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DrChumley
August 1st, 2013, 05:11 PM
Hey all,

So, I've never tried repairing a vintage pen before. However, last weekend I found a Parker 51 Special (Navy Gray) in PRISTINE cosmetic condition, box and docs intact, at a local antique store (for $10). It looks as though the pen was filled once and ever used again. Unfortunately, whatever ink they put in the pen decades ago can't be flushed out. I've been flushing the pen for six days now, and I just can't get the water to run clean. I've also been hesitant to use a Pen Flush on it, in case it reacts poorly with the plastic or the mechanism of the pen. I've come to the conclusion that the pen needs to be taken apart and cleaned far more thoroughly. The nib also needs a bit of work--looks as though it needs to be "flossed" and re-aligned.

Having never attempted a repair like this before, I've been doing a lot of reading...most of which is so filled with warnings about what not to do to screw things up that I'm almost afraid to try anything at all. Since the pen was so inexpensive, it wouldn't kill me to make a mistake, but I'd like to avoid it nevertheless. So, a few questions:

* In order to remove the hood, I take it I will need to use heat to soften the shellac. I have read that hot water could be used, but that it can also damage some materials. I have ordered a hair dryer (which tickles me to no end since I've been rocking the bald head for the last few years...) Should I attempt to use warm/hot water first? Is the hair dryer a better option?

* Once I get the hood off, and have made my adjustments, do I need to re-shellac the hood? What materials should I use to do that if it is necessary? Is there a way to keep the hood more easily removable for future servicing? (Frankly, if my experiences thus far are any indication, cleaning the ink out of this thing will be a nightmare. Makes me appreciate my TWSBI...)

* Anything else I should be aware of / watch out for on this particular pen to keep from ruining the entire thing?

Any help is greatly appreciated!

dr.grace
August 1st, 2013, 06:59 PM
These pens are all difficult to flush out. Of course, it could well need to be restored thoroughly. But before taking it apart, I'd flush it well with Rapido-Eze, then water. It helps to use a "salad spinner" centrifuge--modified to cradle pens gently-- (you can look that up) to help drain it each time. Otherwise, it will take forever.

D Armstrong
August 1st, 2013, 08:08 PM
Don't worry, you've chosen a pen which is pretty bullet-proof.

Flushing: use household ammonia, about 10% in water, as it will help greatly in dissolving old ink. Ammonia will not damage the acrylic plastic used in the 51, and neither will water. The special uses a very simple filling mechanism, and a very robust sac; it is not nearly as difficult to flush out as the older vacumatic filler systems. It's just old, dried ink, not an indication that the pen is hard to clean. Don't forget that the P51 "collector" under the hood has a huge ink capacity on it's own, by design. That's likely what is kludged up with old ink, and an overnight soak in ammonia water will do wonders.

Hood removal: a hair dryer won't get hot enough. The shellac used to stick the hood down softens in the temperature range of 145-160º F. A hair dryer tops out at around 130º F, for safety reasons. But the good news is that for a 51, hot water is plenty effective, and won't damage the plastic; use hotter-than-tap-but-not-boiling water, and soak it for 15-30 minutes at a time. Try using a couple of pieces of rubber to get a good grip on the hood and body when you unscrew it. It will take a fair bit of finger-force to get it off, but shouldn't require pliers. Just keep up the pattern of soaking and unscrewing, and sooner or later it will come off. The hardest part will be getting a good grip on the parts with your fingers.

51s are great pens, specials included, and you're not likely to damage it. But you will have to shellac the hood back in place when you are done, or it may leak at the seam. There are a couple of places you can buy a small bottle, and it's pretty easy to use. Google "fountain pen shellac" and it will spit out three or four options on the first page (about $5 per bottle).

Hope this helps, and have fun!

dr.grace
August 2nd, 2013, 08:51 AM
I agree about the collector being the depot for a lot of dried ink.

But I'd have to disagree on another point. Hair dryers are fine for loosening shellac. You need to develop a sense of the amount of heat needed, which isn't that much usually. I've used one many times for '51's and vacumatics. I don't think most repair people recommend hot water, but YMMV. I still say disassembly might not even be necessary.

Ammonia works, but Rapido-eze (you can dilute 50:50) is better for dried ink.

Flounder
August 2nd, 2013, 11:56 AM
The efforts you're taking so far aren't so bad. Heat will loosen the shellac, but won't do much to budge dried old ink. Flushing as much old ink as you can out of there will certainly help you get the hood open later on. Using the nozzle attachments on your hairdryer will help direct heat where you want it rather than the sac nipple area.

Heat cycling as mentioned above is a good idea if it's a particularly stubborn swine. If you don't have section pliers yet, blutack gives a surprisingly good grip (http://i773.photobucket.com/albums/yy19/flounder2009/Parnis%20Power%20Reserve%20Review/ParnisIIgreasedrotorbearings008large-1.jpg), without marring the pen.

