Re-gluing a Sheaffer metal blind cap

[psfred]

I just got a TD Triumph (maybe a Masterpiece, I cannot find a hallmark) that has a loose blind cap. Once I tease some of the dents out (it looks as though someone used unpadded pliers on it to turn a stuck TD tube thread), I need to re-attach it.

 

What should I use for glue? I was thinking just putting some shellac on the plastic, but should I use polystyrene glue instead? Shellac would allow easy removal in the future if I want to have it re-worked, but will it hold in service?

 

It's a big rough overall, but I think worth at least twice what I paid for it....

 

Peter

[Ron Z]

Shellac. Set it in place, then walk away from the pen for several days to a couple of weeks. It'll stick. But "testing" it will break the bond before it's fully set.

[Johnny Appleseed]

Isn't there a screw that holds these on from the inside? Or am I thinking of something else?

 

 

John

[psfred]

This pen is a Triumph (gold filled metal cover over blind cap and plastic barrel with GF cap). What's loose isn't the plastic cap were the screw goes, but the metal cover over it.

 

Thanks Ron, I'll shellac it tonight. Need to replace the 0-ring anyway.

 

I was hoping it was a Masterpiece, but with no hallmarks, I'll settle for Triumph.

 

Peter

[kirchh]

QUOTE (psfred @ Mar 8 2007, 08:39 PM)

This pen is a Triumph (gold filled metal cover over blind cap and plastic barrel with GF cap). What's loose isn't the plastic cap were the screw goes, but the metal cover over it.

There's a screw that goes through the interior end of the Touchdown tube that screws into the metal end cap, as Johnny Appleseed correctly points out.

 

--Daniel

[psfred]

Daniel:

 

The metal is a shell glued to the plastic cap, just like the metal barrel shell is glued to the plastic barrel. The TD tube screw goes into the plastic.

 

Peter

[kirchh]

QUOTE (psfred @ Mar 8 2007, 09:17 PM)

Daniel: The metal is a shell glued to the plastic cap, just like the metal barrel shell is glued to the plastic barrel. The TD tube screw goes into the plastic. Peter

Have you completely removed the metal end cap?

 

--Daniel

[psfred]

It was off when I got the pen -- would snap on, but wouldn't stay.

 

Peter

[kirchh]

QUOTE (psfred @ Mar 9 2007, 12:01 AM)

It was off when I got the pen -- would snap on, but wouldn't stay. Peter

Did you remove the screw?

 

--Daniel

[kirchh]

QUOTE (psfred @ Mar 8 2007, 09:17 PM)

Daniel: The metal is a shell glued to the plastic cap, just like the metal barrel shell is glued to the plastic barrel.  The TD tube screw goes into the plastic. Peter

I am interested to see the construction, if your pen doesn't have a screw that goes into the metal blind cap shell; can you post a description and pictures?

 

Thanks --

--Daniel

[psfred]

Daniel:

 

The Triumph and Masterpiece Sheaffer TD and Snorkel models have a metal sleeve over a standard black barrel and blind cap. They are NOT metal bodied, just a thin gold filled or solid gold cover over a standard size (I think, I've not measured closely) TD or Snorkel. On mine, the glue had failed, probably as a result of someone using pliers on the blind cap to turn it -- the metal flexed enough to crack it loose. I've seen pictures of this several times on eBay, so it must be rather common, as both TD and Snorkel TD tubes get quite difficult to turn when the o-ring petrifies, or worse, the user sucked ink up into a ruptured sac and corroded the spring and/or sac protector.

 

The screw on the TD tube screws into the plastic blind cap, exactly the same as it does on a "plain" plastic barreled model.

 

I'll try to post pictures this weekend. I just applied some shellac to the blind cap and pressed the metal cover back on. Seems to be quite nicely attached now, the pen filled fine and I used it all day today.

 

Peter

[kirchh]

QUOTE (psfred @ Mar 9 2007, 08:30 PM)

The screw on the TD tube screws into the plastic blind cap, exactly the same as it does on a "plain" plastic barreled model.

Is there an axial blind hole in the interior of the blind cap shell?

