Nos Parker 51 Nib Won't Write

[PAMDiracAF]

Hello all,

 

I recently purchased a new old stock fine octanium nib for my P51 Aero. The only issue is that once inked up it will not release any ink. Is there something special I'm suppose to do to make the pen write well? Currently the only way to make it write is to apply extra force so as to split the tines enough to release ink.

 

Thanks in advance

[AL01]

The nib tines could be too close together or it could be that the hood has shrunk, (happens on 21s - not sure about a 51 though), and that puts pressure on the nib.

 

Hope that helps...

[Ron Z]

Check the slit. You should be able to easily slide a .001" piece of shim stock in the slit, and 0.002" with a snug fit.

[PAMDiracAF]

The tines are definitely too close together. I'm pretty sure they are touching towards the point. Would the soultion be to heat the nib in a water bath, slide in the brass sheet and let it cool?

[Ron Z]

Don't confuse the space between the feed with how open the slit is. The feed should be tight against the nib. The slit should be open no more than 2 thousandths of an inch to carry ink to the tip,

 

Heating the metal with hot water won't do anything. You'd need a torch, and you don't should not heat a nib (especially gold) enough to soften it. You'll ruin it. Just nudge the nibs up a little at a time, one at a time, to open the gap a tad. Don't do it without brass shim stock to test to make sure that you haven't gone too far. Make sure that the bottom of the tines line up evenly.

 

If you haven't adjusted nib before, I suggest that you check a repair manual or check Richard Binders site for instructions before you start.

[AL01]

Get one of those DVD cases thingys and find one of those black square thingy. Get that black square thingy out and rip out that clear plastic back. You will find some thin strips of metal. Shimmy those strips of metal between the tines, if there is some blockage then it should remove it, or fold the metal strip and shimmy it through the tines - this should temporarily spread the tines - you will then be able to locate the problem.

[Ron Z]

May I suggest that rather than rely on "thingys" with undetermined thickness, a more reliable thing to do would be to go to a hobby shop or a hardware store that sells some of the K&S brass stock and buy a pack of shim stock. The thinnest stuff is 0.001" (1 thousandths) thick. It also includes 0.002", 0.003 and 0.005" Enough to use on multiple pens, and to share with friends.

 

It's on eBay, and Amazon sells it for about $5.

[PAMDiracAF]

Thanks a ton for the suggestions so far.

 

I'm going to stop by the hobby shop tomorrow to pick up some shims of appropriate thickness. I'm curious if this is a common occurrence with NOS nibs. I was under the (probably incorrect) assumption that I would just need to put it in the pen align the feed and the hood and it'd be writing. I didn't realize I was going to have to manually adjust the nib such that it produced.

 

Also I've checked the alignment of the nib and the feed they are inline. The nib fits snugly about the feed. I found a post here that said the hood might be the issue so I tried writing "hoodless" but there was no improvement.

 

So it seems the way out is as Ron has suggested.

[AL01]

May I suggest that rather than rely on "thingys" with undetermined thickness, a more reliable thing to do would be to go to a hobby shop or a hardware store that sells some of the K&S brass stock and buy a pack of shim stock. The thinnest stuff is 0.001" (1 thousandths) thick. It also includes 0.002", 0.003 and 0.005" Enough to use on multiple pens, and to share with friends.

 

It's on eBay, and Amazon sells it for about $5.

 

I know that when it comes to pens I'm about as professional as that guy who slaps a TV to repair its intermittent colour problems but it has been working for me for about 3 years now...

[dcwaites]

Check the slit. You should be able to easily slide a .001" piece of shim stock in the slit, and 0.002" with a snug fit.

 

I had exactly this problem. Took a close look at the nib slit with a loupe and found a teensy, tiny piece of grot blocking the slit.

I ran the corner of a piece of paper down the slit (not having any shim stock available), removed the grot and now this is one of my best performing pens.

 

While you are at the hobby shop, see if they have any inexpensive loupes. While it won't do for nib grinding, a cheapy one will be good enough to check for basic tine alignment, gunge in slits, and the like.

[Vintagepens]

Factory replacement 51 nibs were typically shipped out with the tines pressing against each other, and need to be gapped upon installation -- as Ron noted.

 

Note that the metal shim stock should be used to *test* the slit width (I eyeball it myself, but I've also got a lot of experience). It should NOT be used to wedge or lever the slit open, even though it seems this has become SOP for a lot of FPN participants. Using shim stock in this way can easily scar the insides of the slit, interfering with proper ink flow, and can also end up applying damaging force to the tipping.

[FarmBoy]

Factory replacement 51 nibs were typically shipped out with the tines pressing against each other, and need to be gapped upon installation -- as Ron noted.

 

Note that the metal shim stock should be used to *test* the slit width (I eyeball it myself, but I've also got a lot of experience). It should NOT be used to wedge or lever the slit open, even though it seems this has become SOP for a lot of FPN participants. Using shim stock in this way can easily scar the insides of the slit, interfering with proper ink flow, and can also end up applying damaging force to the tipping.

Yup. Not clear how we went from flossing as in removing debris to flossing as in creating a spitting gap. Glad you have added to the chorus.

 

Anyone remember Frank and his pocket knife gapping nibs like they were spark plugs?

[PAMDiracAF]

I actually have a loupe and took a a good look. I also read Richard Binder's site which was very helpful in how the pen should be. After reading his site I realized the feed nib distance was not correct, nor was the alignment. I fix those things pretty easily.

 

However the pen still didn't write.I found this site http://www.jetpens.com/blog/guide-to-fountain-pen-nibs-troubleshooting-tips-and-tricks/pt/777. I essentially followed thier instructions for nib touching as well as how to fix the nib feed separation. I also discovered that my old 14k nib was splayed and may look into fixing it in the future.

 

The pen currently is writing! although it feels a tad scratchy. I'm not sure if I hurt it or if the fine nib is suppose to feel this way. I had to grade a classes final exam today and took it with me. I filled it and my trusty 45 with sheaffers red(one of the best reds for grading in my oppinion.) after the ink got flowing the scratchiness seemed to go away. Atleast compared to the previous nib, which I suspect needs smoothing it looked to have written a fafillion lines prior to me finding it and cleaning it up.

 

I have a second 51 in which I would like to use my second NOS nib on. I'm curious what the correct way to make the nib work from the factory default of touching.

 

Thanks again for all your advice. Finding these parkers in the wild really got me hooked and I like working with my hands. I wish I'd taken before and after pictures! Ha!

[AL01]

Factory replacement 51 nibs were typically shipped out with the tines pressing against each other, and need to be gapped upon installation -- as Ron noted.

 

Note that the metal shim stock should be used to *test* the slit width (I eyeball it myself, but I've also got a lot of experience). It should NOT be used to wedge or lever the slit open, even though it seems this has become SOP for a lot of FPN participants. Using shim stock in this way can easily scar the insides of the slit, interfering with proper ink flow, and can also end up applying damaging force to the tipping.

 

Makes sense... Well, that clears my vision.

 

Thanks, Al.

[Vintagepens]

One of the problems with the Jetpens site's recommendations is the risk of damage if pressure is applied on the tipping. Professionals bend tines by avoiding stressing the tipping's weld joint, putting pressure on the metal below the tipping instead. The other problem is with the recommendation to bend the nib onto the feed instead of the other way around. That's just plain backwards, and won't turn out well unless the nib is already sprung -- in which case it should be removed before being straightened (which should be the rule in any event, despite what the Jetpens site says).