NIB LEAK

[Mr Vic]

A Woodcraft Classic American Screw Cap Fountain Pen has started to leak after about six months. He says its coming out around the goldring (see lousy photo) on the nib housing. Not sure if it's in front or back and he has the pen. I've never taken one apart, but from what I've researched here, there are no orings or such it's just the press fit of of the feeder and nib section into the feeder housing.

Any tips or suggestions before I tear it apart? I can give him an assembly off a new pen or gut a roller ball for him but would prefer to fix it.

Thanks in advance for the info.

Mr Vic

 

[fiferb]

Hi Vic, I don't know if I can help but have you read the "Behind the Nib" series by Lou Metcalf that is in the library? May give you some insight to your problem.

 

[ed4copies]

FIRST, try a different cartridge. Put one in, yourself, and test. IF pen doesn't leak, your customer probably took out his cartridge and reinstalled it.

I BELIEVE (Others will disagree) that the cartridge should be left alone - when it's removed, the plastic can be deformed and not fit back in tightly.

 

[Mr Vic]

Read all of Lou's great stuff. Talked to the owner of the pen and it's coming through at the joint between the trim ring and the tip of the nib housing. I'm going to have him clean it and reseat the feed.

 

[Mr Vic]

Ed, wouldn't that problem cause it to leak between the pen boddy and nib? He get ink on his finger tips where he hold the pen while writing. But I'll try anything...Thanks

 

[ed4copies]

This is NOT meant to sound demeaning - but I don't know how to reword it.

Ink is liquid, liquid will go EVERYWHERE when it leaks - ever try to track down the leak in a pipe that is near vertical? Not where you THOUGHT it would be, was it???

 

[DCBluesman]

If the pen is leaking here

it is most likely caused by either the feed not being fully seated in the section or the cartridge/converter connection has been widened. Remove the cartridge/converter and disassemble the nib/feed/housing. Soak the parts in room temperature water for 30 minutes, the rinse clean. Re-assemble the nib/feed/housing and insert a fresh cartridge. That should solve your problem.

 

[PTJeff]

Mr. Vic,
I would have to second ed4copies and DCBluesman's suggestions. The most likely culprit of this leak is the junction between the cartrige and the section. If he uses this pen as a daily writer for 6 months he has probably gone through some ink and the on/off of the converter or the cartrige may have deformed either. Mostly I have been confronted with dried ink on the edges and a poor seal was formed.

 

[Firefyter-emt]

Well I was going to post up about the screw in end section being loose, but Lou beat me to it. The feed may be simply slightly unscrewed or the feed/nib itself is loose.

 

[Mr Vic]

Ed, as one who has chased hydraulic leaks in the hell hole of a Huey your point it well taken.
Lou, thats the spot he says it's coming from. I dissassembled the one in the pic (not his) and it looks like the gold ring is pressed on. I can see how an excessive flow might wick underneath and out between. I've got him going the cleaning route as you and Jeff suggested. If that does the trick then he can try it on his Mont Blanc (sp) which he says leaks similarly. If it doesn't I'll snag it and bring home to toy with.
If you hadn't guessed I'm a bit new to fountain pens....Turned them but never used one....Thanks for the help and Jeff...Just Vic will do.........

 

[Mr Vic]

Got the pen from it's owner today....Wiggled out the nib an feeder.....Found the real problem...:frown:...Glad I'd carried another fountain pen I could cannibalize...I'm thinking it must have been dropped.

Thanks for all the suggestions.....

Vic

 

[PTJeff]

I'm not sure i see what is wrong with the pictures. any clues?

 

[Mr Vic]

Jeff, Look at the first picture. The gold ring has a black ring on the inside. That black ring is the top of the housing and should be one piece. It has sheared just below the rim.

 

[PTJeff]

That'll do it!

 

[Firefyter-emt]

Hmmm... Not sold on it being dropped (1st rule of fountain pens, a pen dropped without a cap will always fall nib first) I think that it might of been from screwing the section back into the pen after a refill. if he held it there when tightening the section in the pen, it may of sheared.

Funny story about dropping a pen, I once had my beloved Parker-51 slip from my fingers in the bathroom. She fell nib down and freaking stuck into the floor! Would you believe the pen suffered no harm and wrote as smooth as silk? Now that's luck!

 

[Mr Vic]

Emailed Woodcrafts tech support about the broken nib. Only wanted to know if they used the same nib on the cobalt and woodcraft Gold kits and if replacements were available. Still don't lnow. However I got an email from their cuustomer service that my order had shipped..Order? They just sent a replacement and this one has a metal screw coupling instead of the metal. Can't argue with that.....