Button-filler gone terribly wrong!

Hmm, looks like someone had a bad day repairing fountain pens.

This was one of those pens that I opened up, and immediately knew what had gone wrong with the previous repair "fix-it job".

So, I present you with a fun and educational lesson on proper button filler repair!

So, here's the lovely pen. I always like to show you the pens I'm working on. It's part of the fun. :) This one's a real beauty too. The color is a dark navy blue, though I unfortunately was unable to capture it in the photos.

For those who are unfamiliar - this Parker Duofold is a button filler. It sure looks like a Vacumatic, but it's not.

You should note that these photos are after restoration, but prior to polishing. Still needs a little something, to be sure. :)

Okay boys and girls, can someone tell me what is wrong with this picture!?!

If you guessed the following, you were correct: The pressure bar was inserted into this pen too early - before the sac was installed. This led to the sac, and pressure bar getting twisted and destroyed.

That's it - one step out of place and the whole operation went down the drain. No wonder the customer said it wasn't filling. :)

You see, the section screws in/out on this specific pen. Most button fillers are this way. Because of this, when the pressure bar was inside before the section was screwed in, the turning of the section caused both the sac and pressure bar to catch, bind, and twist.

The pressure bar should always go in after the sac and section are fully seated and in position. This will prevent the disastrous damage seen here.

Okay, how about a few more shots of this mess:

The pressure bar has a distinct bend in it, right after the crimp that holds the solid piece on.

And that sac is just pitiful. Couldn't even hold a drop of ink. :(

Okay, so here's the lesson to be learned today.

1) Send your pen to a professional if you don't know what you're doing! Whoever this rogue repairer was, he obviously wasn't well educated on button filler repair.

2) If you are the DIY type, know your material. Read up, study, and take note of this article. :) 

Okay, that's all for now guys! I'll be back on Friday with another paper review. Till then, have a good one, and don't break any button fillers.