After having my grandfather's Sheaffer pen for years (and I've been an enthusiast for 20 years!) I discovered that the nib is not bent/ruined. Sheaffer made it that way! I'ts a vacuum-filler. Now I want to restore it!! I'm currently soaking it, but here's my problem.
There is a metal piece that glues into the cap that the rest of the pen screws into when you close it. That metal piece has come loose. Can I simply glue it back in place? If so, should I use a certain kind of glue?
Full Version: Sheaffer trouble
Hi KDW,
Those Sheaffer vacuum-fillers are one of the more challenging repairs/restorations in pendom! I haven't done one yet, but I know that restoring the filling mechanism of the open-nibbed ones is easier than that of the Triumph-nibbed versions. I suspect your pen is the latter type, if you thought the nib was bent. Jim M. of Penhero.com has an article on them here (click link)....
Now, I have never tried to fix a cap before...Maybe I have been really lucky that my vintage pens didn't have cap issues...or maybe a slightly loose cap doesn't bother me (since I don't clip my pens to my blouses
) I looked in Frank Dubiel's guide to pen repair (referred to in pen circles as "Da Book") but couldn't find your answer re: the metal piece there, sorry.
As for what material to use to glue it back on, I would say CA (Crazy Glue ®) is probably OK in this case, based on some of the answers in this previous FPN thread on crack repair (which I know this isn't but it involves fusing metal to celluloid.. ) . You just have to make sure you are gluing it back into the correct place...and that you don't get the glue someplace where it should not be (incl. your fingers, of course!)
Those Sheaffer vacuum-fillers are one of the more challenging repairs/restorations in pendom! I haven't done one yet, but I know that restoring the filling mechanism of the open-nibbed ones is easier than that of the Triumph-nibbed versions. I suspect your pen is the latter type, if you thought the nib was bent. Jim M. of Penhero.com has an article on them here (click link)....
Now, I have never tried to fix a cap before...Maybe I have been really lucky that my vintage pens didn't have cap issues...or maybe a slightly loose cap doesn't bother me (since I don't clip my pens to my blouses
) I looked in Frank Dubiel's guide to pen repair (referred to in pen circles as "Da Book") but couldn't find your answer re: the metal piece there, sorry. As for what material to use to glue it back on, I would say CA (Crazy Glue ®) is probably OK in this case, based on some of the answers in this previous FPN thread on crack repair (which I know this isn't but it involves fusing metal to celluloid.. ) . You just have to make sure you are gluing it back into the correct place...and that you don't get the glue someplace where it should not be (incl. your fingers, of course!)
Trying to get the pen open the first time was a challenge because some of the parts were partly unscrewed, so just trying to take the cap off resulted in kind of pulling it apart. I have it reassembled now, and it looks perfect, although I cannot overtighten. Even the piece I was asking about glueing is set in place (from the tight fit and glue residue). The vac-filler seems to function well, although I haven't loaded any ink yet. I may do that today. I am rather excited and embarrassed. This was my grandfather's pen, as I said, and I was so rather disappointed in the past that it seemed to be damaged. Now that I know its condition, and that the nib is a triumph, I'm thrilled! I'm embarrassed that it took me so long to research it, and to find that I have a keepsake that I'm so excited about. I pull the plunger and then push it back out, then I smell the nib. I can smell the ink that was my grandfather's. This is really fun. You know what's odd? I remember that smell from my childhood. It smells like being in his store. I have searched diligently online to find another that looks just like it so I can better identify it, but none I've seen are quite the same. It's very close to the pictures I've seen of the pens from the '40s.
Yay, I just read the article Maja sent me to, and in the middle of the article is a picture ('cept color) of my pen. There, it is called a Red Stripe c1945 Sheaffer Valiant Vacuum Fill. Mine is identicle except it's black. Now I'm going to see if there's any chance of it filling with ink . . .
Yay, I just read the article Maja sent me to, and in the middle of the article is a picture ('cept color) of my pen. There, it is called a Red Stripe c1945 Sheaffer Valiant Vacuum Fill. Mine is identicle except it's black. Now I'm going to see if there's any chance of it filling with ink . . .
