Drilling an empress fountain pen

[johnny5]

Rooting through the man cave I found a couple of Empress Fountain pens, If I remember righly normal size cartridges don't fit
Has anyone drilled down the neck of an Empress fountain pen so that normal size ink cartridges will fit.
Any problems I should be looking out for and if someone has what size drill bit did you use.

john

 

[paulm]

I have drilled out one and f'cked it up once. I've got some refillable bits (whatever you call them) that will fit. PM me your address and I'll send a couple.

I can't remember what drill size but if you look on axminster web site you'll see that Neil has but a note under the pen with the right size.

 

[Buckeye]

I had the same idea and measured up internal and external diameters, there is a gnat's hair that can come off, but I can't remember the drill size so will have to measure again. It will have to be held and drilled absolutely on centre and only enough taken off so that it doesn't deform when pressed into the tube.

The Timberbits carts fit without a problem.

Peter

 

[johnny5]

I had the same idea and measured up internal and external diameters, there is a gnat's hair that can come off, but I can't remember the drill size so will have to measure again. It will have to be held and drilled absolutely on centre and only enough taken off so that it doesn't deform when pressed into the tube.

The Timberbits carts fit without a problem.

Peter

Tried the TB Sedona ink refills and they do not fit.
Does anyone know What the size required are called so I can order some ?

 

[Neil]

There are about nineteen manufacturers of the small cartridge available in this country from Diamine, Caran Dache, Pellikan, and many others. From memory, when I made some of these pens several years ago, some fit, I had to go to a cartirdge supplier and work out which. I think it was Diamine that did fit but dont take it for granted.

 

[Buckeye]

Tried the TB Sedona ink refills and they do not fit.
Does anyone know What the size required are called so I can order some ?

I think it was the Jr. Gent refills that I tried, but I would have thought sedona and baron2 were the same refill, I will have another little test of them.

Peter

 

[johnny5]

I have been informed that parker quink refills fit these pens
I have just ordered Parker Quink ink cartridges from Staples .
On offer at the moment online £2.09 for a pack of 5
Thanks
John

 

[silver]

I understood that the Waterman short cartridges fitted the empress..

 

[Neil]

I have been informed that parker quink refills fit these pens
I have just ordered Parker Quink ink cartridges from Staples .
On offer at the moment online £2.09 for a pack of 5
Thanks
John

If the parker cartridges fit I will be very surprised. The standard cartridge that is used by the majority (all??) of the pen kits is done with purpose as the Parker cartridges were made exclusively for the Parker Pens. This was because Parker identified the route to financial success was through the supply of consummables rather than the hardware. The aperture on the cartridges were made about 0.2mm larger (i think) than the standard shorts. I spoke at some length to the technical officer for the WES (Writing Equipment Society - yes there really is such a society and a technical post. Gawd help us!!). The problem occurs in that there is a standard for the aperture size, hence the standard cartridge, the Parker is a deviant thereof, but there is no required standard for the width, length, or thickness of the cartridge container and many cheap chinese cartridges use a cheap plastic that is quite thick, hence the problem. The higher quality cartridges are slightly thinner due to using better quality plastic. The WES recommend the Diamine (as if I cared!) but I havent a scooby why.

 

[Grump]

A lot of fuss over something that belongs in the bin init?

 

[johnny5]

If the parker cartridges fit I will be very surprised. The standard cartridge that is used by the majority (all??) of the pen kits is done with purpose as the Parker cartridges were made exclusively for the Parker Pens. This was because Parker identified the route to financial success was through the supply of consummables rather than the hardware. The aperture on the cartridges were made about 0.2mm larger (i think) than the standard shorts. I spoke at some length to the technical officer for the WES (Writing Equipment Society - yes there really is such a society and a technical post. Gawd help us!!). The problem occurs in that there is a standard for the aperture size, hence the standard cartridge, the Parker is a deviant thereof, but there is no required standard for the width, length, or thickness of the cartridge container and many cheap chinese cartridges use a cheap plastic that is quite thick, hence the problem. The higher quality cartridges are slightly thinner due to using better quality plastic. The WES recommend the Diamine (as if I cared!) but I havent a scooby why.

Just ordered some parker cartridges , will let you know when they arrive.

 

[johnny5]

Just ordered some parker cartridges , will let you know when they arrive.

Parker Quink cartridges do not fit,
Returned them and now have Waterman Long standard and short standard cartridges and both of them fit.
Sorted.
All I wanted to know was , what cartridges should I buy !!!!!!!!!!