What is on your bench?

[LoveBigPensAndCannotLie]

I don't think it's really being dishonest, just the customer service is a little... lacking. 

 

Anyways, first restored/cleaned up pen of the new year, this Waterman CC (I think? the cap is a little different from ones I found online, might be an earlier one). Got it as part of my Christmas gifts and it was in really grody condition.

 

Before:

 

 

 

 

After:

 

 

 

The bottom of the pen has a little distortion at the tip but not too bad. The pen body was severely stained, I was able to get most of it off, except some near the clutch. Did have a minor issue with this one, the threads for the body are a little tight and when I screwed everything back together and tried unscrewing it again, I unscrewed the hood instead. 

 

Not sure if I am supposed to use some kind of sealant but it has an o-ring and shouldn't leak so I just tightened as far as I felt was safe and it seems okay now. I don't think most people would bother with such a cheap pen but it is a decent writer (so far) and I kind of like how the slightly tubular nib looks.

 

I need to pick up some spare vintage CC/CF cartridges to refill for this though. This didn't come with one but I used one from another pen. It's not in great condition, not sure how much longer it will last.

[Checklist]

That is one heck of a transformation!  A job to be proud of.

[LoveBigPensAndCannotLie]

4 hours ago, Checklist said:

That is one heck of a transformation!  A job to be proud of.

 

Thanks! I'm glad I got it cleaned up, had some not so good luck recently with a Sheaffer 330 in even worse shape than this pen. The trim and all the metal bits (except for the nib) were so severely corroded it looked like it was underwater for a decade. Part of the cap band (and the entire lower part of the clutch) literally rotted off while I was cleaning it up.

[Ron Z]

1 hour ago, LoveBigPensAndCannotLie said:

 

Thanks! I'm glad I got it cleaned up, had some not so good luck recently with a Sheaffer 330 in even worse shape than this pen. The trim and all the metal bits (except for the nib) were so severely corroded it looked like it was underwater for a decade. Part of the cap band (and the entire lower part of the clutch) literally rotted off while I was cleaning it up.

 

 

That's what we call a parts pen.

[LoveBigPensAndCannotLie]

29 minutes ago, Ron Z said:

 

 

That's what we call a parts pen.

 

I think I just need a cap for it, the body of the pen is fine. But it's like a $30 pen and a replacement cap would probably cost me $15 so I think I am going to wait until I get a cap in a lot of parts. Or maybe another broken Sheaffer 330/440/etc. except this time with a good cap.

 

 

Picture of the pen before the cap band fell off. I have never seen corrosion this bad. Kinda looks like someone fished it out of a lake.

[cat74]

Just two Watermans pens. Both needed sacs and both came to me without the original nibs (had gold plated steel nibs)...made my first knockout block! The nib on the blue one was corroded so I had to get it out and polished it up!!

A little split in the cap. Pretty sure the cap liner will prevent nib dry out..not sure if I can fill the split in?? or if I could fill it in what with!!

[GlenV]

That can be filled pretty well, although some shape change from the clip stress may have caused it the end doesn't look too bad to me. Since is celluloid a strong fill can be made 

with a similar colored piece, maybe from a broken blue estie or similar color gray I would do that way myself as so much shrinking with dissolved celluloid would take a long time to fill that way.

I would cut out a small similar colored celluloid and when you like the fit can mix up some acetone and celluloid for "glue."  A little finishing work and I think would look fine.

 

[LoveBigPensAndCannotLie]

This is probably a dumb question but I am a little measurement impaired. I went back to the store and got the sac exchanged, but the guy just had a jumble of various diaphragms in one bag, all different sizes. This was the smallest one he could find but I can't tell if it's a debutante size or not.

 

 

The one on the bottom that I cut too short is definitely a debutante size (or it was labeled as such when I bought it...), the one on top is the new one. To my eyes it looks a tiny bit bigger but I am sure there are minor variations from sac to sac.

 

Safe to use for a Parker 51 vac?

[FarmBoy]

I think you will be fine.

[Nethermark]

I received a Burgundy Montblanc 221 (or similar) pen this week and cleaned it out and put a cartridge in it, only to discover, it has a hairline crack in the section (or hood) at the nib end, where ink seeps out. I had checked the pen for this, but hadn’t noticed it, so it doesn’t seem as if there is much pressure on this point.

 

I would like some guidance on how to repair this, so it at least is in writing condition again. I was considering making the crack a bit wider from below and filling it in with super glue or epoxy. Another option is to weld it with MEK, but I’m not certain this will work so well on these pens (I assume they are acrylic)

 

Any thoughts?

[VacNut]

26 minutes ago, Nethermark said:

I received a Burgundy Montblanc 221 (or similar) pen this week and cleaned it out and put a cartridge in it, only to discover, it has a hairline crack in the section (or hood) at the nib end, where ink seeps out. I had checked the pen for this, but hadn’t noticed it, so it doesn’t seem as if there is much pressure on this point.

 

I would like some guidance on how to repair this, so it at least is in writing condition again. I was considering making the crack a bit wider from below and filling it in with super glue or epoxy. Another option is to weld it with MEK, but I’m not certain this will work so well on these pens (I assume they are acrylic)

 

Any thoughts?

