Hi,

My grandmother recently gave me her old burgundy Sheaffer. I've cleaned up the dried ink and taken it apart, but I'm not sure what to do now. This is my only vintage pen (I'm pretty new to fountain pens in general, I have a small handful of mostly cheaper modern pens). I'm pretty sure that it is an Admiral, as seen here. Here's a picture of mine:

The nib is marked "Sheaffer's Feather Touch Made in USA 5 14k"
I imagine it needs a new sac (ya think?) but what other things would a touchdown require to return to working condition? Is it likely that I can do it myself? I've noticed some corrosion on the touchdown tube, which seems to make it quite stiff. I'm less concerned about the scratches and teeth marks, but it'd be nice to fix it up aesthetically as well as functionally.

Basically, I'm wondering if its realistic for me to attempt this myself, if so is there anything in particular I need to be aware of, and if not is it worth it to pay someone to repair it? I know the last question is pretty subjective. The pen doesn't have much in the way of sentimental value for me (I never knew my grandmother to use it) but I do think it would be "neat" to fix it up and I think she might like to see it working. Still, my main interest is how it will write when its restored. If anyone has had experience with this pen or nib I'd appreciate your thoughts on its writing qualities. If I can expect a fine writing pen maybe I'll just pay to have it done right. Or maybe I'll just experiment with fixing it myself...what to do

Sorry for bothering you all with my ignorance and indecision. If you have anything to say on the subject of fixing TDs, or Feather Touch nibs, I'd be grateful to hear it.

Thanks,
Kiolden

Hmm. At the very least you need to get the old sac out of the protector if it didn't come out intact. Likely stuck very badly, alas as that's a steel protector and not a chromed brass one (the sac sticks less to those).

You will also need to remove the touchdown tube (there is a screw in the back end that holds the blind cap on, use a long thing straight blade screwdriver to remove it). There is also an o-ring in the barrel just below the threads where the blind cap screws in that will need to be replaced (Pendemonium and Giovanni have them, amongst other sources). Grease lightly with pure silicone grease when installed.

The corrosion may be a problem, as it must be removed or it will ruin the new o-ring pretty fast. If it's not just crud stuck on, it will have to come off with some very fine abrasive, and that may ruin the chrome plating. Worst case you will need a replacement TD tube.

Peter

In case you haven't noticed, a giant monkey just jumped on your back.

Like Dante said: "All hope abandon ye who enter here...."

Or in more modern terms, as Queen sang; "Another one bites the dust..."

Do be careful inserting nib and feed into the section. The Sheaffer feeds tend to break rather easily.

Visit Richard Binder's site: http://www.richardspens.com/ and take a look in the Reference Info section at the anatomy of a fountain pen III - Sheaffer's Snorkel. This will give you the basics of the filling system - ignoring the snorkel parts of course.
Touchdown fillers are relatively simple to repair. You need a new sac and O-ring; see Tryphon at: http://www.tryphon.it/catalogo.htm You'll need the smaller O-ring.
As per Buzz's comment above, you might as well buy several O-rings and sacs, because once the repair bug bites, you're a goner.

While you're getting your O-rings and sacs, you might as well pick up a copy of Da Book, it's an invaluable tool for getting started in pen repair. Ignore the parts about open flame, nail polish, and rubber cement and you'll be fine.

You can remove the old O-ring with a sharp toothpick or a straight pin, being very careful not to damage the barrel plastic. If the sac is solidified in the tube - which it likely is - you can use a drill bit (I can't remember the size, but it's not hard to figure out) to cut the sac loose - no drill or at least I've never tried that.

Good luck and have fun.