Didn't get any kick back or anything, but glad I helped out other users by getting some more listed quickly. Smoking deal on a great pen that can be hard to find
I have this exact problem with a one-off Franklin-Christoph Model 20 with a metal section and a plastic barrel. I've only tried to brush out the burrs with a little metal brush, which did exactly nothing. I'll give it a go with sandpaper under your tutelage. Thanks again for your continued efforts to make me clean up my pen act.
Recording this took some time to get all the shots, angle, and especially the FOCUUUUUUUUUSS! 😡 But doing this without having to make a video is about a 5min little tweak that is very simple. The pen screws on so smoothly now and I'm almost thinking I won't have to deal with it the threads getting striped or the barrel cracking
Thank you Doodlebud for your amazing content , your channel will grow because you are doing something different , nobody has that kind of content . (Engineering I mean)
"I'm just going to put a little bit of tape on here..." Absolutely MUMMIFIES the pen! 😂 (That's totally what I would do... you never can be too secure!)
Gotta keep it tidy. A little grain from the sandpaper can fall off and get rubbed on the pen and scratch it up. Wanna keep this one in good condition for sure. Absolutely love this one over the modern ones and they way it screws on and off now I'm not worried about it cracking. Although time will tell.....
Old video, and I'm new to fountain pens, but having dressed a lot of threads, especially in an application like this, an emery board, or any cheap nail file works perfectly for these tasks since it gives you the rigidity.
I've got one of these coming from the same seller you bought yours from. I messaged them on a whim and they had dozens more. Really excited. We'll see if I need to do the same procedure!
Oh man, I had to rush to see if my Décimo Champagne was plastic on metal. 😌Phew! Metal on metal! I don't use it much, because the cartridge evaporates too quickly 😢
don’t see why anyone would get upset about you managing a design flaw:)(btw, much prefer the aesthetics of your vintage capless and love the look of majestic blue: I’ve had a 30ml bottle for ages but never inked up a pen with it:)
Pilot more than any other company seems to be about backwards compatibility... A few nib fittings aside. The whole reason the stopped making the slightly less worse con-50 converter in favor of the con-40 is so they had a converter that fit every cartridge/converter pen they ever made. I'm not sure if the con-b is as well but as more people prefer the piston over the bladder the rest is history. Also... To blow everyone's mind... The custom743 and custom 912 are the same size barrel/section and your can swap caps/sections between them to franken-pen them. I haven't tried nib/feed swapping yet but I have pens to clean and the 743/823 feed is longer but it might be the same diameter. K... Gotta run. The pilot police are coming for me giving away trade secrets...
I'm definitely not the guru when it comes to those types of questions but I have used it on the few celluloid pens I have and other pen materials as well. I learned about it by watching Grand Mia Pens on RUclips. He does an amazing job when it comes to restoring vintage pens. If I ever have questions, I check his vids for the answers. Give him a look
This is Türkiye my friend. I can't afford the pilot. I also buy moonman a1 and a2. I increase the pen nib range and make it write more wet. Thanks for information.
On the modern Pilot VP, both the barrel and the cap have metal threads. The threads of the barrel do not go all the way to the top, as you pointed out. However, the Decimo is different; although the threads are metal on both parts of the pen the threads on the barrel DO go all the way to the top. I prefer writing with the Decimo because it is less girthy than the VP and the clip is narrower, too. BTW: I prefer the Pilot cartridges to the converters. When they are empty, I rinse them out and use a syringe to refill them. They hold as much or more ink as a converter, and to see how much ink you have left, all you have to do is remove the metal cartridge protector, invert the pen, and you can see how much ink remains.
I have a new nib unit in my vintage VP, and it works fine. You made me hunt for the original nib i swapped out; haven't found it yet. 😆 The threads don't seem as bity just from hand feel.
Wow. Majestic Blue. A reasonable (sort of) dupe for Parker Penman Sapphire. You seem to be expanding your ink likes. I've replaced the sac converters with newer con-40s (admittedly, not a great converter) on sever of my VPs.(my oldest one is 2003).
Just picked up 2 new blue Diamine inks yesterday and got 4 inks in to test and review for a video this weekend. They are from a brand nobody has heard of yet..... 😉
Howdy, I really enjoyed this video. I'm wondering if this defect might also be the cause of the plastic body portion to develop hairline cracks. I've already followed your lead and immediately noticed an improvement. Thanks for another great video.
