Snorkel conical nib and feed, with Aurora blue ink

[FredRydr]

So, after I restored a Sheaffer Snorkel Statesman EF with all the bells and whistles including PVC sac and o-ring, everything worked...except I was frustrated by the lack of ink flow from tip to paper. I checked all the points, including those esoteric Snorkel details like snorkel tube slit position. I disassembled and re-cleaned the front end and the snorkel tube a couple of times. Oh, it even gave a couple of good squirts when ejecting a fill; Shemp Howard would've been proud. I spent more than enough time tweaking the tines, and cleaning the slit and mating surface between feed and nib. Lastly, I switched from Waterman blue to Aurora blue because the latter always seemed "wet" to me. But no improvement. I cursed the thing and set it full in my pen rack with no plan in mind, but convinced this was more proof that Snorkel pens are ridiculous.

Hours later, I return to attack the problem. It writes beautifully! Did feed and nib come to a reconciliation through mediation by Aurora? I don't have an answer, but I'm not complaining.

[Yazeh]

Thank you for sharing this experience. :)

That must have been frustrating at first.
I am curious, did you let it settle down with the Waterman ink also?

[FredRydr]

...did you let it settle down with the Waterman ink also?
Maybe an hour at most, and I emptied, disassembled and cleaned again before trying the Aurora ink. The Aurora ink was about 6 hours.

[Seattleite]

I'm really just curious... PVC sac in a snorkel?

As to your mystery, perhaps it is one where the inks are having some difficulty in "wetting" the surfaces on freshly cleaned and assembled parts. Different surfactants in inks may be at play. Also, Silicone grease can easily get where you don't want it from a lubed up point seal when assembling a Snorkel.

Bob

[FredRydr]

I'm really just curious... PVC sac in a snorkel?

As to your mystery, perhaps it is one where the inks are having some difficulty in "wetting" the surfaces on freshly cleaned and assembled parts. Different surfactants in inks may be at play. Also, Silicone grease can easily get where you don't want it from a lubed up point seal when assembling a Snorkel.

Bob
Yes, I've switched to PVC in Snorkels; it was a hard sell but another premature latex demise convinced me. I agree about the inks. I'm covered on the silicon issue with Snorkel tubes; I apply less than an invisible smear on the back part of the skinny tube, and only after reassembly. Rube Goldberg would be proud.

[Seattleite]

Well, this motivated me to check out David Nisimura's site. Didn't know that there was a PVC sac for a Snorkel. Thanks for that! I still have a bag of #14 latex, but the failure of one sure is a mess in a Snorkel, so I ordered some of the PVC. I'll keep the latex for some of those little pens that I never bother to restore.

Bob

[penwash]

Good job, Fred.

Not to take away anything from your valiant effort, but I never liked the snorkel mechanism at all, repaired several, found it to be no big deal to get the squirt in the end, so even *that* novelty wore out for me quickly.

The only snorkel-like mechanism that I am willing to undertake again would be if an unrestored, but complete PFM fell into my lap. :)

[FredRydr]

...I never liked the snorkel mechanism at all....
Like a push-button automatic transmission from the same decade, the Snorkel deserves preservation...in a museum.


https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.classiccarstodayonline.com%2Fw p-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F05%2F1956-Chrysler-Imperial-pushbutton.jpg&f=1&nofb=1
Thank you Chrysler Corporation

[Sailor Kenshin]

Mr. Kenshin's first car had one of those. So did a high school pal's Plymouth Valiant. Cooool.

[Jon Szanto]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.classiccarstodayonline.com%2Fw p-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F05%2F1956-Chrysler-Imperial-pushbutton.jpg&f=1&nofb=1
Thank you Chrysler Corporation

I’d hit it.

[Ron Z]

Somebody needs to trace the numbers with a toothpick, and then fill them in with Rub-N-Buff.

[Jon Szanto]

Somebody needs to trace the numbers with a toothpick, and then fill them in with Rub-N-Buff.

Never heard of that before, looks like a neat product!

[pajaro]

Ah, nostalgia. I learned to drive on a light blue and white Rambler station wagon with pushbutton shifter. Continuing my penchant for orphan makes, I have had two Saturns. Still driving the 2002 Saturn sedan I bought on Halloween, 2001.

[corgicoupe]

...I never liked the snorkel mechanism at all....
Like a push-button automatic transmission from the same decade, the Snorkel deserves preservation...in a museum.


https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.classiccarstodayonline.com%2Fw p-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F05%2F1956-Chrysler-Imperial-pushbutton.jpg&f=1&nofb=1
Thank you Chrysler Corporation

And no Park, just like my 1949 Cadillac.