DrChumley
August 2nd, 2013, 03:05 PM
Thanks for the advice, all.

I did manage to get the hood off last night. I did the hot water trick, and it worked pretty well, but I may try the hair dryer in the future. The feeder tube was all crusted up, and the collector was also pretty gunky. I've cleaned them out gently, but some of the internal parts are stained blue. I'm not too worried about that, but I will probably put the collector in a ultrasonic cleaner to finish up the job.

The nib also needed to be flossed and the tines adjusted, which I did last night. And, as a result of using hot water to release the shellac, the sac became unattached as well. I have to pick up some shellac to reassemble everything, but based on the quick dip test I did last night after putting it all back together, it's an extra-fine nib, and it writes very, very well. I'm excited to shellac it back together and fill it up for a test run.

On a somewhat unrelated note, I did have a quick identification question. It was my understanding that the 51 specials came with a black jewel in the cap. This cap has a pearl-silver jewel in the top of the cap. Was that an option for this pen? I'm not sure if I plan on trying to sell this pen or not, but I would at least like to make sure I know what I have (or don't have!)

D Armstrong
August 2nd, 2013, 07:41 PM
But I'd have to disagree on another point. Hair dryers are fine for loosening shellac. You need to develop a sense of the amount of heat needed, which isn't that much usually.

Depends on the shellac, and the state it's in. If it's relatively fresh it will be easier, but I've had some that take much higher heat than a hair dryer will put out. The other thing is that the softening is dynamic: it starts softening at lower temperatures, and becomes more liquid at higher temps. Putting stress on a hood that is held by tacky adhesive is much more likely to cause damage than if the same thing is done with it fully liquified.


I don't think most repair people recommend hot water, but YMMV.

Heh heh. I am a repair people, and I generally don't. But P51s are one of the few pens robust enough to take it (Esterbrook Js are also tough).

D Armstrong
August 2nd, 2013, 07:53 PM
Thanks for the advice, all.

I did manage to get the hood off last night. I did the hot water trick, and it worked pretty well, but I may try the hair dryer in the future. The feeder tube was all crusted up, and the collector was also pretty gunky. I've cleaned them out gently, but some of the internal parts are stained blue. I'm not too worried about that, but I will probably put the collector in a ultrasonic cleaner to finish up the job.

The nib also needed to be flossed and the tines adjusted, which I did last night. And, as a result of using hot water to release the shellac, the sac became unattached as well. I have to pick up some shellac to reassemble everything, but based on the quick dip test I did last night after putting it all back together, it's an extra-fine nib, and it writes very, very well. I'm excited to shellac it back together and fill it up for a test run.

On a somewhat unrelated note, I did have a quick identification question. It was my understanding that the 51 specials came with a black jewel in the cap. This cap has a pearl-silver jewel in the top of the cap. Was that an option for this pen? I'm not sure if I plan on trying to sell this pen or not, but I would at least like to make sure I know what I have (or don't have!)

Good job! An ultrasonic is the best way to go with the collector; those fins are fragile.

As for the jewel, the answer is a firm: it depends. Two things to remember are that, firstly, the only rule with Parker is that there are no rules. They were quite capable of putting a deluxe jewel on a "Special" if it meant getting the order fulfilled. Secondly, Parker, and their repair people, were very cavalier in their treatment of jewels. The old manuals advocate that the first step in cap repair was to break out the old jewel (or "clip screw", as they mundanely called it), and then simply put in a new one when the job was complete. They even reportedly had a special jewel-trashing tool for the job! So, if your pen ever went in to have it's cap serviced, it may well have been fitted with whatever jewel the repairman had on hand.

So, you simply have a more attractive "Special" than most. When it comes to run-of-the-mill P51s, don't get put off by the authenticity police. The standards are so generous that there almost aren't any. It's part of what makes collecting Parkers so much fun: there's always something new to find!

dr.grace
August 2nd, 2013, 08:49 PM
OK, I stand corrected. I'm glad I haven't run into any of those difficult shellac jobs.

Farmboy
August 2nd, 2013, 10:37 PM
Is the sac nipple mushy?

DrChumley
August 3rd, 2013, 12:21 AM
No. It's actually in quite good shape. (I was surprised, actually).

D Armstrong
August 3rd, 2013, 06:32 AM
Just as an afterthought, while you have everything apart, be sure that you ream out the breather tube. Be very careful if it is metal, as the silver will usually crumble (in other words, if it's metal don't try to take it out of the feed, just clean it in place). Put it through the ultrasonic a few times and, if you have some, use some fine guitar wire to pass through the tube and clear out any ink clumps.

These are often overlooked, and it is vital to clean them out. If you don't, you can have flow problems ranging from dry writing to blobbing.

Flounder
August 3rd, 2013, 07:42 AM
This probably won't apply to the OP's Special:

I just received a P51 Vac with the earlier shim-style collector. If you're ultrasonic cleaning these, take the shim out first. This is the second vac I've received from well meaning sellers with a clean collector and missing shim.