Looks like there has been discussion about this. Can you find the replacement hood?

[VacNut]

Looking through the forum, it seems the 221 commonly cracks at the hood and the barrel.

[Nethermark]

13 minutes ago, VacNut said:

Looks like there has been discussion about this. Can you find the replacement hood?

 Thanks for the reply! I saw the discussion in the thread you mention. However, a replacement hood for a red version is not so readily available. I would also prefer to do a repair if possible, instead of spending a lot on a replacement hood

[LoveBigPensAndCannotLie]

15 hours ago, FarmBoy said:

I think you will be fine.

 

Thanks, ended up using the sac. It fit okay.

 

I can't say this was a perfect restoration (I don't think any of mine are...) but this is definitely the most "comprehensive" restoration of a Parker 51 I've done (in terms of reassembling the filler and installing a new pellet cup). I also put in a new spring, I figured why not. I think I did everything except take apart the cap, which I don't have the tools for and didn't need to do.

 

I'm not sure I lined up the hood perfectly but I know I'll keep tinkering with it until I break it so I just left it as is. It's a tiny bit off but I don't think anyone would notice unless they really looked. I maybe have overcut the diaphragm a tiny bit again as well but I hope it won't make a difference.

 

Going to let the shellac for the hood dry for an hour or two and try filling it. I already tried before doing the final fitting of the hood and it filled pretty well, or at least as well as the other Parker 51 vacs I've used. I wish there was a better way to tell how good of a fill you're getting on these.

[FarmBoy]

3 hours ago, LoveBigPensAndCannotLie said:

 

Thanks, ended up using the sac. It fit okay.

 

I can't say this was a perfect restoration (I don't think any of mine are...) but this is definitely the most "comprehensive" restoration of a Parker 51 I've done (in terms of reassembling the filler and installing a new pellet cup). I also put in a new spring, I figured why not. I think I did everything except take apart the cap, which I don't have the tools for and didn't need to do.

 

I'm not sure I lined up the hood perfectly but I know I'll keep tinkering with it until I break it so I just left it as is. It's a tiny bit off but I don't think anyone would notice unless they really looked. I maybe have overcut the diaphragm a tiny bit again as well but I hope it won't make a difference.

 

Going to let the shellac for the hood dry for an hour or two and try filling it. I already tried before doing the final fitting of the hood and it filled pretty well, or at least as well as the other Parker 51 vacs I've used. I wish there was a better way to tell how good of a fill you're getting on these.

Parker had a guage to measure the fill of a 51.  It should hold around 1.4 ml.  You can just weigh the pen empty then weigh it full and determine how much ink is in it.

[Ron Z]

42 minutes ago, FarmBoy said:

Parker had a gauge measure the fill of a 51. 

 

There's an article on my blog, written years ago, showing a drawing of Parker's gauge and the one that I made out of a paint ball tube.  I still use them to test 51s and Vacs after restoring them.  Note that there will be some variation in ink taken in even on a properly restored and working pen because of differences in the length of the breather tube.

[LoveBigPensAndCannotLie]

Need more Parker 51 vac advice... I picked up another one, mostly to practice getting the pellet out (finally got a dremel). I can't get the filler out.

 

 

There's some white residue all around the edges of the bottom threads, looks like oxidation of the metal? Which I am assuming is not a good sign.

 

I have tried applying some heat (careful not to heat up the plunger itself too much), it has not moved at all. I'm using one of those vac blocks and the threads just slip off even when I tighten it. I think the brass is too soft and the threads in the tool are deforming instead of holding on.

[Ron Z]

One of the reasons why I bought a vac wrench. 

[LoveBigPensAndCannotLie]

17 minutes ago, Ron Z said:

One of the reasons why I bought a vac wrench. 

 

Is the oxidation anything to worry about? Also, have you tried/recommend the "new" vac extractor that's been popular lately? The one with the three-segment collet instead of two-segments like the traditional wrenches? It's more expensive and I am not sure if it is worth it. 

 

I guess I can pick up a vac wrench. I should have gotten a set of those in the first place but it was cheaper to get the block. It's been a recurring pattern, I get a cheaper tool and end up needing to get a more expensive one later.

 

To be fair, the block was good enough for most of the pens I've come across so far. I'm gotten through I think four Parker 51 vacs and a handful of non-51 vacumatics. Not counting a Parker 51 where the pump came out just by unscrewing with my fingers, since that didn't use the block either.

[Ron Z]

I don't like the blocks.  I made mine when I first started (they're in the "Cheap Tools" articles), and used them for years.  They tend to slip, it's harder to get torque on them, and it's also possible to crush the filler, especially plastic if they have more than a small wing nut to tighten them.  I've seen the new wrench, but haven't bought one.  Not that I see anything wrong with the design (other than using aluminum for the collet) but I've been using my wrenches for 20 years now, and when repairing pens "muscle memory" counts.   Some folks really like them though.

 

Yes, the oxidation is a factor.  It can bunch up and put outward pressure on the barrel, which can crack the barrel.  You need something to soften the aluminum oxide crystals that have formed.