 

I have several TM Touchdown Triumphs, and none of them has the construction you describe. Here's a picture of one of them; note the 4-40 x 3/8" Fillister head machine screw that goes through the Touchdown tube, the plastic blind cap, and threads into the metal blind cap shell:

Edited March 10, 2007 by kirchh

[psfred]

No, the plastic part is identical to the regular one, the metal shell doesn't have a screw fitting, it's completely hollow and just glued on. The screw goes into the plastic, just like the plastic barrel pens.

 

Since Sheaffer didn't date stamp their pens, I don't know if this was an early, late, or just plain manufacturing difference. It was made in USA, for what that's worth.

 

A question, though -- both cap and blind cap have what looks like a dent in them -- a small indentation exactly at the tip. So does my Crest Deluxe. Is this a quite talented clutz who managed to drop the pen twice, and hit the end exactly, or is this characteristic of the Triumph and Crest Deluxe cap?

 

Peter

Edited March 10, 2007 by psfred

[kirchh]

QUOTE (psfred @ Mar 9 2007, 10:56 PM)

No, the plastic part is identical to the regular one, the metal shell doesn't have a screw fitting, it's completely hollow and just glued on. The screw goes into the plastic, just like the plastic barrel pens. Since Sheaffer didn't date stamp their pens, I don't know if this was an early, late, or just plain manufacturing difference. It was made in USA, for what that's worth. A question, though -- both cap and blind cap have what looks like a dent in them -- a small indentation exactly at the tip. So does my Crest Deluxe. Is this a quite talented clutz who managed to drop the pen twice, and hit the end exactly, or is this characteristic of the Triumph and Crest Deluxe cap?

Is it a TM or non-TM? All my examples are TMs.

 

The dent is just a dent; there tends to be a natural size for such a dent caused by the inversion of the tip. I see it all the time.

 

--Daniel

[kirchh]

Fred -

 

Is the Triumph Touchdown a TM?

 

--Daniel

[psfred]

Daniel:

 

Sorry, I didn't see this for a couple days.

 

Yes, it's a TM.

 

Is there any obvious way to tell date of manufacture? It does have a spot for engraving on the barrel, pattern of five parallel lines and and a space between goups, no frame on the spot for engraving, it's just a blank in one set of parallel lines, cap has the center line of each group longest at the top, the lines beside it shorter, and the outer two shorter yet. Blind cap has evenly spaced lines that converge. There is a clear band at the base of the cap.

 

I thought those were dents, alas. Are they seriously difficult to repair?

 

Peter

[kirchh]

The dents are problematic; as noted elsewhere in the forum, there is no deterministic process for reversibly stripping the cap to the shell to permit access to the interior, unfortunately.

 

Your pen has exactly the same exterior configuration as do all of my examples, so I am curious about the filler knob construction. Do you have a picture of the interior of the metal filler knob shell?

 

--Daniel

[psfred]

Daniel:

 

No, I don't have a picture, sorry. It's just a parabolic shaped shell, nothing in there.

 

Must have been a cost saving measure, as I'm sure it's cheaper to make just a shell and glue it on than it is to make one with a screw fitting. Nowhere near as sturdy though. I suspect the shell just popped off when the pen was dropped.

 

I've seen at least one more on eBay in the same condition, although it may in fact be the one I have -- no way to tell.

 

Peter

[RedRinger]

Looking to resurrect this thread briefly -- I recently acquired a Masterpiece Snorkel. I'm a perfectionist, so I'd like to dap out the ding in the blind cap. I've removed it successfully, but am having some trouble getting the plastic shell out of the gold cap. I had thought to soak it at 140-150 degrees, as I've read Sheaffer's glue tends to be reversible at those temperatures, but was wondering if others had other experiences/advice.

Thanks!

 

Matt

 

[RedRinger]

Wow, a year and change later, I finally got to that pen, (a Sheaffer Masterpiece snorkel) and had given up on dapping out the blind cap end. I had heated the blind cap to no avail, and couldn't get the plastic insert out.

Wouldn't you know, after putting the finishing touches on the pen and getting it all together, including adding a gold snorkel tube (because how much bling can a Masterpiece bling?), as I was getting ready to fill it, -- POP! Off came the gold shell from the blind cap. I screamed.

I can confirm the inner shell looks like a ...maybe shrunken down? regular plastic blind cap, the screw goes into this plastic, and the shell is just a shell.

Now to dap...

Matt