Hi KDW,
So did it fill properly? There were instructions in Jim's article about how to fill it, but it's not what one would expect, as the pens fill on the downstroke....If if doesn't fill properly, I would recommend a professional repairperson (as it is has a lot sentimental value) rather than trying to fix it yourself. The filling mechanism on your pen is a toughie to fix! Send me a PM (personal message) and I can give you a couple of names...
As for the smell, yes! That camphory smell of vintage celluloid pens....
I think I read somewhere that smells evoke old memories better than any of the other senses. Not sure if that is true, but I know certain plastics remind me of when I was a little girl playing with my Barbie dolls!
So did it fill properly? There were instructions in Jim's article about how to fill it, but it's not what one would expect, as the pens fill on the downstroke....If if doesn't fill properly, I would recommend a professional repairperson (as it is has a lot sentimental value) rather than trying to fix it yourself. The filling mechanism on your pen is a toughie to fix! Send me a PM (personal message) and I can give you a couple of names...
As for the smell, yes! That camphory smell of vintage celluloid pens....
I think I read somewhere that smells evoke old memories better than any of the other senses. Not sure if that is true, but I know certain plastics remind me of when I was a little girl playing with my Barbie dolls!
No, it didn't fill. After reading the article and understanding the mechanism, I can see that the rubber seal in the plunger isn't sealing. You can see a portion of it flapping. It is a bit disappointing, but I am still very pleased with the pen. I will probably get it repaired one day, but if it is very expensive, as some have said, I may wait awhile.
The metal on the pen looks tarnished (I'm assuming it's brass?). Will ordinary brass tarnish remover be safe to use on the pen?
The metal on the pen looks tarnished (I'm assuming it's brass?). Will ordinary brass tarnish remover be safe to use on the pen?
Hi KDW,
Replacing the rubber seal is something you can do yourself, and the seals aren't very expensive. However, I am not a Snorkel or Touchdown expert, so someone else will have to chip in here to explain.
Brass tarnish remover is meant to remove tarnish on brass, so you can't use that on your pen, as brassing, i.e., loss of plating over a brass substrate, is the tarnish here. You don't want it emphasized, which is what brass tarnish remover will do. The fix for this situation is either replace the tarnished part, or replating. You can have it replated, but it is often only worth doing on special pens.
HTH, warm regards, Wim
Replacing the rubber seal is something you can do yourself, and the seals aren't very expensive. However, I am not a Snorkel or Touchdown expert, so someone else will have to chip in here to explain.
Brass tarnish remover is meant to remove tarnish on brass, so you can't use that on your pen, as brassing, i.e., loss of plating over a brass substrate, is the tarnish here. You don't want it emphasized, which is what brass tarnish remover will do. The fix for this situation is either replace the tarnished part, or replating. You can have it replated, but it is often only worth doing on special pens.
HTH, warm regards, Wim
QUOTE (KDW @ Oct 16 2005, 08:33 PM)
I will probably get it repaired one day, but if it is very expensive, as some have said, I may wait awhile.
The metal on the pen looks tarnished (I'm assuming it's brass?). Will ordinary brass tarnish remover be safe to use on the pen?
The metal on the pen looks tarnished (I'm assuming it's brass?). Will ordinary brass tarnish remover be safe to use on the pen?
Hi KDW
The repair of Sheaffer Vac-fil pens is specialised, but not especially expensive. You need to send it to the people who know how to do it, and there is some debate amongst competent pen repairers about the right way. I send mine, these days, to Richard Binder, who farms them out to an expert who prefers to remain anonymous. For a complete overhaul, you might expect US$30-50, which would be worth it, in my book, because they're good pens, quite apart from the personal meaning to you.
The brightwork on the pen is gold fill (that is, a relatively substantial layer of gold fused to the underlying base metal -- more gold than gold plate). It's probably mostly just a bit grubby. You could try with a cloth -- maybe a micro-fibre cleaning cloth with a little moisture. If that doesn't work, a silver polishing cloth is the most abrasion you want to use. Too much scratching, and you get through the gold layer to the brass underneath.
Enjoy
Michael
Hi KDW. Your excitement at having and working on your grandfather's pen took me right back to when I was given my Great Grandfather's Eclipse. Not a first tier pen, but that doesn't really matter when thinking of a pen going back so far along the family line. I too was ecstatic.
