You've Got Your First Found In The Wild Parker 51 In Your Hand, Now What?

[TimGirdler]

Thanks, Tim! It took me a couple'a minutes to stop whacking my head on the bench, that's for sure. Was SO close to having the job done without it going on me! Fortunately, there's enough sticking out of the feed still that I suspect I might be able to simply grasp it with a pair of hemostats to remove from the warmed feed, without resorting to drilling at all. If needed, I have a lathe with a fine chuck, and a very good jacobs for the tailstock, so I'm not at all worried about that! Plus, drill bits available in cobalt and carbide in every imaginable size (I work at a place that does tons of CNC machining, so we've got em ALL).

 

How much does the feed need to be heated to be effective at removal? I see that a heat gun is mentioned as a source, but that covers quite a range of temperatures!

 

Oh, I wasn't SERIOUSLY considering trying to solder it,the oxides would render it all but impossible in any case. No chance of clearing them well enough to allow the solder to wet properly, even if there WAS enough metal left. Heat sinking the feed so it doesn't take damage wouldn't be ALL that tough, but still more trouble than it's worth. I'll just order a new one from David. As an engineer, I'm a firm believer in not re-inventing the wheel.

 

I've never been successful using the "brute force" method to remove the remnants of a breather tube. Richard advocates the lathe (binding the bit on the remnant; no heat). However, I find the method Ron Zorn uses to work the best for me (binding the bit on the remnant; using heat). Of course, your mileage may vary. I use a pin vise with the proper bit and I do it by hand and heat. Then again, when restoring "51" connectors, I use a power drill and I hold the connector in my left hand while using the drill in my right, doing it all free hand--and I don't recommend this method. I just seem to be able to do it without killing the connector.

 

As for the heat.... Hard rubber (which the feed likely is) is pretty hearty stuff. I use a heat gun from A.C. Moore and I generally rotate the feed in the heat for about 3 seconds, and I hold the feed up from the nozzle of the gun. If it isn't enough, I increase the time by a second or two. If there is any deformation from removing the tube, simply reheat the feed (after the tube is removed) and let it cool on its own--the hard rubber will return to its original shape.

 

Actually, in all of my "51" restorations these days, I'm heating the feeds whether I think they need it or not. It ensures that it will be as close to factory shape as possible and will engage the nib properly. And, if necessary I can heat set the feed in a similar way...

 

Heating feeds like this has a bit of a knack to it, which is to say it comes by experience (and the few...or many... oddly melted pen parts).

 

After the feed is cooled, insert the new tube--making sure that the small hole in the tube is closest to the feed.

 

Blessings,

 

Tim

[Komitadjie]

Well, I just completed the replacement!

 

I was successful in removing the stub of the existing breather tube by warming the feed with an embossing gun until it was just at about the top level of where my fingers were comfortable (about 130 degrees, give or take) then grasping the protruding remnant of the tube firmly in a pair of forceps, and holding the feed in my left hand applied a slow, twisting pressure. The tube remnant came out with no fuss what-so-ever, for which I was quite glad! I had the pinvice and bit on standby, I was 90% expecting the tube to simply fracture at the top of the feed next, but it held together and came out clean. I warmed the feed again, just to make sure it was back to original shape, then installed the new tube with a gentle twisting push (made sure that small hole was closest to the feed!).

 

I installed the clutch ring, then threaded the shroud back on next, using a very light brush with an orange coloured pencil on the section threads to mark where the point lined up, then removed it and re-installed the feed, nib and collector.

 

A light brushing with shellac (orange) using a hobby brush to coat just the threads, then threaded the shroud back on. Fortunately, everything lined up just right the first time, and I didn't have to fiddle with it too much!

 

Now, just sitting and waiting for the shellac to set up, and I'm going to ink 'er up with some Parker Quink (black) and give 'er a shot!

[johnmc2]

This is all great, but lacks one thing: pictures. For those of you who (like me) need to see as well as read, here is a pic of the Aero (I think!) disassembled. So you can see all the parts that Bruce is talking about in his narrative.

 

Can anyone find a similar pic for the Vac? I'd appreciate it.

There is this one:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v249/takematsu/Anatomy51_zps6b85a23d.jpg

[fountain_pen_scout]

Great post! Thanks. I recently bought my first 51 vacumatic on ebay. The seller didn't list it as a 51 or a vac but pictures told me that it was indeed a 51 vac...I got a great deal as the pen is in excellent condition. It even worked! But I ran into the issue you mentioned-it stopped working after I had depleted the ink. The plunger no longer "plunged" cleanly when I attempted to flush it, so I had to send it off to get reconditioned. I am looking forward to getting it back!

 

In my estate sale/antique mall peregrinations, I have found many 51 aerometrics but never a vac. One recent aero find leaked like a sieve so I disassembled and replaced the broken breather tube and the gummed up ink sac. The leak was fixed and it wrote like a 51 is supposed to write; I was able to sell it for a nice profit.

