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Sheaffer Balance 2 Nibsize


Steffi

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Hello,

I have recently bought a Sheaffer Balance 2 in crimson glow. It has a broad nib and I`m wondering about the size of that nib, thinking of eventually fitting a vintage Sheaffer Balance nib (EF) on this pen. Will an old number 5 nib fit?

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Greetings,

Steffi

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The No. 5 nib is a little smaller and won`t fit into the pen by itself. A few tiny drops of cyanoacrylate glue, applied on the feed (with the tip of a toothpick) where you want to place the back part of the nib do the trick. This operation is indeed tricky because you have to avoid the glue coming into the ink channels. So apply the liquid glue, wait until it is almost hardened out, then put the nib onto the feed, align it properly and carefully press it down onto the feed. Wait a minute, put the nib section back together, ink the pen and test the ink flow. And if it writes: congratulations! If it doesn`t write use some acetone and a toothbrush to remove the glue and start all over again. This method doesn`t work on ebonite ink feeds, only on plastic ones. Now I have a well-balanced fountain pen with a modern filling system (no hassle with ink sacs) and a vintage xf gold nib that writes very well. The iridium tip has no signs of use. And the nib looks cute on this pen. I`m very happy. :wub: :D

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A few tiny drops of cyanoacrylate glue, applied on the feed (with the tip of a toothpick) where you want to place the back part of the nib do the trick.

 

 

:o :o ... :wacko: :wacko: :angry: :angry: ... Nonsense...

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A few tiny drops of cyanoacrylate glue, applied on the feed (with the tip of a toothpick) where you want to place the back part of the nib do the trick.

:yikes: :doh: Please don't. It's tough enough to remove a properly set nib and feed from the NN/Balance/Connaisseur sections because of the tight fit. If the nib is loose, it's the wrong nib. Never, ever, use an adhesive to secure a nib in the section. You may never get it out again, not to mention that super glues break down in the presence of moisture (ink) and heat, so it would fail sooner rather than later.

 

The #5 nib is indeed too small. Picture below: Left is a #5 Feather Touch, right is the Balance II nib. The feed will be set at the same place under either nib, so it's the length at the tail that matters. The difference may not seem to be much, but the #5 will not reach down far enough for the nib to wedge tightly between the inside of the section and feed. Because a C/C section has a closed end with the piercing tube, you can not set the nib in farther to compensate.

 

Sheaffer5VB2.jpg

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Why? It doesn`t disturb the functionality of the pen at all, and the tiny bit of glue can be solved and removed with acetone anytime. For me a fountainpen is a tool for relaxed writing that has to work properly. I don`t want to spend years searching for the right sized vintage nib for this pen. For me, the old nib is totally okay.

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I have waited long enough for the glue to completely dry. And I still can pull out the feed out of the section if I want. I did not glue the feed into the section, don`t worry. On the other hand, I have no reason to disassemble the pen again for it works just fine and still can be cleaned well.

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Why? It doesn`t disturb the functionality of the pen at all, and the tiny bit of glue can be solved and removed with acetone anytime.

 

 

You can also weld the hood of your car : it won't affect it's functionality at all .... until you need to repair something.

 

If you don't see what's wrong in what you did, ... please don't call yourself a pen lover, ...

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I have waited long enough for the glue to completely dry. And I still can pull out the feed out of the section if I want. I did not glue the feed into the section, don`t worry. On the other hand, I have no reason to disassemble the pen again for it works just fine and still can be cleaned well.

 

You are always welcome to do as you wish with your pen. You asked the question, so I've offered advice based on experience. I regularly install other Sheaffer nibs in these sections because I too like the vintage nibs better. But it takes a much larger nib than a #5.

 

The tips of the nibs are aligned in the picture. The proper nib sits about twice as deep in the section as the #5, so it is able to handle the stress of writing better. As for removing the CA glue with acetone, the plastic Sheaffer Balance II and Connaisseur sections will dissolve when it comes in contact with acetone. I just tested to verify..... Feeds, maybe not, but I have not tested plastic feeds made over the years. The same basic feed design spans 3 or 4 decades, so the material could have changed.

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Visit Main Street Pens
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Please use email, not a PM for repair and pen purchase inquiries.

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You can also weld the hood of your car : it won't affect it's functionality at all .... until you need to repair something.

 

If you don't see what's wrong in what you did, ... please don't call yourself a pen lover, ...

There`s a difference in welding and just putting a tiny bit of glue on something to hold it in place. I used a special cyanoacrylate glue that is used to glue tissue during operations. It won`t break down from moisture, but still can be fully removed with acetone. No big deal for me. Now I can use this pen for writing instead of having it sitting in a drawer, catching dust.

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The tips of the nibs are aligned in the picture. The proper nib sits about twice as deep in the section as the #5, so it is able to handle the stress better. As for dissolving the CA glue with acetone to loosen, the plastic Sheaffer Balance II and Connaisseur sections will dissolve when it comes in contact with acetone. I just tested to verify.....

Thanks for the info. If the nib becomes loose and falls off one day I`m replacing it with another one that is larger and fits better. So no need for acetone at all.

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