I would join Maja in suggesting you consider having a repairman restore the pen for you, as that particular filling system has a couple of difficult aspects. The most perplexing for the amateur is getting the plunger out to work on the seal. You must remove the blind cap from the far end of the rod, and push the plunger rod through the pen and out the section side. The other problem is replacement of the packing unit.
Although you have seen the seal flap (I assume you mean that it appears to move from side to side without making firm contact with the barrel wall) that alone doesn't mean that the seal is bad. If this is at the end of the rod travel (rod depressed to closed position - this is by design. The vacuum created by the downward travel of the piston is released at the end of travel, allowing the ink to flow up the barrel as a result of atmospheric air pressure pushing the ink into the partial vacuum in the barrel. There are two other possibilities that can be added to the list - one - the barrel may respond to a little application of silicon grease inside to help with the seal between the washer and the barrel. If that douesn't help, the most likely culprit is the packing unit at the top of the pen, which has to seal tightly against the rod with the plunger assembly up and down the barrel. This packing is difficult to remove, no new ones are easily available although there are several ways of adding seals and o-rings to augment the sealing action (at the cost of reduced ink capacity). I think there are a few articles describing the repair that I could locate if you want more information, but it is somewhat of a more advanced procedure for a beginner.
If you do add the silicon grease to the inside of the barrel, and lube the plunger rod with silicon grease, try pumping the rod with your finger firmly against the open end of the barrel. There should be a noticeable vacuum against your finger - some pens have enough vacuum to allow you to suspend the pen there with vacuum pressure alone (OK - a technical oxymoron, but you get the idea...). If that works, and the pen doesn't fill, you have a vacuum leak elsewhere, likely at the threaded portion where the section and nib screw into the barrel. If using silicon grease on the threads doesn't solve that problem, then the pen must be completely dismantled, and the piston washer and packing unit serviced.
Hope that helps. Of course, if anyone reading this notes anything I've said that needs correcting or further explanation, please don't hesitate to add it.
Best regards, and good luck.
Gerry
I would join Maja in suggesting you consider having a repairman restore the pen for you, as that particular filling system has a couple of difficult aspects. The most perplexing for the amateur is getting the plunger out to work on the seal. You must remove the blind cap from the far end of the rod, and push the plunger rod through the pen and out the section side. The other problem is replacement of the packing unit.
Although you have seen the seal flap (I assume you mean that it appears to move from side to side without making firm contact with the barrel wall) that alone doesn't mean that the seal is bad. If this is at the end of the rod travel (rod depressed to closed position - this is by design. The vacuum created by the downward travel of the piston is released at the end of travel, allowing the ink to flow up the barrel as a result of atmospheric air pressure pushing the ink into the partial vacuum in the barrel. There are two other possibilities that can be added to the list - one - the barrel may respond to a little application of silicon grease inside to help with the seal between the washer and the barrel. If that douesn't help, the most likely culprit is the packing unit at the top of the pen, which has to seal tightly against the rod with the plunger assembly up and down the barrel. This packing is difficult to remove, no new ones are easily available although there are several ways of adding seals and o-rings to augment the sealing action (at the cost of reduced ink capacity). I think there are a few articles describing the repair that I could locate if you want more information, but it is somewhat of a more advanced procedure for a beginner.
If you do add the silicon grease to the inside of the barrel, and lube the plunger rod with silicon grease, try pumping the rod with your finger firmly against the open end of the barrel. There should be a noticeable vacuum against your finger - some pens have enough vacuum to allow you to suspend the pen there with vacuum pressure alone (OK - a technical oxymoron, but you get the idea...). If that works, and the pen doesn't fill, you have a vacuum leak elsewhere, likely at the threaded portion where the section and nib screw into the barrel. If using silicon grease on the threads doesn't solve that problem, then the pen must be completely dismantled, and the piston washer and packing unit serviced.
Hope that helps. Of course, if anyone reading this notes anything I've said that needs correcting or further explanation, please don't hesitate to add it.
Best regards, and good luck.
Gerry
As Gerry says, it's not a job for beginners....and the fact that not all pros do this type of repair (or do it "properly", which is to replace the packing unit) tells you how challenging it is... If only it were a Snorkel or Touchdown-filler, Wim!