Yeah it will probably cause the cracks too. The plastic isn't very tough in this body, there's no reinforcement ring, and the threads are eating the body alive. This should be a bunch but I'll be keeping an eye on it as time goes on. Just be sure to tighten slowly and don't over do it. Just a little snug
Have a look in the comments of the first video I did. Viewers mentioned who makes and installs the brass insert. I've only heard of it but haven't looked into it myself yet
Definitely a design problem. I guess that a sleeve for the female thread would need that to be reamed out before installation, as otherwise the sleeve wouldn't be wide enough for the male thread. You've done a nice job cleaning it up as it is. I tend to put a smidgen of silicone grease on all my pen threads.
DB: I wonder if there is a non-complicated chroming setup that would replace the plating you removed from the threads. Couldn't be any more complicated or different from your anodizing (?) technique on the titanium. Then the threads would be as good as new with the rounded ends. I have seen some videos on rechroming tiny parts for Matchbox restoration. Not sure if it would work for the pen.
I would end up doing more harm than good when it comes to putting the plating back on. The process is much much more involved to plate brass than titanium. The reason I do titanium is its just so quick and easy to do and involves zero harsh chemicals.
@@Doodlebud Gotcha. On another note. I need to see more writing with the Deep Blue Flex nib. Desperately want to buy one. But, I want to see Copperplate written with one. (they are frequently out of stock)
For anyone needing to do a similar operation, try with a simple rotary tool (like dremel or similar) at LOW rpm, whit an abrasive insert, like 473S or Rocaris Abrasive Buffing Polishing Wheel like 512s. will do great
What kind of phone do you use to record your videos? How do you get such clean zooms? Anytime I try to record a video and get up close to show something clearly it’s super fuzzy or blurry. I have an iPhone 14 max so there has to be a way to get close to something and have it be clear, these phones have good cameras in them
Your phone is way better than mine. I haves Samsung s20 fe. It's trash! Make sure you clean your camera lens really well, have sort good lighting and you should be good. The super zoom is done with the attachment
@@Doodlebud thanks for the tip! I’ll have to look into an attachment. I really would like to start making my own pen content! You and Inkquiring Minds are my favorite channels!
Definitely need to be gentle with tightening down the barrel. This is so smooth now when screwing on the body. Hoping I won't need the brass insert but time will tell.
"Why did the pilot put a plastic thread over a metal thread" well, why did other manufacturers make the same ''mistake'' as for example Parker with the new Parker 51 and there are many other manufacturers who make this ''mistake''.
@@EssenceofPureFlavor To emphasize the idea of a mistake, but actually I don't think it's a mistake at all if you understand what I mean. And the fact that producers keep making this mistake, so to speak, is not ok.
Imagine putting Doodlebud in a time machine and having him visit pen companies to show them potential design flaws. Doodlebud is the man!
That would be a very useful application of time travel. Perhaps even the MOST useful application 😁.
Hey DB. Boy, you really helped out that Ebay Seller's sales...lol..😂.
Hope he or she took care of you.
Didn't get any kick back or anything, but glad I helped out other users by getting some more listed quickly. Smoking deal on a great pen that can be hard to find
I have this exact problem with a one-off Franklin-Christoph Model 20 with a metal section and a plastic barrel. I've only tried to brush out the burrs with a little metal brush, which did exactly nothing. I'll give it a go with sandpaper under your tutelage.
Thanks again for your continued efforts to make me clean up my pen act.
Recording this took some time to get all the shots, angle, and especially the FOCUUUUUUUUUSS! 😡 But doing this without having to make a video is about a 5min little tweak that is very simple. The pen screws on so smoothly now and I'm almost thinking I won't have to deal with it the threads getting striped or the barrel cracking
Thank you Doodlebud for your amazing content , your channel will grow because you are doing something different , nobody has that kind of content . (Engineering I mean)
Thanks!
"I'm just going to put a little bit of tape on here..."
Absolutely MUMMIFIES the pen! 😂 (That's totally what I would do... you never can be too secure!)
Gotta keep it tidy. A little grain from the sandpaper can fall off and get rubbed on the pen and scratch it up. Wanna keep this one in good condition for sure. Absolutely love this one over the modern ones and they way it screws on and off now I'm not worried about it cracking. Although time will tell.....
Just got around to doing this to my vintage V.P. - what a difference! Thanks for documenting this!
