Sheaffer Feather Touch 500

[newlife]

Hello everybody!

 

I got a pen that was sold to me as a Sheaffer Feather Touch 500. At least a small 500 is engraved on the shaft, but I'm not sure if the model is named correctly. I don't even know if barrel and cap match, because the thread does not fasten. Obviously there is also no inner cap, if there has ever been one. On the other side I never saw a pen without an inner cap, so maybe it was destroyed some time. There is a visible thread on the inside, but I can only plug the pen in, because the diameters don't match.

 

But the bigger problem is - I don't know how to open the pen for resacking it. I tried saoking, I tried warming with my fan, tried either turning and jiggling, but nothing moves. Maybe I'm too cautious, but being hefty makes no sense to me as long I don't know in which way to be. I got a photo for you hoping somebody can help me.

 

 

http://img543.imageshack.us/img543/8028/img1920ed.jpg

 

And if anybody has an orphaned cap in some drawer, please let me know!

 

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

Klaus

[watch_art]

I have a lovely green cap I'll give you, but measure the body first in case it's the wrong size.

[newlife]

Thanks for your offer, watch_art! Your cap would come in handy, if I only knew how to get the inner cap out and fit it into my cap. I have no tools to unscrew inner caps . . .

 

Btw, the barrel thread measures 10mm, if that does mean anything to you. I'm from Germany . . .

Edited February 26, 2011 by newlife

[watch_art]

How long is the pen and how long is the cap?

[newlife]

The cap measures 5,9 cm, the barrel as seen on the photo measures 9,26 cm without section.

[watch_art]

Well, my cap is the same length, but the barrel is quite a bit shorter than what you mention. I'll give you the cap if you want it, though. PM me your address.

[newlife]

Hello everybody!

 

Thanks to watch_art one of his spare caps will be on its way to me soon.

 

Any further advice concerning dismounting the section for resacking is still highly appreciated!

 

Klaus

[watch_art]

Hopefully the cap will help you out. No promises though.

[Ron Z]

Your pen should have a cap like the one in the picture - either the military clip show, or the standard radius clip.

 

The cap with your pen is a wire band cap, and did not have an inner cap. The style was used on Admiral and Craftsman type pens.

 

Before you try to remove the section, put the nib assembly back in. It will support the section so that you don't crush it as you remove the section. You will need some heat to soften the shellac that is likely to be holding it in the barrel. You might want to read this article first though. Come to think of it, you might want to read the "cheap tools" articles, because they'll tell you how to make a pair of section pliers that will help you to get the section out of the barrel.

 

http://www.mainstreetpens.com/salepens/pen1506.jpg

[watch_art]

Hey Ron, Am I mistaken (totally possible) or did I read somewhere that for a cheap inner cap remover (which he no longer needs, but I'm still curious) one can use an automotive thread chaser? I don't remember where I saw it, but it was somewhere here on FPN.

 

THanks

[newlife]

Hello Ron!

 

If I get you right, the cap delivered with my pen is from another model named Craftsman. In this case watch_art does not need to ship his cap to me, because it would not fit either.

 

I'd better ask the folks round here if someone can supply me with a brown striated Sheaffer 500 cap. Who can??????

 

You're surely right indicating to put the nib back into the section before heating. I hope my hair fan is hot enough respectively that I don't use too much heat. I'm absolutely not used to remove shellac glued sections, I never had such a pen before. Guess I'll just have to be careful . . . Or maybe use a kitchen thermometer to see if 60°C for the shellac are achieved.

 

As to the pliers, I got one of those spark pliers, not as expensive here in Europe as you mentioned, just about 14 Euros.

 

Thanks for your support!

 

Klaus

Edited February 26, 2011 by newlife

[Ron Z]

Not a thread chaser, a tap. You cut threads in the inner cap using a tap, then screw in the appropriate bolt, with a nut already on it. Use a washer between the nut and cap lip so that the nut doesn't press directly against the cap lip as it turns,

 

I'm going to backtrack a bit on this after doing a little digging. I had my hands on three of them this evening. The picture that I show is for an earlier Balance from the WWII period, which is a 500. It has a Feather Touch nib. There is also a later 500 from the late 40s, with the stripes, wireband cap, and... a #5 Feather Touch nib. Which is a good reason to remember that the number on the barrel is not the model, but the price. ($5.00)

[watch_art]

Thanks, Ron!

[OcalaFlGuy]

Not a thread chaser, a tap. You cut threads in the inner cap using a tap, then screw in the appropriate bolt, with a nut already on it. Use a washer between the nut and cap lip so that the nut doesn't press directly against the cap lip as it turns,

 

 

At least on Esties, after soaking the cap for a couple days, once the tap was in the inner cap tight, griping the cap with my knobbly fingered rubber dishwashing gloves, I just clamped down onto the shaft of the tap with a pair of visegrips and gave it a good yank.

 

Farmboy and I discussed "official" inner cap pullers Vs the tap method. Again, at least for Esties, I agreed with Todd that there is less chance of damaging the cap with the tap method. The cost for safety may be a few light grooves inside the inner cap but someone would really have to be looking for them. (And soaking the cap helps prevent/lesson that.)

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL

Edited February 28, 2011 by OcalaFlGuy

[BamaPen]

I've used a tap to remove inner caps from Sheaffer WWII era pens with military clips. I have a T handle that the tap chucks into, and once I have a tight fit with the tap, turn it a couple of times, then gently pull, the inner caps seem to slide right out. There is minimal damage, with only some small grooves inside the inner cap. Choosing the tap carefully can reduce that as well.

[BamaPen]

Also, one of my Sheaffers of about this same age has the same problem - cap just fits right over the barrel threads. I thought about trying the "epoxy method" of thread repair, but this board steered me away. Finally, I simply fitted some clear Scotch "magic" tape inside the cap, sticky side toward the threads, then screwed it on. That was just enough thickness to do the trick, and the tape itself is pretty much unnoticable. This might not be an authentic fix, but it sure is cheap and fast and is totally reversible if one wants to do something more authentic later. If one turn of the tape is not enough, just try two layers...