How To Repair A Faber-Castell Tk-Matic?

[aadaam]

Hi all,

 

During my teenage years, I've used my mother's TK-Matic. I didn't know it was an iconic pencil at that time, I just loved to write and draw with it.

 

However, one day it either fell out of my hands, or some other thing happened, but the result was, that the pencil didn't work anymore.

 

I've grown up, more than a decade passed. Right now I draw a lot as a part of my job - I'm doing technical designs. I use a Faber Castell TK-Fine Vario mostly, but it just doesn't feel as good.

 

So, I've decided, I'd like to fix that old pencil. I still have it.

 

What's the symptom?

 

Upon pressure, the lead just slides back, like there was nothing to hold it.

 

What did I try so far?

 

I opened and reassembled it multiple times. Sometimes I even tried to reassemble it in different ways. I tried to lead a lead across when its inner workings were outside. It works. Outside, the mechanics hold the lead just fine (pushing it with my thumb), but once put back in, it has the same issue. Nothing seems to be broken, or - according to my best knowledge - missing.

 

I guess it has something to do with the TK-Matic's ability to "automatically" push the lead out as you write, that fails somehow and instead of using the force of pressuring against paper to bring out the lead micron by micron, it just lets the lead pass back a little.

 

I've made sure the lead size is correct (0.5, it was always 0.5 and it's written on it).

 

Are there any ideas on how could it be fixed? Is there any kind of guide how does it look "correctly" from the inside?

 

I really loved that pencil.

 

Thank you very much in advance.

[pengels]

Hi aadaam.

 

I had the same problem after I had used this pencil very extensive writing my thesis. This was in the mid of the 80's. I didn't found a solution and I bought a Alpha-Matic, which ist still working fine, but much less used. A week ago I found this old TK-Matic in one of my drawers. It still did not work, clearly. But in the meantime I had bought a ultrasonic cleaning machine and I decided, to give it a try. I disassembled the pencil completely and cleaned it with only water in the ultrasonic cleaner. Result: It works again as on the first day. No problems now for about one week! But it seems to be dependent of the manufacturer of the mines. When I use the original Faber-Castell Polymer-mines, it works perfectly again as on the first day. I have written about 10 DIN A4 pages now, without ever noticing this problem again.

 

Good Luck, Regards Peter

Edited December 17, 2013 by pengels

[Zors]

HELP! I have a NOS Faber-Castell Tk-Matic 0.5 9725L. I love this pencil. I just bought it off eBay from a guy overseas. It was fine until it needed a new lead. I tried to take it apart, reassemble it, and the new leads (vintage 1980s Faber-Castel 0.5 TK-Minen Black 9065/P 3H, Germany, I've had them for years) won't go through. The leads that came with it fell out and broke when I took the eraser out to use the pin to clean the tip in case something was jammed in there. I put the eraser back in and pushed just a tiny bit too hard and now it is jammed further in and I can't get it out. The eraser itself is hard and dry and started to crumble when I tried to grap it to pull it out with precision tweezers. Now I can't get it out, I don't want to damage the pencil. Any ideas on how I can fix this? Thanks in advance!

Edited November 12, 2014 by Zors