If your pen's filling mechanism does indeed need repair, personally, I would send it off to a pro rather than trying to do it myself. If it were a parts pen with a broken barrel, a rotten nib, etc. sure, I would try experimenting on it myself, but since it was your Grandfather's pen, why take a chance? It may cost $30-$50, but the pen was free and by sending it to Richard Binder (or Nathan Tardif, but he's very busy with his Noodler's Ink line) you know it will be done properly. There are good repair folks who repair the vac-fillers with plugs and the pens work as they should, but the ink capacity will be diminished and the plug will eventually fail. Worst case scenario is a deformation of the barrel walls by an improperly-sized plug. Of course, a person can try fixing the pens themselves by using a replacement for the Sheaffer packing unit, as David Nishimura explains here...but I don't know how easy it would be to do. I find that just removing the section or nib, to get into the barrel is hard with the Triumph-nibbed vac-fillers....
If your pen's filling mechanism does indeed need repair, personally, I would send it off to a pro rather than trying to do it myself. If it were a parts pen with a broken barrel, a rotten nib, etc. sure, I would try experimenting on it myself, but since it was your Grandfather's pen, why take a chance? It may cost $30-$50, but the pen was free and by sending it to Richard Binder (or Nathan Tardif, but he's very busy with his Noodler's Ink line) you know it will be done properly. There are good repair folks who repair the vac-fillers with plugs and the pens work as they should, but the ink capacity will be diminished and the plug will eventually fail. Worst case scenario is a deformation of the barrel walls by an improperly-sized plug. Of course, a person can try fixing the pens themselves by using a replacement for the Sheaffer packing unit, as David Nishimura explains here...but I don't know how easy it would be to do. I find that just removing the section or nib, to get into the barrel is hard with the Triumph-nibbed vac-fillers....
Hi KDW,
I would contact pens@aol.com for a profesional reparation. Reparation cost -including some new parts - is $ 35.00.
Being a dedicated Sheaffer collector - and living in Belgium - I aim to do the repairwork myself.
According to my humble experiences the rubber piston seal washer is the most wear sensible element in piston fillers.
I lately repaired 8 piston fillers and there were unfortunately 6 on which I could not remove the nib & feed assembly.This is the major problem. Although I immersed them in hot water they would not become loose- even turning clockwise - as it needs to be done .
These pens were not the version in which the piston fits directly in the barrel, so the alternative was to cut-off- gently the piston rod sealing cartridge. I found 7 of the rod cartridges still sealing perfectly, while 5 of piston seals were completely worn.
I decided to try mounting the cartridges inversely in the ink barrel, so I measured the inside diameter of the ink barrel & turned-off the cartridge1.5 mm ( 0.06")far on a diameter being 0.1 mm ( 0.0015 Inch) larger as the ink barrel obtaining a "snug-fit" in the barrel
I also made me a punching tool to cut the piston seals from 1 mm thick neoprene rubber, the barrel bore being 7,0 mm(0.275 Inch), this seal was cut on a 7.3 mm (0.287 Inch) diameter.
After installing the new piston seal I pressed-in the cartridge. Initially I coated the fitting surface with some nail varnish, but the last two I only counted on the sealing effect of the snug-fit.
All seven pens I could repair are now fully functional, although I most admit that the filling chambers are only filled for 60%.
Is this acceptable according other penfreak's experiences ? Could it be caused by the piston seal which is not of the right thickness or diameter?
Thanks in advance to all who can give me any advice !
Best regards, Francis
I would contact pens@aol.com for a profesional reparation. Reparation cost -including some new parts - is $ 35.00.
Being a dedicated Sheaffer collector - and living in Belgium - I aim to do the repairwork myself.
According to my humble experiences the rubber piston seal washer is the most wear sensible element in piston fillers.
I lately repaired 8 piston fillers and there were unfortunately 6 on which I could not remove the nib & feed assembly.This is the major problem. Although I immersed them in hot water they would not become loose- even turning clockwise - as it needs to be done .
These pens were not the version in which the piston fits directly in the barrel, so the alternative was to cut-off- gently the piston rod sealing cartridge. I found 7 of the rod cartridges still sealing perfectly, while 5 of piston seals were completely worn.
