New Parker 51 Special- Help With Filling?

[vigilantefridge]

Hi guys,

 

My Parker 51 Special just arrived, and it's already my favorite pen. What a fantastic writer.

I filled it with ink and it filled well enough, but there was still a fairly large chunk of air in the filler. Is there a certain 'trick' to getting as much ink as possible in these aerometric fillers?

 

Thanks!

[mike.jane]

I believe on the 51 Special's filler unit it is stamped in that you should press the bar 4 times in succession. (read quickly squeeze it 4 times)

Did you do that?

 

(On other 51 Aerometrics there were also instructions stamped in, but the number of squeezes was higher, I believe.)

[NinthSphere]

Four or six, whatever. Squeeze, release, squeeze, release, etc. until no air bubbles come out. No trick to it.

[Buzz_130]

You will have space and air left over in the filler after you press to fill 4 or 6 times. The ink is not going to fill higher than the filler tube. However, your special will write for weeks on that fill.

 

Enjoy your pen!

 

Buzz

[vigilantefridge]

I believe on the 51 Special's filler unit it is stamped in that you should press the bar 4 times in succession. (read quickly squeeze it 4 times)

Did you do that?

 

(On other 51 Aerometrics there were also instructions stamped in, but the number of squeezes was higher, I believe.)

I was squeezing, but slowly. Perhaps that is the reason why? I'll try it faster later.

 

Thanks everyone!

[Ron Z]

I was squeezing, but slowly. Perhaps that is the reason why? I'll try it faster later.

 

Thanks everyone!

 

Speed doesn't make any difference. As a matter of fact faster may actually give you less of a fill.... You should wait a couple of seconds between squeezes to allow the ink to flow into the sac.

 

As already noted, the pen won't fill higher than the top of the breather tube. Air and ink more more freely through the breather tube than through the ink delivery system i.e. feed and all that. Air gets pushed out with each squeeze, ink is drawn in through the breather tube in increments, a little at a time until it reaches the top of the breather tube. After that, air and ink get pushed back out with each squeeze. If you aren't getting much ink into the pen (VS not as much as you would like to think it should) it is possible that the breather tube has come loose or has broken off.

 

Some of the 51 specials have a relatively short celluloid tube, much like the Vac fill 51s and Vacumatics had, compared to the much longer ones of the regular 51 aerometric that had a longer sterling breather tube.

[Runnin_Ute]

You will have space and air left over in the filler after you press to fill 4 or 6 times. The ink is not going to fill higher than the filler tube. However, your special will write for weeks on that fill.

 

Enjoy your pen!

 

Buzz

I can attest to this. Write for weeks and weeks. Go a week or more without using starts right up.