Sheaffer Crest Vac Fill 2nd Gen - "How To" restoration tutorial

Here is a method for repairing the second version of the Sheaffer Vac-Fills (inner ink chamber). There are many slight variations of this but they all include getting at the packing unit and then sealing it again. This is a rather straight forward method, and very tried and true. There are some variations in the use of glue vs solvent to seal the polystyrene washer - I learned the solvent method but may one day try the glue method (The first link shows this, actually - but I think the glue he uses includes MEK, which is an acetone alternative...aka solvent).
The touchiest parts of this repair are getting the nib unit off and then back on (Water, heat, and a gentle hand are important), the drilling of the packing unit (definitely start by hand turning your drill bit to get the feel of it), and then the re-packing of the seal (make sure things seat well and are allowed to set for as long as needed).

Supplies to use/consider:
Hair dryer or heat source for nib unit (after probably a week of soaking in water)
Tool/modified tweezers for removing filling knob
toothpicks/q-tips
Replacement seals (see links below)
Silicone grease
Shellac
Polishing tools of choice (I used micro mesh pads size 1500 - 12000, simichrome polish, and Novus polishes)

Some useful links:
   • Sheaffer vac- fill repair- spliced se...  

https://www.vintagepens.com/catill_sa...
(This is David Nishimura's site with the seals and items you may need for these pens in particular)

https://vintagepens.com/FAQrepair/plu...