Sheaffer Targa Cartridge Help

[mrpasta]

Hi

 

 

Hope someone can help a newbie on this forum.

 

 

I've inherited a lovely fountain pen from my father which, after a little research, I deduce to be a Sheaffer Targa. (I've attached a picture in case I'm mistaken).

 

 

I popped a regular sheaffer cartridge in and all was fine until I needed to replace the ink. On unscrewing the pen I found the cartridge stuck in the barrell. I managed to remove it with a paper clip but the same happened with the next cartridge.

 

 

Am I using the wrong cartridge? It seems for fit the "nib end" fine and writes perfectly but appears to be too big for the barrell. I've added some pictures below so hopefully you can see what I mean?

 

thanks for any help

 

Richie

 

 

 

 

 

[Charles Rice]

Right cartridge, but something is in the barrel that makes it stick. Good chance it's a lot of dried up ink. Give the barrel a good soak.

[barleycorn]

Hello Richie:

Welcome to FPN! What you have is a classic size Targa pen ,likely in the chrome finish. It is compatible with standard Sheaffer cartridges and either the newer piston convertor or the original squeeze type convertor. There is a slim size pen that uses different cartridges but that is not what you have. The cartridges will fit snugly but should be removable more easily than you describe. Be careful to insert the cartridge the correct side up, especially the newer ones, to avoid any damage. If you use either convertor then you can refill the pen without changing cartridges every time. A new convertor should be easy to find at a stationer that sells Sheaffer pens. The Sheaffer bottled ink is a reliable product that should cost about 5 pounds per bottle.

[mrpasta]

Thanks for your help.

 

I've had a poke around in the barrell and there doesn't seem to be any obstruction there. I'll try and give it a soak too.

 

Looking at converters, can I double check that this is the thing I'm after? https://www.sheaffer.com/en/refills/sheaffer-piston-converter It says compatible with most current Sheaffer fountain pens. Will it fit mine?

 

thanks again

 

Richie

[Charles Rice]

Yes, that converter will work just fine

 

The only c/c Sheaffer I have that it does not fit is a Connoisseur. And of course it will not fit the slim Targas.

Edited December 2, 2014 by Charles Rice

[Charles Rice]

Added note:

 

If you drop a cartridge into the barrel, if should end up flush with the end of the barrel. There is a stop which controls that. It could be that the stop is damaged and putting the cartridge in the barrel first and then screwing down the nib section on it jams the cartridge on to the stop. So, first drop a cartridge in the barrel and see if it does indeed drop in flush without any pressure and then falls out by its own weight. If the stop is damaged (and I've never heard of that) perhaps pushing the cartridge on to the nib section first might solve your problem.

Edited December 2, 2014 by Charles Rice

[Ron Z]

Don't give it a good soak. Soaking is not always the right thing to do, especially with barrels. Nibs yes, barrels no.

 

Far better to mix some Dawn dish detergent with water and then clean using a test tube brush. Rinse and dry out with a rolled up paper towel or blow it out compressed air (hold on tight).

 

It could be that the piercing tube itself has shifted down into the barrel, so the cartridge is not getting something to grip onto. It happens on Targa writing units on occasion because they were simply pressed, not glued, into place.

 

Look down into the section from the back. You should see a metal tube sticking up with the black insert of the feed in the middle. If the tube does not come up all of the way to the end of or slightly past the end of the insert, it's shifted down into the writing unit. The writing unit/nib assembly needs to be taken apart to get to the inside end of the plug, and the piercing tube set in its proper position and glued in place. If not glued, it will shift again. The adhesive should be applied to the tube before it is pressed home. Allow the adhesive to cure fully. The nib and feed should be cleaned and the 0-ring replaced before reassembly.

[mrpasta]

Thanks for your continued suggestions.

 

I've tried just dropping the cartridge in the barrell and indeed it doesn't fall flush with the barrell opening, so it looks like there is something that getting in the way somewhere - I try as Ron Z suggests and get in there with a tube brush. Unfortunately fitting the cartridge to the nib section first didn't help either.

 

cheers

 

Richie

 

 

[Ron Z]

Have you tried looking down the barrel with a small flashlight?? Do you see anything there? The fountain pen barrel tapers slightly, and there may be some ridges to hold the cardridge centered, but there shouldn't be any obstructions. RB barrels will have a spring in the end which may or may not contact the end of the cartridge.