Glad to hear it helped! Last thing you want to have happen is this beauty crack on you
Thank you so much, Doodlebud! I’m actually excited to do this, ever so carefully, when mine arrives. You are the best!
Wow! That was a good fix it video. Kudos. 👍
Glad you liked it!
Old video, and I'm new to fountain pens, but having dressed a lot of threads, especially in an application like this, an emery board, or any cheap nail file works perfectly for these tasks since it gives you the rigidity.
I've got one of these coming from the same seller you bought yours from. I messaged them on a whim and they had dozens more. Really excited. We'll see if I need to do the same procedure!
You'll most likely need to. Hope you enjoy the pen 👍
Doodle bud does it again! Making the hard videos others are scared to make!
Figured this would help a bunch of folks. I was going to do it anyways, so might as well record it
Oh man, I had to rush to see if my Décimo Champagne was plastic on metal. 😌Phew! Metal on metal! I don't use it much, because the cartridge evaporates too quickly 😢
Metal on plastic is ok, but extra attention to detail has to be done to ensure longevity
don’t see why anyone would get upset about you managing a design flaw:)(btw, much prefer the aesthetics of your vintage capless and love the look of majestic blue: I’ve had a 30ml bottle for ages but never inked up a pen with it:)
Pilot more than any other company seems to be about backwards compatibility... A few nib fittings aside. The whole reason the stopped making the slightly less worse con-50 converter in favor of the con-40 is so they had a converter that fit every cartridge/converter pen they ever made.
I'm not sure if the con-b is as well but as more people prefer the piston over the bladder the rest is history.
Also... To blow everyone's mind... The custom743 and custom 912 are the same size barrel/section and your can swap caps/sections between them to franken-pen them. I haven't tried nib/feed swapping yet but I have pens to clean and the 743/823 feed is longer but it might be the same diameter.
K... Gotta run. The pilot police are coming for me giving away trade secrets...
Question.. conservator's wax, what kind of materials could I use it on? Celluloid, resin, etc?
Same query over here! :)
I'm definitely not the guru when it comes to those types of questions but I have used it on the few celluloid pens I have and other pen materials as well. I learned about it by watching Grand Mia Pens on RUclips. He does an amazing job when it comes to restoring vintage pens. If I ever have questions, I check his vids for the answers. Give him a look
This is Türkiye my friend. I can't afford the pilot. I also buy moonman a1 and a2. I increase the pen nib range and make it write more wet. Thanks for information.
On the modern Pilot VP, both the barrel and the cap have metal threads. The threads of the barrel do not go all the way to the top, as you pointed out. However, the Decimo is different; although the threads are metal on both parts of the pen the threads on the barrel DO go all the way to the top. I prefer writing with the Decimo because it is less girthy than the VP and the clip is narrower, too.
BTW: I prefer the Pilot cartridges to the converters. When they are empty, I rinse them out and use a syringe to refill them. They hold as much or more ink as a converter, and to see how much ink you have left, all you have to do is remove the metal cartridge protector, invert the pen, and you can see how much ink remains.
Doodlebud , you-da-man.
🤓
I have a new nib unit in my vintage VP, and it works fine. You made me hunt for the original nib i swapped out; haven't found it yet. 😆 The threads don't seem as bity just from hand feel.
Wow. Majestic Blue. A reasonable (sort of) dupe for Parker Penman Sapphire. You seem to be expanding your ink likes. I've replaced the sac converters with newer con-40s (admittedly, not a great converter) on sever of my VPs.(my oldest one is 2003).
Just picked up 2 new blue Diamine inks yesterday and got 4 inks in to test and review for a video this weekend. They are from a brand nobody has heard of yet..... 😉
@@Doodlebud Backpack?
Howdy, I really enjoyed this video. I'm wondering if this defect might also be the cause of the plastic body portion to develop hairline cracks.
I've already followed your lead and immediately noticed an improvement.
Thanks for another great video.
Yeah it will probably cause the cracks too. The plastic isn't very tough in this body, there's no reinforcement ring, and the threads are eating the body alive. This should be a bunch but I'll be keeping an eye on it as time goes on. Just be sure to tighten slowly and don't over do it. Just a little snug
@@Doodlebud yup, would you mind sharing the source of the brass insert you were talking about?
BTW, what did you think of the black Sheaffer Balance ?
