I got a Sheaffer's PFM II today at an antique mall, and the snorkel is not rotated correctly in relation to the rest of the nib. It is off by about 10 degrees. how could I rotate it so that it lines up correctly?
-Robert
Full Version: Rotated Snorkel on a PFM II
Apply gentle heat (portable hair drier EG) to the threaded collar and section (barrel off) and with the snorkel tube in the pen rotate the section until alignment is dead on.
I recommend that you avoid using regular pliers to grip a snorkel tube to turn it, because they are likely to crush or crimp the snorkel tube (I see a lot like this!)
Sheaffer used a Bernards jaw (parallel jaw) plier with a groove cut lengthwise down the middle of the jaws of the pliers to adjust the snorkel tubes. I have one that came out of their repair center when it closed this past spring. It very effectively grips the tube without damaging it, because the pressure is distributed along the length of the tube. This allows you to rotate the snorkel tube into the proper position.
Many of the Bernards jaw pliers have a similar cut down the middle, and should work as well as the ones that Sheaffer used.
Just as a side note. It has been suggested that the snorkel tubes were shellaced into position by the factory, and this is often done when the snorkel tubes are a bit lose (which is OK). Not so MacGee.
I have a supply of NOS sac plugs for snorkels. The hole in the plug provides a very tight fit around the snorkel tube. Heat is needed to press the tube into the plug, and the fit is snug indeed!
Sheaffer used a Bernards jaw (parallel jaw) plier with a groove cut lengthwise down the middle of the jaws of the pliers to adjust the snorkel tubes. I have one that came out of their repair center when it closed this past spring. It very effectively grips the tube without damaging it, because the pressure is distributed along the length of the tube. This allows you to rotate the snorkel tube into the proper position.
Many of the Bernards jaw pliers have a similar cut down the middle, and should work as well as the ones that Sheaffer used.
Just as a side note. It has been suggested that the snorkel tubes were shellaced into position by the factory, and this is often done when the snorkel tubes are a bit lose (which is OK). Not so MacGee.
I have a supply of NOS sac plugs for snorkels. The hole in the plug provides a very tight fit around the snorkel tube. Heat is needed to press the tube into the plug, and the fit is snug indeed!
Other than for aesthetics, is there any reason to rotate/align the tube?
Thanks, greg
Thanks, greg
QUOTE (Ron Z @ Aug 3 2008, 04:19 AM) 
I recommend that you avoid using regular pliers to grip a snorkel tube to turn it, because they are likely to crush or crimp the snorkel tube (I see a lot like this!)
Sheaffer used a Bernards jaw (parallel jaw) plier with a groove cut lengthwise down the middle of the jaws of the pliers to adjust the snorkel tubes. I have one that came out of their repair center when it closed this past spring. It very effectively grips the tube without damaging it, because the pressure is distributed along the length of the tube. This allows you to rotate the snorkel tube into the proper position.
Many of the Bernards jaw pliers have a similar cut down the middle, and should work as well as the ones that Sheaffer used.
Just as a side note. It has been suggested that the snorkel tubes were shellaced into position by the factory, and this is often done when the snorkel tubes are a bit lose (which is OK). Not so MacGee.
I have a supply of NOS sac plugs for snorkels. The hole in the plug provides a very tight fit around the snorkel tube. Heat is needed to press the tube into the plug, and the fit is snug indeed!
Sheaffer used a Bernards jaw (parallel jaw) plier with a groove cut lengthwise down the middle of the jaws of the pliers to adjust the snorkel tubes. I have one that came out of their repair center when it closed this past spring. It very effectively grips the tube without damaging it, because the pressure is distributed along the length of the tube. This allows you to rotate the snorkel tube into the proper position.
Many of the Bernards jaw pliers have a similar cut down the middle, and should work as well as the ones that Sheaffer used.
Just as a side note. It has been suggested that the snorkel tubes were shellaced into position by the factory, and this is often done when the snorkel tubes are a bit lose (which is OK). Not so MacGee.
I have a supply of NOS sac plugs for snorkels. The hole in the plug provides a very tight fit around the snorkel tube. Heat is needed to press the tube into the plug, and the fit is snug indeed!
QUOTE
Other than for aesthetics, is there any reason to rotate/align the tube?
Yes!
The snorkel tube is the feed which carries the ink from the sac to the feed which you see at the front end. If you look at the end of the snorkel tube, you'll see a longitudinal slit at the end on the top. This slit lines up with a slit in the top of the feed. The ink flows from the snorkel tube to this slit, and eventually to the nib itself.
If the snorkel tube is not lined up right, you won't have proper ink flow. Not to say that no ink will flow, or that the pen won't write at all (it might) but rather that the ink flow will not be what is should be if it does write.
Pretty amazing pen when you stop to think about it. The ink supply is a good 1 1/2" to 2" from the tip of the nib, the ink has to follow this convoluted route to get to the tip of the nib, but the Sheaffer engineers came up with a pen that 's one of the most reliable writers ever made. Schmidt could take a few lessons!
Thank you both very much for your insight. It doesn't write quite like it should, yet...
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