Sheaffer Snorkel Admiral Corrosions

[Anchovy]

I am a newbie here, and I have just taken the bull by the horns, i.e. the vintage Sheaffer by the snorkel. This is my first dismantling of a pen so why not start with the really tricky mechanism! What could possibly go wrong? (I paid about £30 for this pen and I just figure I had better learn how to service vintage pens if I like writing with them). I was encouraged and guided by the wonderful posts of Ernst Bitterman and sndeshpande. Thank you!

 

The reason for disassembly was the usual one: the filling mechanism seemed to be in working order but the pen took up only a small amount of ink. I found a leak near the threads. Gasket and O-ring in the barrel seemed fine but the blind cap seal is a thinnish o-ring rather than a thicker seal. Perhaps that's the problem - that's easily fixed since the pendragons sell snorkel repair kits, and I could cut a replacement from a bit of rubber sac. But there's yet another issue.

 

The sac protector has three holes, presumably due to corrosion (see photos). The one near the end concerns me in particular because the sharp edges may in time pierce the sac. Do the holes matter? Are they usual for a pen of this age? Does the whole protector need to be replaced or should I patch and file down the holes? Where would I get a spare part?

 

I guess until I've addressed this issue it's not worth proceeding with my 'repair'.

 

Any advice is most gratefully received. I am learning and I really enjoy this new hobby. Thank you.

 

Petra

[gmark_wa]

Hi Petra.

 

Well done on attempting the Snorkel restoration. I am also an amateur repairer who has learnt by my mistakes while servicing my own collection of Snorkels. I am no expert, but can offer the following answers to your questions based on my own observations:

 

1. Do the holes matter?

- Holes in the sac protector should not effect the vacuum action of the Touchdown-style filler. The corrosion on the thread might be a problem if it restricts the screw action between the sac protector and the plunger tube.

 

2. Are they usual for a pen of this age?

- I have seen similar corrosion on the sac protectors of Touchdown and Snorkel pens that were left inked for long periods (decades) - not all that common, and usually not as bad as yours.

 

3. Does the whole protector need to be replaced or should I patch and file down the holes?

- I think that you should be able to get the pen back to working condition by smoothing and/or patching the holes, as long as the sac is still protected and the screw action still works. Replacing the sac protector would be better, but getting spares is difficult.

 

4. Where would I get a spare part?

- I have seen some Snorkel spare parts for sale on eBay and some online pen stores - particularly those the do pen repairs - sell some Snorkel parts. Sac protectors do not seem to come up that often.

 

Regards,

 

Mark W.

[Paul80]

I know the OP like myself is based in the UK were there are very few parts suppliers, for things other than common parts like Sacs and seals etc, but Dale at https://pentooling.com in America will probably be able to supply a sac protector, there not listed, but he has far more than is on his site so just ask, I hot a Snorkel Tube from him recently. Postage from America is obviously high and all the parcels I have had from him in the last few months (about 6) have all had VAT and charges added which in dome cases doubled the cost of buying the item. But if desperate for a part he is well worth asking.

 

If anyone knows a UK parts supplier other than the Parker 51 destroyer a heads up would be appreciated.

 

Paul

[adyf]

You could actually email Mike and Carol Mcshane (Pendragons) to see if they have a sac protector for sale. I've bought a few things (nibs and feeds etc) from them in the past that weren't for sale on their site.

[Lin_empire]

Change a sac protector is the best choice