Montblanc Turbo Nib Questions

[DavidD62]

I have two MB Turbo fountains. I love the 70s styling and find them to be very nice writers. Unfortunately, it seems that the black plastic sections are somewhat prone to cracking at the threads. Indeed, this has happened to one of my Turbos. I slightly prefer the medium nib in my broken Turbo to the fine in my good one.

 

Can the nib and feed be removed from the section? I found one old thread saying the nib and feed are friction-fit to the section:

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/48266-mont-blanc-turbo/

 

Can anyone confirm this? If true, is there a way to make this easier and safer to do? Possibly soaking in warm water?

 

The second question is are there any other period Montblancs which use a similar enough section that I might find a substitute part for my broken Turbo? I know nothing else has the distinctive dimpled texture, but I could live with something different if it works. Finding an unbroken Turbo nib section that is not part of a very expensive mint condition pen is pretty impossible.

 

Thanks for any ideas/suggestions.

 

[Tom Kellie]

~ DavidD62:

 

Thank you for posting the image above.

Your post is the first time that I've ever heard of this model.

I hope that the more experienced members will be able to assist you in handling this problem.

It's very good to know that they write well for you.

Tom K.

[DavidD62]

Hi Tom,

 

From what I understand, these were actually used as school pens, presumably in Europe. The fountain is a cartridge/converter. Nibs are stainless. There were also ballpoint and rollerball models with slightly slimmer bodies. I think they’re really cool.

 

Best regards,

-David D

[DavidD62]

This evening as I was uncapping my remaining unbroken MB Turbo, the section cracked. Knowing the fragility of this model, I had been handling it with great care. I suspect these plastic sections have become brittle with age. Too bad, because these are such cool pens.

 

Edited December 5, 2017 by DavidD62

[Custom Pen Parts]

As a manufacturer of parts for pens i was approached by an MB turbo owner with a broken thread on the section to see if there was a workable solution to restore his pen back to a working condition. After trials i decided that a stronger brass connector using an international filling unit was the way to go. I will be selling this conversion on my site soon. Please see what i think could be a way back for this pen.

[Kalessin]

Custom Pen Parts, that looks great!

[DavidD62]

Wow, that does look great. I have one that is broken at the threads, though the one in my photos above actually cracked above the threads. In any event, this will be a welcome fix for many Turbo fans. I will order two or three myself.

Edited March 16, 2018 by DavidD62

[Custom Pen Parts]

Wow, that does look great. I have one that is broken at the threads, though the one in my photos above actually cracked above the threads. In any event, this will be a welcome fix for many Turbo fans. I will order two or three myself.

 

Thanks for that. The part is now available on my site

http://www.custompenparts.co.uk/mont-blanc/128-mb-turbo-connector.html

[DavidD62]

I have received my brass inserts and they look great!

 

Do you have any specific recommendations about the best type of epoxy to use to bond them to the plastic section?

[Custom Pen Parts]

Hi again

Great to hear you got the parts ok.

I am sure you have looked on my site, where i have attempted to step through a typical repair. I must admit to not saying which epoxy i used which was Araldite, though i am sure any good quality product will secure the part in the section.

Good luck with the repair and let us all know how you get on

[DavidD62]

I made repairs to one of my two broken Turbos; the one shown in Post #4 above. This one is especially tricky because it actually broke above the threads in the middle of the section.

 

I generally adhered to the instructions on the Custom Pen Parts website. I found it very difficult to cut away the threads with either an X-Acto or a utility knife so I used a Dremel. Because the break in the section occurred so close to the start of the threads, I cut away less material than in the sample image in Post #5 above in order to not lose integrity of the part.

 

After cutting with the Dremel, I sanded a bit more material away with 150 grit sandpaper. I cleaned up some ragged edges inside the section with a round hobby file. I finished with some 320 wet-dry sandpaper for a clean look.

 

I used Gorilla brand epoxy because it was what I had on hand. I did insert a standard converter to prevent excess epoxy from clogging the feed, but I did not permanently cement the converter in place. I wrapped the nib and section in cellophane tape to protect these parts from epoxy damage, but the excess epoxy wiped away easily without marring the plastic, so this was probably unnecessary.

 

I dont have huge hopes for this repair only because the location of the break limited the available epoxy bonding surface. Capping and uncapping a Turbo seems to place a lot of stress on the plastic section. I plan to let the epoxy cure for two days to maximize chances of it holding up.

 

I will say that the fit and quality of the brass part is superb. I suspect it will be very useful for Turbos which have broken right at the threads.

Edited April 10, 2018 by DavidD62

[DavidD62]

Here is a brief update.

 

I have threaded the section into the body of the pen and capped and uncapped it numerous times. The repaired part appears quite sturdy. I also filled the converter with ink and am experiencing no leaks. All great news.

 

The one bit of bad news is partially attributable to user error, partially due to the location of the crack in my pens section. Evidently I epoxied the brass repair part into the section at a slightly cocked angle. (See attached photo with repaired Turbo at top, unbroken original below.)

 

I probably did not sand the end of the section at a perfect 90 degree angle, or maybe I inserted it a bit crookedly. This could probably have been avoided if I had threaded the section into the barrel of the pen before the epoxy had fully cured, allowing for adjustment. I will be sure to do that for my other broken Turbo. If you are about to attempt this repair, I suggest taking this step.

[Custom Pen Parts]

Hi David

I am really happy your repair went well and i hope you are happy with the results. When i did my repair i faced the section in my lathe to give a square face in which to locate the new brass connector.

Your idea of screwing the barrel onto the section is a brilliant idea to square the repair before the epoxy goes off. I will add this idea to my website to assist hopefully further purchasers.

Good luck with your next repair, i am sure lots of people will be waiting to hear how you get on.

[DavidD62]

Thanks for your reply. I am very satisfied with your product. I am slightly less than satisfied with myself for putting the pen back together crookedly. It was a useful learning experience. Meanwhile, I can at least use and enjoy this formerly useless pen.

 

My other broken Turbo is presently in the hands of a pen repair specialist who does plastic welding. His opinion was that the cracked threaded part of the section was too thin and delicate to allow successful welding results. When that pen comes back to me, I will put the brass insert in.

 

Meanwhile, I fully expect my unbroken Turbo to be broken soon if I use it regularly!

 

Alas I dont yet have a lathe. I might want to get one at some point though.

Edited April 14, 2018 by DavidD62