Sheaffer Imperial Desk Pen Conversion

[Sheaffer270]

Hello all, first time posting here in this section of fountain pen network. Ive always been interested in exploring pen making but have never ventured into it. I admit it's somewhat intimidating and I don't have many of the tools necessary. However, I do happen to have a friend who makes kit pens and is willing to help me with this project.

 

The idea came when I noticed a pair of desk pens my father had. The set is a 60's sheaffer imperial ballpoint and fountain pen. I had never seen him use either of them so I asked if I could have the section of the fountain pen and leave him the tail for decorative purposes. I first popped a cartridge into the pen and wrote with it a bit, and the steel inlaid in is buttery smooth and lays down a nice wet line.

 

I'm not a fan of kits pens, however I was wary of jumping into the world of custom pen making. Mainly when it came to making a section and finding a nib and feed. I thought this would solve my problem as I already have a section and now just need a body and cap.

 

My plan is to use my friends lathe and turn a body and cap that will accept the sheaffer section. I have yet to measure the threads for the section but would appreciate any help if anyone would happen to know them off hand. The threading is by far the scariest thing about the whole project!

 

I plan on designing a mock-up of the body and cap in a 3D modeling program I have just to have something to visually reference while I turn the pen. I doubt the finished product will match up with the design but I like being able to visualize things. I would like to design a captive-converter type body with a blind cap (also a little scary!) mainly because the sheaffer section has metal threads and I plan on turning the body out of acrylic. I thought if I made this style of pen, it would limit my he number of times the metal threads interact with the acrylic because I would only have to unscrew the section from the body if I was swapping out bodies, and not every time I fill up the pen (if this reasoning is a little paranoid, feel free to comment! I have little to no experience in this department.) This brings me to my next idea, with a acrylic being so cheap, I plan on purchasing several different blanks which should allow me to swap out different colors if I choose.

 

Below are pics of the sheaffer section. I will update this post once I have a 3D model I'm happy with. Any helpful hints, warnings, or advice would be much appreciated! Thanks for reading!

Edited June 6, 2017 by Sheaffer270

[ac12]

Sheaffer pen bodies are made of plastic, and they hold up fine.

[Sheaffer270]

Sheaffer pen bodies are made of plastic, and they hold up fine.

Yes, I have several other Sheaffers made of plastic and all have held up very well!

[Sheaffer270]

A very, VERY rough draft. I like the overall shape and proportions but will have to fine tune it for sure. Kinda reminds me of a knock-off Nakaya. (and yes i know the sheaffer section is appalling. Only needed the correct width and length. Didn't feel like making the nib perfectly.)http://i1069.photobucket.com/albums/u467/emersonshaw270/pen%202_1.jpg

 

http://i1069.photobucket.com/albums/u467/emersonshaw270/pen%203.jpg

 

http://i1069.photobucket.com/albums/u467/emersonshaw270/pen%201.jpg

Edited June 7, 2017 by Sheaffer270

[Ron Z]

Payton Street Pens has a line of pocket pens in which the Sheaffer Imperial nibs are used. You might want to take a look at them. The Sheaffer desk pens do not have the pressure tabs that are used to hold the cap on, so need something threaded on the barrel. There are a lot of desk pen nibs available too - far more than there are of the pocket pens.

[Sheaffer270]

Thank you Ron, I'll be sure to check those out!

[Sheaffer270]

A quick update. I've decided on a final design for the pen. Now all that's left is to order materials and actually make it. The threads used in the model are not exactly the threads that will be put on the final pen, just a representation for reference. I also made a quick to-scale model of a sheaffer converter