 

Which leads to a thought. If the cartridges are current production, so with an indentation in one end, and there is still a spring in the barrel, the spring could get caught in the end and snag it so that it gets stuck. This may not happen with an early cartridge that's flat on both ends and even with the squeeze converter. So if someone took a RB barrel and stuck a nib in it without removing the spring, which is commonly done, they might not have a problem until they tried current production cartridges.

 

When you run into a weird problem, look for weird and out of the ordinary causes.

[Charles Rice]

I'd do a little probing with an un-bent paper clip. Spring in a Targa FP??? Yup, the only way a spring would be there is if it was originally a barrel for something else. There should not be one! (at least none of mine ever had one) If a spring is there, remove it.

 

On the other hand, as you inherited the pen from your father, the spring idea seems not totally likely. (but certainly possible)

 

Hmm, Ron Z recommends no soaking. I've soaked all of mine lots of times over the last 30+ years with no ill effects.

Edited December 3, 2014 by Charles Rice

[Ron Z]

 

 

I've soaked all of mine lots of times over the last 30+ years with no ill effects.

 

Yet.

[Ernst Bitterman]

Hmm, Ron Z recommends no soaking. I've soaked all of mine lots of times over the last 30+ years with no ill effects.

 

 

 

Yet.

 

{SFX: Ominous rumble of distant thunder}

[Charles Rice]

 

Yet.

OK, so what's gonna happen? Note: when I soak 'em, I stand 'em upright and fill the barrels with water using a syringe. I don't immerse the whole barrel in water. You'd think that 30+ years of soaking would have caused a problem by now.

[mrpasta]

I've poked with an unbent paper clip and again there's nothing obvious in the way. When I get home I'll try looking in with some sort of flashlight.

 

One theory I had was that the barrel may have become slightly bent. Perhaps sitting down with the pen in your trouser pocket or something might have caused it to bend slightly. But rolling it across the desk, it appears pretty straight.

 

To clarify an earlier point, the cartridge I'm using does appear to be one of the newer ones as described. it has a white "plug" in the end opposite to where the ink comes out with an indentation.

 

I've ordered a converter so when it arrives I'll see if that get's stuck too!

 

thanks

 

Richie

Edited December 3, 2014 by mrpasta

[mrpasta]

So I don't know if you can see from the attached picture but looking down inside the barrel there appears to be 4 evenly spaced "ridges" running down the barrel. They start from about 1 inch inside the opening. No sign of any spring.

 

The second picture shows where I estimate the ridges start (indicated by the pointed paperclip) in relation to where the cartridge sits. I'm guessing this could be my problem

 

 

 

 

the mystery deepens.

 

Richie

 

 

[bsenn]

So wait, I am confused: is an as-produced paperclip bent or unbent?

 

Which brings me to one of my favorite anecdotes (supposedly true). Einstein and his assistant finish writing a paper. Looking for a paperclip for the paper, they find one which is deformed (bent?). They look around for something to shape it back into paperclip-shape, eventually finding a box of paperclips. Einstein takes one of the brand new paperclips and starts to fashion it into a tool to use to straighten the deformed one. His assistant asks him what he is doing, and the absurdity dawns on him. That's single-minded focus...

 

Regarding the pen, I have nothing of value to add to the conversation. Carry on.

 

Brian

[greensparcs]

I have a suggestion but you won't like it. Find a drill bit and waller her out a lil bit, if you never plan on reselling it that is

[Charles Rice]

I never noticed it before, but all my Targas have the same ridges, and they were all purchased new as fountain pens. It is possible that your barrel is defective and that the ridges are too high.

[Flounder]

Hi all. When I still had Targas, I specifically remember a new Slovakian cartridge that was slightly too tall. Screwing on the barrel to its stop was way too stiff, and it was the cart that was amiss. The couple of empties I had lying around were fine. Sanding down the closed end of the cartridge solved the problem.

[lisadan]

I can't add much to the cartridge issue. Never had this problem with my Targas. The Targa is one of my favorite fountain pens and I have a few of them. I like the simple but elegant shape and very nice nibs (and looks good too). Your model seems to be the 1000 Classic stainless steel model. Looks like M nib.