Thanks again!

[ac12]

I really like the soaking method.

On some of these old eBay pens, it takes a LONG time to dissolve the old ink in the pen.

 

But I recommend soaking even longer than the OP states, and make sure you pump the water thru the pen.

I just got through working on a P51 that I "thought" I had cleaned well.

I then had to remove the hood, to clean some "stuff" off the feed. When I removed the hood, the back 1/3 of the collector was colored and full of dried ink. This easily cleaned up in the USC. But what bothered me was that it did not come clean in my soaking process, and only cleaned out after I removed the hood to gain access to the collector.

 

Maybe I did not soak long enough, maybe I did not fill the pen enough (pressing the fill bar). But the end result after soaking was there was still a lot of old dry ink in the collector. And depending on what ink you fill with, and what color the old ink is, you could get an unpleasant surprise when your new ink starts to blend with the remaining old ink and discolor.

[Komitadjie]

Well, and soaking IS only a stopgap to get it running. To really get it CLEAN, you do need to take it apart, as you discovered.

[OcalaFlGuy]

Well, and soaking IS only a stopgap to get it running. To really get it CLEAN, you do need to take it apart, as you discovered.

 

I'm sorry, I don't think that's entirely true.

 

I DO think a good many Aero 51s can be soaked and flushed Clean with persistence Without taking them apart. Ie; I disagree with your usage of "stopgap". (Or else I wouldn't have gone to the effort of the thread to begin with.)

 

I will Certainly Agree there Are cases where an Aero Needs to come apart and that was Clearly mentioned in the original post.

 

I have opened pens up After they've been thoroughly soaked and flushed and found them Clean. So I KNOW it is not only possibly but likely.

 

You are certainly entitled to your opinion. However, your opinion as you worded it does not jibe with what I've personally seen to be the case.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

[Komitadjie]

You're the expert here, man, I bow to your million times more knowledge! I based that statement off of my own recent run-through; despite a bit more than twice the suggested soaking, I still had a significant amount of gunk in the collector fins when I opened it up. I know at least that *mine* would not have been clean (and exhibited minor flow problems as a result) without pulling it apart and cleaning it out thoroughly.

 

No doubt if the original user used a not-so-tenacious ink, or if they did a proper job of cleaning it so it's not massively gunked up, it would most likely come spotlessly clean with just soaking. After this, though, I don't think *I* would be comfortable calling it 'cleaned' without actually opening it up and making sure. My case was probably the exception rather than the rule, though.

[OcalaFlGuy]

I certainly don't consider myself any 51 expert. I just saw a need for some instructions that Would Help *some* new 51 owners that hadn't already been placed somewhere easy for them to find.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

[pajaro]

How clean do you have to get a pen for it to function well? If you take the pen apart and more or less powerwash the parts, you are going to reassemble it again, and fill it with ink again. Then it starts over again. I have kept my first 51 in more or less continuous use for forty-four years. I have relied on whatever additives the ink makers put in the ink to help keep it clean. I have found the 51 to be a lot less sensitive to drying ink inside than the Sonnet, for example, which really needs disassembly and thorough cleaning if it doesn't have good ink flow. I think you should evaluate each pen to see how it works after a soak and flush. If it works pretty well, why tempt fate? If it is sticky, then you might need to pull it apart. Then, some people just like to disassemble pens to see how they work or what is under the hood. Advanced users of fountain pens might very well want to be familiar with the pen's internals. For the young, in fifty years will there be fountain pen repair people? I would save all this info somewhere and not depend on the Web to preserve it.

[Komitadjie]

That's what I did, Pajaro. I used the procedure outlined here first, and it DID get it running where it would take up ink and write. It exhibited some hard starting and some skipping issues, though, which lead me to do the full tear-down and find the collector still kind of crudded up. And I most definitely agree, use the most minimally-invasive method possible consistent with getting the performance you desire. Every additional step you take increases the risk of damaging something! So if you can get it running well with the soak-and-flush? Awesome! And at worst, you're only out the two days, you can always go ahead with the break-down afterwards.

 

I just want to be completely clear, I am not trying to say this process is a bad idea! I certainly can't think of a better one to start with, given the zero-risk to the pen, and the well-known ability of the 51 to take off again with just a good flushing. Only thing I might add after messing with mine would be ultrasonic periodically during the flush, if you've got the capability. The ultrasonic blasted the crud RIGHT out of that collector! Might have even done it with the hood still installed, that'd be fun to test at some point.

[pajaro]

The ultrasonic would be a good cleaning enhancement. Many collectors work on their own pens. If you are a collector, and that includes most everyone here, tearing each type of pen down to familiarize yourself with the internals of the type is probably a good thing. It will give you insight as to when you really should disassemble and clean the pen.

