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Sheaffer Pfm : Need Help


viju

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Hello to all members,

 

I am Viju from Kerala, the southern part of India. I am new to this forum and this is my first ever post. I have been using fountain pens since my high school days and i do love my sheaffers especially the Legacy wich is my EDC pen.

 

In the beginning of 2015 i came to know about Sheaffer PFM and i decided to buy one. It wasn't available anywhere in India and i had to try on line purchase from USA/EU. First two attempt ended in “disaster” but third time won an auction on ebay for a black PFM3 with an unusual 18K nib. The pen was in perfect condition and i love the pen so much that i am using that pen since i got it.

 

Now the reason for my post: Since i started using the PFM, i am getting addicted to PFM and wanted to buy another one. Last week i saw one PFM V Gray on a local Indian website. Though it looked good, It wasn’t in working order but i decided to buy this one because Gray is the hardest to find. Couple of days back i received a used but well preserved pen but it needed restoration. The snorkel tube is stuck and not extending because ink dried up inside the feed and around the sac protector. I decided to give it a try to restore it by myself. If i fail i still have an option for sending it to a professional for restoration. I disassembled the pen (except the nib section wich i will do later) and started with the sac protector. After straightening the crimping, I tried to wiggle out the plug but the snorkel tube alone came out. Then using a thin steel road i was able to get the plug out but only a small part of the sac came along with it. The sac has become very hard and it is sticking to the inside of sac protector like it is glued together. The sac proctector is still in really good shape and i do not want to damage it. How can i remove the sac residue inside? Looking for your suggestions and help...

 

I have read that PFM Gray(all series) was in production for only a year. Anybody know wich year?.

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First, welcome home. Pull up a stump and set a spell. While you are working on the sac protector go ahead and order a PFM repair kit from David Nishimura.

 

And yes, the old sac is tough to get out. Patience and either darning needles or a set of dental picks are the only things I've used.

 

My Website

 

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A properly-sized drill or mill can make relatively short work of a tenacious sac in a Touchdown filler, but absent that, a stout wire coat hanger can be fashioned into a scraping tool or two with relative ease. A straight rod with a flattened sharp end can be used to scrape the interior walls of the sac protector using a pushing motion, and another tool with a bent-over hooked end can be used for scraping using a pulling action (take care not to hook the palm of the hand holding the sac protector while doing this, a friend tells me). Forming a pinky loop in the opposite end of the tool will aid in handling the tool during usage.

 

--Daniel

"The greatest mental derangement is to believe things because we want them to be true, not because we observe that they are in effect." --Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet

Daniel Kirchheimer
Specialty Pen Restoration
Authorized Sheaffer/Parker/Waterman Vintage Repair Center
Purveyor of the iCroScope digital loupe

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Hi,

Thanks for your input Jar and Daniel. I bought a 6 mm drill bit used by carpenter today. Then I tried to grind the sac by slow and careful clock wise rotation by the drill. After 10 minutes, suddenly the drill bit became loose. Wow..I got lucky this time. The remaining sac detached from the sac protector and came out in two pieces. I am really thankful to you guys.. My pfm repair kit is on the way.

And the last remaining part. I am attempting my first ever restoration and I do not have the proper tools. To disassemble the nib unit, I will try to use a hair dryer. Or should I use hot water?.. Any inputs??.

Once again many thanks for your advice..

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Hi,

Thanks for your input Jar and Daniel. I bought a 6 mm drill bit used by carpenter today. Then I tried to grind the sac by slow and careful clock wise rotation by the drill. After 10 minutes, suddenly the drill bit became loose. Wow..I got lucky this time. The remaining sac detached from the sac protector and came out in two pieces. I am really thankful to you guys.. My pfm repair kit is on the way.

And the last remaining part. I am attempting my first ever restoration and I do not have the proper tools. To disassemble the nib unit, I will try to use a hair dryer. Or should I use hot water?.. Any inputs??.

Once again many thanks for your advice..

 

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Anyone who uses heat on a pen needs a noncontact IF thermometer:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Docooler-Digital-Non-Contact-Infrared-Thermometer/dp/B00IFYUQRA/ref=sr_1_92?ie=UTF8&qid=1462396493&sr=8-92&keywords=non+contact+infrared+thermometer

 

I've tried the big pistol grip types and they don't work for me. For heat, try an inexpensive embossing gun. Much better than a hair dryer.

 

A good target heat range to open a pen is 150-160 F.

Edited by Robert111
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Thanks Robert. Now I disassembled every thing and waiting for the parts to arrive. I am attaching a picture but sorry for the poor quality. It is from my mobile camera.

post-123247-0-48030300-1462772524_thumb.jpg

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Looks good, viju. Your sac protector looks to have escaped the mangling novices usually inflict. Did you encounter anything especially difficult?

 

I should have mentioned that an adequate temperature to open a PFM or Snorkel seems to be about 130 F. The sealant used on them is easier to soften than the shellac used earlier on the Balance pens and whatever they used for sealant on the postwar Triumphs.

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It was the most difficult part. I was extremely careful and took some time and effort but I was able to get the sac protector in near perfect condition. When I opened the barrel and took out the sac protector fist time, ink was dried up in the snorkel tube and at the end of the sac protector. It took couple of days socking and cleaning to get the most out of it. But there is a slight discoloration where the ink dried up. Apart from that the sac protector is in really in good condition. Thanks again for the information on temperature required.post-123247-0-01635200-1462807548_thumb.jpg

Attaching a picture I took when I first opened the barrel.

Edited by viju
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Project completed. Received spares from IPD couple of days back. Everything was fine but the feed did give me a hard time. The ink wasn't coming through the feed and I had to go through the process of disassemble, flushing and reset a number of times. The seller told me the last time he used this pen was some 25 years ago so you can expect some hard dried ink in the feed. Once the ink came out, everything was perfect. A superb pen with a fine nib and writes with a hint of feedback.

Releived and feeling so happy ...post-123247-0-67208700-1463131015_thumb.jpg

post-123247-0-78246100-1463134975_thumb.jpg

post-123247-0-81185900-1463135081_thumb.jpg

Edited by viju
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Well done! Snorks are tricky and that's a beautiful pen. How long before you try restoring another ;)?

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Well done! Snorks are tricky and that's a beautiful pen. How long before you try restoring another ;)?

As soon as I get another non working snorkel. Surely.

Thanks for your comment. I am already feeling ecstatic and your comments are like icing on the cake...

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As soon as I get another non working snorkel. Surely.

Thanks for your comment. I am already feeling ecstatic and your comments are like icing on the cake...

 

 

Congratulations on a job well done on a lovely PFM V in a hard to find colour. I remember feeling the same way after my first successful snorkel restoration a few years ago.

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As soon as I get another non working snorkel. Surely.

Thanks for your comment. I am already feeling ecstatic and your comments are like icing on the cake...

Well done indeed!

 

If you can get your hands on some Rapido-Eze, it's magic for dissolving old ink. I'm using it now on a set of Osmiroid nibs that evidently sat in a bottle of India ink for a decade.

My latest ebook.   And not just for Halloween!
 

My other pen is a Montblanc.

 

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