Have a look in the comments of the first video I did. Viewers mentioned who makes and installs the brass insert. I've only heard of it but haven't looked into it myself yet
Dewwww-dlebud!
I love my vintage vp but use and carry the modern or moonman versions way more bc I‘m afraid of the older one breaking
Definitely a design problem. I guess that a sleeve for the female thread would need that to be reamed out before installation, as otherwise the sleeve wouldn't be wide enough for the male thread. You've done a nice job cleaning it up as it is. I tend to put a smidgen of silicone grease on all my pen threads.
Much improved! Sorry to the purists, but pens are for writing with. If you don't, it's just a pretty stick.
DB: I wonder if there is a non-complicated chroming setup that would replace the plating you removed from the threads. Couldn't be any more complicated or different from your anodizing (?) technique on the titanium. Then the threads would be as good as new with the rounded ends. I have seen some videos on rechroming tiny parts for Matchbox restoration. Not sure if it would work for the pen.
I would end up doing more harm than good when it comes to putting the plating back on. The process is much much more involved to plate brass than titanium. The reason I do titanium is its just so quick and easy to do and involves zero harsh chemicals.
@@Doodlebud Gotcha. On another note. I need to see more writing with the Deep Blue Flex nib. Desperately want to buy one. But, I want to see Copperplate written with one. (they are frequently out of stock)
Is there somewhere where I can buy the brass insert so I don't have to sand it down? I searched but I couldn't find where to get one
There is someone around who does it but I can't remember who it is. I found people talk about it on a forum or something
Does the totally different not a copy at all Moonman/Majohn A2 also have this issue?
Havent gotten my hands on an A2 yet to have a look
You prefer Diamine Majestic Blue or Sargasso Sea?
Both are awesome inks. I would probably go for Sargasso Sea if I could only chose one
Nice, I’ll try that after finishing my Diamine Ancient Copper 👍
Helpful tip!!!
Kindly
Also make a video
How when what you write in a day
And what you write when you have nothing to write
I was planning on doing a video about writing so I can touch on that
@@Doodlebud great ❤️
For anyone needing to do a similar operation, try with a simple rotary tool (like dremel or similar) at LOW rpm, whit an abrasive insert, like 473S or Rocaris Abrasive Buffing Polishing Wheel like 512s. will do great
way purer to fix the threads before the thing needs a repair insert for sure!
Hopefully this will just prevent the issue from coming up in the first place
I guess this is now a Doodlebud Vanishing Point. Are the converters interchangeable between the pens aw well?
Yup, pilot does a great job of thinking about that. One benefit of having your own cartridge/converters sizing
@@Doodlebud Have you seen or heard of the Pilot Vortex? It might be up your alley.
What kind of phone do you use to record your videos? How do you get such clean zooms? Anytime I try to record a video and get up close to show something clearly it’s super fuzzy or blurry. I have an iPhone 14 max so there has to be a way to get close to something and have it be clear, these phones have good cameras in them
Your phone is way better than mine. I haves Samsung s20 fe. It's trash! Make sure you clean your camera lens really well, have sort good lighting and you should be good. The super zoom is done with the attachment
@@Doodlebud thanks for the tip! I’ll have to look into an attachment. I really would like to start making my own pen content! You and Inkquiring Minds are my favorite channels!
Fabulous fix fir acgreat pen!
Yes us purists are cursing you out. But with my experience with the faceted VP, opening and closing it tightly will cause it to crack
Definitely need to be gentle with tightening down the barrel. This is so smooth now when screwing on the body. Hoping I won't need the brass insert but time will tell.
the thumbnail says "desing flaw"!
that's what we call a spelling flaw. nobody but you noticed it.
Thanks for pointing that out! I do my thumbnails on my phone and by big thumbs create an abundance of typos
@@Doodlebud ahaha there goes the thumbs again! Most important thing is the videos are informative and a joy to watch!
Burrrr
"Why did the pilot put a plastic thread over a metal thread" well, why did other manufacturers make the same ''mistake'' as for example Parker with the new Parker 51 and there are many other manufacturers who make this ''mistake''.
Why do you put mistake in quotes, and why do other manufacturers doing it mean it's not a problem?
@@EssenceofPureFlavor To emphasize the idea of a mistake, but actually I don't think it's a mistake at all if you understand what I mean. And the fact that producers keep making this mistake, so to speak, is not ok.
Plastic threads on metal is ok when done correctly. This was not the case.
Is it thinner than the Fermo?
yes