I decided to try mounting the cartridges inversely in the ink barrel, so I measured the inside diameter of the ink barrel & turned-off the cartridge1.5 mm ( 0.06")far on a diameter being 0.1 mm ( 0.0015 Inch) larger as the ink barrel obtaining a "snug-fit" in the barrel
I also made me a punching tool to cut the piston seals from 1 mm thick neoprene rubber, the barrel bore being 7,0 mm(0.275 Inch), this seal was cut on a 7.3 mm (0.287 Inch) diameter.
After installing the new piston seal I pressed-in the cartridge. Initially I coated the fitting surface with some nail varnish, but the last two I only counted on the sealing effect of the snug-fit.
All seven pens I could repair are now fully functional, although I most admit that the filling chambers are only filled for 60%.
Is this acceptable according other penfreak's experiences ? Could it be caused by the piston seal which is not of the right thickness or diameter?
Thanks in advance to all who can give me any advice !
Best regards, Francis
I have a Sheaffer vac-fil Triumph desk pen I found in an antique store; it's really quite beautiful. I don't know whether its packing is bad or whether I just don't know how to fill it, as I haven't tried multistroking it with the nib submerged in water. I seem to recall sometimes getting some suction last time I worked with it, so maybe it just is dry.
Anyhow, I'd suggest sending your pen to Richard Binder and his subcontractor; while I haven't done that yet, I am intending to do so eventually, based on the good experiences others have had.
Anyhow, I'd suggest sending your pen to Richard Binder and his subcontractor; while I haven't done that yet, I am intending to do so eventually, based on the good experiences others have had.
Definitely send that pen to an expert repairman (or repairwoman which we do have on this list) if you plan of restoring it. Sheaffer made two versions of its vac-filler. The first used the inside of the barrel as the ink chamber. These aren't too difficult to repair if you have the right tools, seals, lots of patience, etc. Once the section and blind cap are removed, the plunger can be removed from the mouth of the barrel, the packing unit drilled and replaced, the front gasket replaced, and the whole pen lubed and reassembled. Alternatively, you can turn these pens into eye-dropper fillers. Detailed instructions are available on this list, but basically you remove the section, removed the front gasket, and seal (temporarily and I emphasize temporarily) the blind cap area. I use silicone grease for this, and I have never had a leak. However, there is always a risk that without some adhesive, the blind cap could come loose in your pocket/purse/murse/etc. with inky results. I use the silicone grease because I haven't had a bad experience with it yet, and I also use it on the section threads as a sealant after I fill the pen with ink.
The other version of the vac-filler appears on several of the models of the pen you have. This B version has almost a sealed vac-filler unit. The section and ink chamber are one piece. To remove the plunger, you must remove the nib and feed, IIRC. These are a royal PIA for me. Anyway, I have experimented with cutting off the ink chamber just distal to the barrel threads and installing an aerometric filler sealed with silicone caulk or epoxy. I had to cut off about 2-3 mm from the end of the filler unit for it to fit into the barrel, but this small part doesn't serve any function I can identify. This repair is quick and easy, but it does significantly reduce the available space for ink. Also, I don't advocate this for anything but user grade pens or less because it involves a permanent, non-reversible modification of the pen.
custar
The other version of the vac-filler appears on several of the models of the pen you have. This B version has almost a sealed vac-filler unit. The section and ink chamber are one piece. To remove the plunger, you must remove the nib and feed, IIRC. These are a royal PIA for me. Anyway, I have experimented with cutting off the ink chamber just distal to the barrel threads and installing an aerometric filler sealed with silicone caulk or epoxy. I had to cut off about 2-3 mm from the end of the filler unit for it to fit into the barrel, but this small part doesn't serve any function I can identify. This repair is quick and easy, but it does significantly reduce the available space for ink. Also, I don't advocate this for anything but user grade pens or less because it involves a permanent, non-reversible modification of the pen.
custar
Do I understand correctly from fountainbel's post that these pens have left hand threads? You must turn the feed section clockwise to unscrew it from the pen body? If that is correct it may explain why I can't get my pen apart.
QUOTE (Mac In Oak Ridge @ Nov 9 2005, 04:44 PM)
Do I understand correctly from fountainbel's post that these pens have left hand threads? You must turn the feed section clockwise to unscrew it from the pen body? If that is correct it may explain why I can't get my pen apart.
Hi Mac,
Please see my correction in the "Repair O&A" forum under" Sheaffer vacuum filler repair"
Sorry for the confusion I caused !
Rgds, francis
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