Crazy Clog In Touchdown Feed (And Fix)

[sodul]

I got this Sheaffer's TouchDown desk pen with a mostly matching holder for just over $17 last week and as could be expected the TouchDown system needs to be restored with a new ring and rubber sac. Although the sac did seem to work but it was 'glued' to the metal tubing and tore apart when I tried to separate them.

 

 

The main issue was that the inner feed was clogged up with some rubbery gunk that took me until tonight and many, many hours to clear. I've let the section soak for days in pen flush and it has spent many hours in the ultrasonic cleaner but no matter what I could not even get air to go through the inner feed. Getting the nib and feed out to clean the feed alone in the ultrasonic bath did not work.

 

What finally worked is to cut very thin brass shims that I used for several hours to push the gunk out. Even after I got the shim through the first time, it still took me two hours to get the feed to work.

 

The trick was to not only clean the ink channel and the air channel but also the hole that connects the inner feed to the main feed. That hole seems located roughly around where the breather hole of the nib would be. I had to locate this hole by feeling only. I have a cheap Wing Sung 233 with a very similar feed design (and a Triumph style nib) that was very useful for me to understand how this feed system works. On the Sheaffer's the inner feed will not bulge, I do not know if by design, but on the Wing Sung it slides out rather easily. Having cheap knock offs is quite useful as educational material for restoring some good pens.

 

Once cleaned I re-assembled the section, added a few drops of ink in the back (no sac yet), and was able to write. Success!!!

 

I'm wondering if the rubbery gunk might have been some of the sac 'leaking' after being cleaned with a harsh solvent. The ultrasonic bath could not do much against that thing while it is very effective on dried up ink.

 

The nib is stamped 'SHEAFFER'S M1 MADE IN USA' with a heart shaped breather hole. As usual with Sheaffer's nibs is very smooth. Beyond the need to restore the filling system the pen is in very good shape but I suspect some shrinkage of the barrel as all the threads are a very tight fit and the touchdown action is also 'grippy' even with the section removed.

 

Any idea of the actual model name and era?