Cracked Barrell

[Jamie]

Hi Folks,

I picked up a cheap Sheaffer from eBay, but on filling it with ink found that it was leaking from under the grip on the barrel. I removed the grip and found two cracks.

I've asked for a refund from the seller. Assuming that he deosn't want the pen back, is there any way that I can repair it?

As the cracks are under the grip it doesn't matter too much if it's pretty.

Silicone sealant perhaps?

[Cob]

By "grip" do you mean the section, i.e. the part that holds the nib and which is inserted into the end of the barrel?

You need to know what the part is made from; silicone is not ideal; you should use a suitable adhesive. Very liquid cyanoacrylate glue (Superglue) may be the best answer, but apply sparingly as it will melt many plastics. Is the pen very old? If so then the section (if this is what we are talking about) may be made from black hard rubber - Bakelite. The only glue that seems to works on this is Liquidweld, which is a type of Superglue, but actually seems to work on BHR.

Cob

[Jamie]

It's not very old. 90's perhaps?

This picture will show better than I can describe:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/iofs04y9dvublin/2014-10-30%2020.50.23.jpg (https://www.dropbox.com/s/iofs04y9dvublin/2014-10-30%2020.50.23.jpg?dl=0)

[Deb]

That's some form of plastic. You could try the suggestions that Cob has made. It's worth saying that sections don't take well to glued repairs because they are under constant, significant stress.

[Chrissy]

If it was me I would return it to the seller. If he says you can't send it back you can open a case with ebay for 'significantly not as described' and they will deal with it for you. You would be more likely to win than to lose

[Jamie]

The seller has been very good. He admitted that he didn't check it and has said that he will issue a refund. He told me to keep the pen.

I'll try superglue - if it doesn't work nothing has been lost.

Thanks for your help!

[Cob]

Well I think your principal problem will be to get the cracked area sufficiently clean to get any adhesive to work - I suppose it will be filled with old ink. The only solution (I think) would be to put the part into an ultra-sonic cleaner; otherwise you'll have to do your best to get it as clean as possible.

Best of luck

Cob

[AltecGreen]

Cyanoacrylate is rarely the best option in pen repair. People suggest it because it is something people know but it is not a good candidate in repairing a piece that will see some stress. Probably best use for CA in pen repair is as a filler. CA weakens with moisture and has low shear strength. In this case, solvent welding would be a better option. The solvent to use depends on the material in question. Although for a section, if the area where the cracks formed see any kind of stress, no repair may hold. Cleanliness is key for any kind of bonding. Ultimately, a replacement may be needed.