 

People talk about the Parker 51 collector as if it were a real trouble spot for collection of gunk and dried ink residues. Compare the 51 collector with a Sonnet or Frontier feed. These types have all those fins behind the feed, and isn't that like the collector of the 51, but in miniature? Many of modern C/C pens have this structure. I found this to be a real problem in both Sonnet and Frontier. So, the things you learn and see tearing down the 51 can give insight about other pens you are likely to run into.

[Gump]

I thought I would share my aero experience thus far. When I first received my pen I gave it the long soak and flush routine, cleaning out a fair amount of ink in the process. It skipped and wrote terribly so I put it to soak again for several days, and left it to dry as I left town for several days. I returned to find that a good bit of additional ink had leached out, but the pen still did not flow well.

 

Around the same time I received another 51 back from Mr. 51 and began to compare the two, noting that the nib seemed to be pressed into the hood section. I pulled gently on the nib using the same technique utilized to remove a Lamy Safari nib and it eased into a position comparable to my professionally restored 51. I soaked and gave it a dip in an ultrasonic cleaner and now it is writing quite well.

 

Before and after pics are below for your review. I haven't seen this mentioned previously, but it seems to have worked for me.

 

[Thier.]

I've just received my first 51. It's wonderfull !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! as soon I have time enough (let's say tomorrow ....) I'll flush and fill it before testing it .....

[Menti]

Tell me please, how to distinguish regular Parker 51 (with gold nib) from the more cheap Parker 51 Special (with stainless-steel, «Octanium» nib) on the Ebay's photos?

parker51.com says, that «Special» version have black «jewel» on cap, but almost all pens which I see on Ebay, seems have this.

Edited August 17, 2014 by Menti

[OcalaFlGuy]

Menti, not only were there two somewhat differently kitted out renditions of the Special, Parker may also have substituted some Standard 51 parts (Gray jewels, Gold nibs) into Special models in times of Special parts shortages on the production line. It is also completely likely that at sometime in 50 years or so, a whole different cap could have been put on a Special pen that was originally not on it.

 

The one part of the pen probably the Least likely to be switched out over the years would be the filler itself. It Could be switched but it's probably the Most likely part to remain original.

 

All Special fillers will have "Special" engraved on the filler itself. They will All also be of the open hoop style versus the fully enclosed "cage" style of the Standard.

 

The last possible plot complication there is that many Demi Standard 51s also have the same open style filler. If you aren't able to read the "Special" writing on the filler, you Can easily confuse a Special filler with that of a Demi Standard 51. To eliminate that possibility, determine that the pen in question is without doubt a full sized 51 by it's capped length of 5 3/8s inches, a Demi will be 5". Thusly, a full sized pen with the hoop filler Will be a Special.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

[Menti]

Menti, not only were there two somewhat differently kitted out renditions of the Special, Parker may also have substituted some Standard 51 parts (Gray jewels, Gold nibs) into Special models in times of Special parts shortages on the production line. It is also completely likely that at sometime in 50 years or so, a whole different cap could have been put on a Special pen that was originally not on it.

 

The one part of the pen probably the Least likely to be switched out over the years would be the filler itself. It Could be switched but it's probably the Most likely part to remain original.

 

All Special fillers will have "Special" engraved on the filler itself. They will All also be of the open hoop style versus the fully enclosed "cage" style of the Standard.

 

The last possible plot complication there is that many Demi Standard 51s also have the same open style filler. If you aren't able to read the "Special" writing on the filler, you Can easily confuse a Special filler with that of a Demi Standard 51. To eliminate that possibility, determine that the pen in question is without doubt a full sized 51 by it's capped length of 5 3/8s inches, a Demi will be 5". Thusly, a full sized pen with the hoop filler Will be a Special.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

Thank you a lot!

 

Now I can exactly distinguish a «Special» filler from a regular filler, expecially that I want to buy 51 in full suze, not Demi .

[TXKat]

I'm new here so be gentle!

I have been sitting on a stache of old, third tier pens from my Grams for a few years now. Cascades, Venus, Stratford and some are/were in various forms of needing parts, so while going BACK to look at them again.....I realized one is a Dove Grey Parker 51 and it says so on the pen, so not dreaming!!

 

it shows a 6 on the pen, so I'm thinking it's from 1946 or did I read elsewhere incorrectly? Also...I think it's a vacumatic, but not sure. It has what is now an amber colored plunger button under the blind cap. Am I wrong? Completely possible, lol..(just don't ask the hubby 'bout that part). The jewel on the cap looks like a grey swirl stone or is that just an old plastic jewel that has discolored? There were so many options on these pens that I need your expertise, please!

 

I'll be good and sit quietly in the corner if you help me this once! Promise!

 

Thanks! ~Kat

[OcalaFlGuy]

All of your guesses sound correct.

 

Check out;

 

Parker51. com

Richardspens.com search on Parker 51

Parkercollector.com Parker 51 tab on the left

 

Welcome!

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

[TXKat]

Oh, thank you!

 

Apparently I have a '46 with a long arrow clip cap in the Silver setup.

 

Thanks Bruce!!