Hi, there must be many experts out there who will laugh at my question: but how i can get the inner cap of a Parker "51" out? I've got off the top jewel, unscrewed the hidden screw, taken off the clip, and seen the inner cap moving freely in the cap! I can even push it from the top end using a regular pencil rather easily. But it was blocked and would not come out. Someone said that a professional puller is needed -- but i don't understand why, as I can already push this inner cap from the top as hard as I want, why should i need to "pull it"? What I need, I thought, may be some needle or think metal stuff to guide the inner cap.
Can anyone help? Thanks.

You need a puller to get the inner cap out because you have to get the inner cap past the clutch, which means that you must get the clutch out as first. The outer edge of the cap is rolled over and holds the clutch in the cap. That means that you must somehow either roll the edge of the cap open, or have a tool to pull the clutch out. Once the clutch is out of the way, the inner cap will fall out, but you won't sneak it past the clutch!

I've tried opening the end of the cap with a burnishing tool. All that I did was make a mess. I don't have a clutch puller yet (hint, hint Daniel!) but that's the only pratical way to do the job.

Do you mean that the puller is needed so as to get the clutch out without rolling the cap edge out? Then how could it work? Still don't understand its principle.

I have edited this posting to remove the description of the tool; I was reminded by its inventor that it is a trade secret. I'm terribly sorry to have screwed up by describing it, and I hope my description, for those who read it, is insufficient to allow its duplication. If you do figure it out, please forget that you did.

Putting the cap back together is easy. Insert the inner cap. Find the side of the clutch that has a cut through it, and insert the clutch with that side first. Push it as far in as you can get it. Set the larger end of the cap on a surface place, protect the smaller end with a square of rubber, and use a hammer to tap the cap down until it bottoms against the surface plate. Then turn the cap over and re-roll the edge into place by gently peening it with the face of a chasing hammer.

wow, thanks Richard. That sounds amost like rocket science. So I think I should not mess with it until I can get a handle on a good puller sometime.

Not only a good puller but the proper puller. It is not rocket science. The hard part will not be the pulling but the "Then turn the assembly over and gently peen the edge down with a chasing hammer." This is one of those quick little statements that result from years of doing things that take skill and, a particular skill.

I will suggest first trying this on a cap you don't care about. Then try another 'scrap' cap or two before you decide to send any valuable caps to a professional.

Ron

I just happened to run across this:





Looks serious! (Note: no relation to seller.)

Web link: http://www.simcom.on.ca/woodbin/Tools.htm

Believe me, that won't do you a bit of good on a 51. That's an inner cap puller for use on a conventional pen cap.

It is quite a good one though, and about half the price of the one sold by the Pen Sac Co. I have, and use Martin's inner cap puller.

That would be a good one for a "What is this, and what do I do with it?" You'll find that it has more uses than pulling inner caps.

Well, after you finish working on the caps, I'm willing to buy the barrels, feeds, nibs, hoods and such at a discount. The Borg Queen will be happy you are converting beaten up pens to parts.

Ron

(I'd add a winky face it I did them thingies)

Hey, a REAL mechanic such as I only needs two tools, a hammer and a screwdriver. As a matter of fact, for small instruments such as pens, I need only a heavy screwdriver (can use the handle as a hammer).