Parker 45 section got wrinkled after a soak

[ac12]

I understand that a problem with the P45s in general is that the cap applies pressure to the section when the pen is capped. And over a LONG period of time, this can distort the plastic. I have a P45 where the section is distorted. I now store all my P45s with the cap loose on the pen.

On your pictures, I could not see the pen clear enough to see anything.

How long does that usually take to happen? My P45 has been stored capped for 45 years and that hasn't happened so far.

> I do not know, but I have a P45 that has that distortion. So you take your chances if it will or will not distort the plastic.
I now store my P45s with the cap loose.

As for that ink, THROW IT AWAY.
Do NOT use an ink that is NOT fountain pen friendly in a fountain pen.

A pen that has sentimental value should be treated with care, or it could be damaged even further.

I agree with you, I will not use this ink on this pen anymore. I have a Parker IM in which it flows reasonably well (on a more absorbant paper) that'll do the job now. Although this is not a well behaved ink, I wouldn't say this it is not FP friendly, as my P45 has been inked up with it continuously for the last 2 years or so and no problems have occurred untill I decided to soak it.

> If as you said it is a troublesome ink, the fact that you used it for 2 years does not mean that it is good. It just means that you got away with it. If you IM likes that ink, go for it, just keep it out of the P45. Since the P45 is a "special" pen to you, the only ink that you should put in you P45 are known FP friendly inks (Waterman, Parker, Sheaffer, etc.). You do not want to go through this again, and the next time the pen may be damaged.

Based on what you said about that ink, I would not be surprised if the feed channels are not clogged up with that ink.
I would remove the feed/nib assembly and clean the feed.

That's what I did, but apparently soaking the section too wasn't a good ideia (still not sure if just the water caused the wrinkles or the water + bad ink).[/QUOTE]

> Soaking is not cleaning the feed channels. To do that you need to:
1 - Flush clean the section, so you can do #2
2 - Remove the feed/nib assembly (unscrews from the front of the section)
3 - The disassemble the feed/nib assembly
4 - Clean the feed channel, which are VERY TINY groves in the feed.
You need to use a piece of 0.001 inch thick brass sheet to scrape the feed channels clean. You can find the brass sheet at a hobby shop, it is made/packaged by K&S. You must be VERY careful when you clean the feed channel. You do NOT want to scrape it wider than it is, so do not use a knife or anything thick, that will damage the feed channel. And you will likely need to use a magnifying glass to see the feed channels to clean it.

[Avastgard]

Thanks for the tips. I disassembled the nib and feed, and fortunately they were not clogged. Still scrapped them to make sure.