-a-RY my point. Pens are easy to repair if you understand how they were put together & how they work.

The gap is just as it should be, commence with the xacto work my man. Remember, light scores, once down each channel, reassemble, ink and test for a half page or so just to be sure, not enough flow? Then go back & give it another swipe until it's to your liking. If you ever decide to sell it, remember to let the buyers know the flow has been increased some.

watch_art · Seasoned

aww ha ha aahahahaa!!!! awesome!! I'll do this tomorrow and report back asap.

damn i'm glad i found this place. learned more, and more quickly in the last 1/2 hour here than in almost 2 months of reading at fpn. the search function over there SUCKS btw.

and everybody just recommends going to binder, not that there's anything wrong with him or his site, but some of the information is so thin and bland, no substance. nothing really useful.

thanks.

DWL · ***

"damn i'm glad i found this place."

Me too

.." learned more, and more quickly in the last 1/2 hour here than in almost 2 months of reading at fpn."

All you have to do is ask over here & we'll all do anything we can to help.

" the search function over there SUCKS btw."

yup

"and everybody just recommends going to binder, not that there's anything wrong with him or his site, but some of the information is so thin and bland, no substance. nothing really useful."

I know Richard, he's a true gentleman, fantastic pen repairman, great all around guy & his site is spectacular, I reference it all of the time. I respect the hell out of him, but I'm just not one of the sheeple that worship him like they do over on FPN.

bphollin · Experienced

If I'm not too late to the party, I've had great success using 35mm film, an overhead transparency, and a small shim of very thin brass sheeting to do exactly what Dennis recommends. I can't quite trust myself to using a razor blade, mostly because I am afraid of damaging MYSELF and not the pen. Same trick, same results, different tools.

DWL · ***

Grandma always said it don' matter how you get there, just so long as ya arrive in one piece. Sounds like a fair assessment to me. (wink)

watch_art · Seasoned

i don't think i'm up for messing with the nib on this pen. i don't think it will make much difference. i've flossed nibs before and it hasn't made much difference on some pens, and on others it's made the world, but this one, i don't see it helping much. the nib is fairly flexible, so the tines being too tight isn't really an issue. at least not that I can figure.

the only thing that is an issue, that i thought about, is my line variation (which is why i bought this pen to begin with)... will i loose my fine line with light pressure? or will the extra flow not bother it?

titivillus · Seasoned

watch_art wrote:

I just bought a pilot 742, and i love it, except for constant dry starts and railroading (i just learned that term yesterday).� once it's going, it's wonderful, until it railroads.

Wow in 20+ years never heard the term railroad!� something new every day!

�

DWL · ***

"the only thing that is an issue, that i thought about, is my line variation (which is why i bought this pen to begin with)... will i loose my fine line with light pressure? or will the extra flow not bother it?"

When you increase the flow there is more ink transferred to the page, so there may be a slight increase in line width. In the end, it's going to depend on how much you open it up.

watch_art · Seasoned

so if i open it up too much, could i just grind it down a tiny bit finer?? i've ground a couple nibs into CIs w/o problem or issue, how much harder is it to make a fine an extra fine?

DWL · ***

Technically yes, but an EF nib can be a real mofo to get just right. My suggestion is to take the feed and just go in very small increments & you should be ok.

watch_art · Seasoned

so would it be harder to get the feed out of a lamy safari using the same heating in water technique? i just tried to no avail.

what the hell am i doing wrong? surely i wouldn't grab a hold of the tip of the feed with section pliers. that would maul it all up.

thanks...

-- Edited by watch_art on Tuesday 20th of April 2010 04:11:45 PM

DWL · ***

Yup, same way, however the safari feed has a very thin taper to it & is a PITA to get out. Try using a thin piece of rubber, like an ink sac or balloon piece to grip & give some traction. Never use pliers, they will mark the nib/feed and possibly damage them beyond help. I know this from first hand experience & they bodies were buried in a shallow grave late at night...lol

watch_art · Seasoned

this might be a stupid question, just let me know, but couldn't you fill a cartridge full of wd-40 or some other spray lube (spray right into the cart) and write for a second, to make it easier to pull the feed from the section?

and of course clean it up real good before putting it all back together... biggrin

just a brain fart. haven't done it. ...yet?

-- Edited by watch_art on Tuesday 20th of April 2010 05:52:27 PM

DWL · ***

EEEEKKKK! Nut-uh bub, not a good idea at all.

Never use any sort of lube like that. The petroleum based lubricants can and will melt plastic/celluloid & rubber to slag. The accelerates are harmful as well even in non petroleum based products.

The fill a cart & write wont work either, because the lubricant wont reach the sides of the feed that are friction set into the section, it will do whats it's supposed to and stay in the feed channels. The only safe way is to grip it & pull it free.

watch_art · Seasoned

gotcha. thanks. just pulled the nib/feed from my pilot 78g that i was gifted. that was EASY. gonna score it and work it a few times and then move on to my 742.

i think this is gonna go well.

DWL · ***

Right on, GL with the flow work. Be sure to brush out the feed with a toothbrush or somethng like that to make sure there isn't any debris left behind & test the flow for several paragraphs/half page or so after you score it to ensure the flow is as it first appears.