Converter Stopped Working

[milkb0at]

I have a standard Sheaffer piston converter in my Targa. It used to work fine, and is still relatively new, about 10 refills I reckon. But it's now stopped sucking.

 

I can feel it suck if I put my finger on the end, so the piston seems fine. So perhaps there's a problem at the nipple end? It doesn't work in my old 440 either, and the 440's squeeze converter works in both pens, so it's not the Targa.

 

I've never had a converter stop working before. Is this bad luck or a common problem? I think both the 440 and Targa originally came with a squeeze converter, so perhaps the piston converter is technically incorrect and I was just lucky that it worked previously?

 

If it's just a case of buying a new converter then that's fine, but I don't want to waste money if there's something fundamentally wrong somewhere.

 

 

[Chrissy]

I wonder if the hole might have become a little enlarged and it isn't pulling ink up because of that?

 

Have you tried cleaning the pen out with it in place and seeing if it sucks in and pushes out water?

 

If it was only the converter it wouldn't suck if you put your finger on the end. Maybe it isn't quite seated far enough in?

[milkb0at]

Good points. I've just tried the 440 and the converter in the sink with water. I put in the nib very far, to make triple sure that the breather hole was also immersed.

 

- The converter on its own sucks up (and pushes out) no problem

- In the 440 it barely works. I can hear air being sucked in from somewhere, presumably through the top of the nib unit past the converter

- Putting the whole shebang under water works fine

- Subsequently when used as normal with just the nib in the water it works reasonably well, but I think by now there's enough water in the socket around the nipple that it's probably self-sealing.

 

So it looks like the converter's hole has become too large. Hmmm, I wonder what caused that. Wear and tear I suppose, but it seems quite quick, especially when considering my squeeze converter is about 20 years old and works great.

 

I'll order a new converter unless someone suggests otherwise.

[mcorrea]

Are you submering the nib all the way to the section tip? It's needed as the pen sucks ink through a hole in the feed that is usually very close to the section tip.

[milkb0at]

Yes.

[pajaro]

Sometimes I have used heat on the converter opening to help it fit one of Sheaffer's pens. You have to be careful not to melt the converter opening.