Still Leaking After A Convertor Change.

[sean1e]

Yup, got the same issue with my sheaffer 300. Whenever am doing an ink change half the full seems to be in the barrel and on the converter making a right royal mess. Got another couple of converters on order to check to see if it really is just a bad converter but either way it's sad to see that this seems to be a recurring issue.

[jar]

Yup, got the same issue with my sheaffer 300. Whenever am doing an ink change half the full seems to be in the barrel and on the converter making a right royal mess. Got another couple of converters on order to check to see if it really is just a bad converter but either way it's sad to see that this seems to be a recurring issue.

Sheaffer converters?

[sean1e]

Sheaffer converters?

 

Yup... looks like there are a couple of threads on the forum all highlighting a similar issue

 

[RedRinger]

Hi Everyone,

Recently had a super-annoying experience with this, with an Intensity leaking repeatedly with TWO different converters. Switched to a new cartridge and the problem is resolved. Shame that the converters aren't more soundly built, apparently. I'm hoping i can needle-fill the cartridge with the ink of my choice next...

 

Matt

[RedRinger]

Check that.... just leaked all over me after some pocket-carrying. *Grumble*. Looks like I'll take some other advice I've seen on here and stop carrying fountain pens in my (above average warm) pocket....

[RedRinger]

...not quite the end of the topic; I got fed up and rather than trashing a (very pretty) pen, I'm going to attempt another sort of fix, particularly because the nib is such a beautiful writer...more to come.

Edited April 13, 2019 by RedRinger

[RedRinger]

Yup, got the same issue with my sheaffer 300. Whenever am doing an ink change half the full seems to be in the barrel and on the converter making a right royal mess. Got another couple of converters on order to check to see if it really is just a bad converter but either way it's sad to see that this seems to be a recurring issue.

 

I think I may have finally solved this problem with an easy fix. I have the white and chrome Intensity below, which has had quite a leaking problem. The leak occurred within the barrel and around the nipple/threaded cuff area.

 

 

I changed the converter multiple times but the leak always ended up occurring. So here's the diagram for my fix:

 

 

The blue arrow indicates a threaded cuff by which the barrel attaches to the section. This cuff is removable by unscrewing it from the plastic part underneath that I presume is continuous with the feed. I wonder if this is a way to remove the feed and nib, but I didn't feel like testing that out for fear of damaging the section.

 

I started by applying pen sac cement (from Indy-Pen-Dance, https://www.indy-pen-dance.com/Sac-Cement.html) around the end of this cuff, nearest the nipple (orange arrow). The leak still occurred and it was obvious it was coming from the end of the cuff at the green arrow. After I applied sac cement around this part of the cuff, between the cuff and the metal of the section, the leak no longer occurs, after several weeks in my warm pocket.

 

It's true this is a bad design (can someone enlighten me as to why there is a removable metal cuff, that doesn't seal up the section/feed complex enough to keep the pen from leaking?) but the fix is reversible with heat and is effective, best I can tell. That and the fact that I was able to purchase this beautiful pen at a much-reduced cost made the whole adventure worth it to me, because the nib is really a beautifully smooth, wet writer.

Of note I also have an Intensity in the chrome "Medici" pattern that does not have leak issues. I wonder if this is common to Intensities; certainly disappointing if it is, and I can understand why fpconverted got rid of his.

 

Matt

[csm17csm]

I think I found a fix, at least something which has been working all week. I had a leak on my sheaffer prelude coming from the section. The piston converter was very loose fitting. The plastic part that mates with nipple on the section/feed assembly was cracked, resulting in the loose fit and definitely gave a path for the ink to leak out. Not sure how sustainable this is, but I just put the converter on my pen without the metal collar and the plastic insert found in the collar. Seems like it is unnecessary. Now the fit is fine and no leaks. The collar can be pulled straight off, though I needed to grab the collar with pliers to keep a grip on it. If you have this problem, try pulling off the collar and just be careful when mating what's left of the converter to the nipple.

[bob_hayden]

has anyone tried an old Made in USA Sheaffer converter in these pens?

[Ron Z]

In most cases, if a Sheaffer piston converter fits, the squeeze converter will as well.

[bob_hayden]

Actually I was thinking made in Iowa vs. made elsewhere. The first couple of generations from Iowa were stainless steel squeeze converters. Then they went to a clear plastic one with a knob to turn. The squeezies are smaller and so fit more old Sheaffers. Sheaffer made cartridge pens for many years before they offered a converter so the barrels of those older cartridge pens were not designed to hold a converter. I wrote Sheaffer back then and asked why they did not offer a converter and they said another company had the patent on those. In any event, it is hit or miss whether you can fit a USA Sheaffer converter into one of the old Dollar Pens, with the stainless steel version much more likely to work.

 

I only bring this up because I have been using the USA converters since they came out and never had a problem with them, and some of mine must be 50 years old by now. So if I had the offending pen here I would try one of those old reliables, and if it still leaked I would suspect the pen.

[Ron Z]

Don't throw away your old black end squeeze converters. The red end ones (which had a PVC sac) are up to $45 and climbing, when you can find them. I can put a PVC sac in one for 1/3 that price, and you'll have a converter that will outlast both of us.

[bob_hayden]

Thanks for clarifying the two generations of squeezies. To add a little detail, the shell looks like stainless steel, but at the end where the ink comes out there is a plastic plug with a hole in it to connect to the pen. That plastic was either black or (I would say) maroon.

[Ron Z]

Picture?