I just received delivery of a cedar blue Parker "51" bought on eBay. I was very disappointed to find that I cannot remove the cap. I can unscrew the barrel with the nib, but the top part of the barrel, the hood that covers the nib, is stuck in the cap. I currently am soaking it in cool water thinking maybe it's a problem with sticky ink holding the top firmly in the cap, but so far, when I rescrew the barrel back into the cap, I still can't pull the cap off.
Unless the photo that was included in the pen's description was bogus, apparently there was a time not long ago that the pen was able to have the cap removed. I've thought of putting it in the freezer for a bit to see if that would work.
Any suggestions?
Cedar Blue Parker "51"
Full Version: Can this pen be saved?
QUOTE (spike789 @ Jul 23 2008, 06:19 PM) 
I just received delivery of a cedar blue Parker "51" bought on eBay. I was very disappointed to find that I cannot remove the cap. I can unscrew the barrel with the nib, but the top part of the barrel, the hood that covers the nib, is stuck in the cap. I currently am soaking it in cool water thinking maybe it's a problem with sticky ink holding the top firmly in the cap, but so far, when I rescrew the barrel back into the cap, I still can't pull the cap off.
Unless the photo that was included in the pen's description was bogus, apparently there was a time not long ago that the pen was able to have the cap removed. I've thought of putting it in the freezer for a bit to see if that would work.
Any suggestions?
Cedar Blue Parker "51"
Unless the photo that was included in the pen's description was bogus, apparently there was a time not long ago that the pen was able to have the cap removed. I've thought of putting it in the freezer for a bit to see if that would work.
Any suggestions?
Cedar Blue Parker "51"
The pen you have is a Parker 51 Vac filler.... unless you need to restore the filler unit there is no reason to remove the hood (the part that has the nib in front of the clutch ring)....
The hoods are sealed to the body with shellac and require heat to remove them.... cool water or a freezer will not do it...
What makes you think the hood was ever removed it looks perfectly aligned as it should to me..
Why are you trying to remove the hood????
If you do not have the proper tools or experience in restoring a vac fill 51 it is a job best left to a professional.....
QUOTE (spike789 @ Jul 23 2008, 03:19 PM)
I just received delivery of a cedar blue Parker "51" bought on eBay. I was very disappointed to find that I cannot remove the cap. I can unscrew the barrel with the nib, but the top part of the barrel, the hood that covers the nib, is stuck in the cap. I currently am soaking it in cool water thinking maybe it's a problem with sticky ink holding the top firmly in the cap, but so far, when I rescrew the barrel back into the cap, I still can't pull the cap off.
Unless the photo that was included in the pen's description was bogus, apparently there was a time not long ago that the pen was able to have the cap removed. I've thought of putting it in the freezer for a bit to see if that would work.
Any suggestions?
Cedar Blue Parker "51"
Unless the photo that was included in the pen's description was bogus, apparently there was a time not long ago that the pen was able to have the cap removed. I've thought of putting it in the freezer for a bit to see if that would work.
Any suggestions?
Cedar Blue Parker "51"
I hope Ron Z or someone chimes in here. There is a chance that the cap is jammed on as happens with P51's on occasion (usually when they are dropped). There is a specific action for loosening a jammed cap, but I can't remember what it is. As I recall, what often happens is the owner starts pulling and maybe twisting, trying to force the cap off and breaks the pen in the process. That BTW is the reason for using the one handed grip for removing slip caps.
Wishing you luck. Ken.
If I understand correctly, you can't pull the hood out of the cap, but you can unscrew the barrel to the point where you can remove the pen with no hood?
well perhaps the seller in all honesty did wait until the last minute to seal the hood, aligning the nib and regulating the flow after selling the pen, I sometimes keep my for sale or trade 51's unsealed until the customer is happy with flow and everything and THEN I rinse the pen and seal it. If some glue poured out of the hood and the seller placed the cap on, it might be glued.
While medicinal alcohol or any other alcohol might be a killer for some plastics, it really doesn't affects much the plastic on 51's. If you dare you can let the cap with the stuck hood dry, then in one single act flood the cap with alcohol, jam the barrel without collector and nib assy, screw the barrel and work the hood out (do not use the filler whatsoever in this process!!!!! ) by pulling out and moving sideways like if you where working a stick shift car (no circular motion, like pulling up and alternatedly in a cross pattern (away from the cap and say towards the clip, to the other side, to the left and to the right) If you succeed, immediately stich the barrel in a glass of water and shake the excess, then disassemble and rinse again and then assemble the nib/feed/collector and seal the hood.
well perhaps the seller in all honesty did wait until the last minute to seal the hood, aligning the nib and regulating the flow after selling the pen, I sometimes keep my for sale or trade 51's unsealed until the customer is happy with flow and everything and THEN I rinse the pen and seal it. If some glue poured out of the hood and the seller placed the cap on, it might be glued.
While medicinal alcohol or any other alcohol might be a killer for some plastics, it really doesn't affects much the plastic on 51's. If you dare you can let the cap with the stuck hood dry, then in one single act flood the cap with alcohol, jam the barrel without collector and nib assy, screw the barrel and work the hood out (do not use the filler whatsoever in this process!!!!! ) by pulling out and moving sideways like if you where working a stick shift car (no circular motion, like pulling up and alternatedly in a cross pattern (away from the cap and say towards the clip, to the other side, to the left and to the right) If you succeed, immediately stich the barrel in a glass of water and shake the excess, then disassemble and rinse again and then assemble the nib/feed/collector and seal the hood.
QUOTE (OldGriz @ Jul 23 2008, 05:47 PM)
QUOTE (spike789 @ Jul 23 2008, 06:19 PM)
I just received delivery of a cedar blue Parker "51" bought on eBay. I was very disappointed to find that I cannot remove the cap. I can unscrew the barrel with the nib, but the top part of the barrel, the hood that covers the nib, is stuck in the cap. I currently am soaking it in cool water thinking maybe it's a problem with sticky ink holding the top firmly in the cap, but so far, when I rescrew the barrel back into the cap, I still can't pull the cap off.
Unless the photo that was included in the pen's description was bogus, apparently there was a time not long ago that the pen was able to have the cap removed. I've thought of putting it in the freezer for a bit to see if that would work.
Any suggestions?
Cedar Blue Parker "51"
Unless the photo that was included in the pen's description was bogus, apparently there was a time not long ago that the pen was able to have the cap removed. I've thought of putting it in the freezer for a bit to see if that would work.
Any suggestions?
Cedar Blue Parker "51"
The pen you have is a Parker 51 Vac filler.... unless you need to restore the filler unit there is no reason to remove the hood (the part that has the nib in front of the clutch ring)....
The hoods are sealed to the body with shellac and require heat to remove them.... cool water or a freezer will not do it...
What makes you think the hood was ever removed it looks perfectly aligned as it should to me..
Why are you trying to remove the hood????
If you do not have the proper tools or experience in restoring a vac fill 51 it is a job best left to a professional.....
First, thanks so much for taking time to answer my question!
I didn't want to take the hood off the barrel of the pen...I wanted to take the cap off the pen, fill it up with ink and try it out.
The photo of the pen is the one that was on eBay, not one I took...that's why I said that at one time, apparently the cap was able to be removed from the body of the pen...the seller took that photo.
I received the package today in the mail, opened the package, got the pen out of the case, tried to take the cap off to look at it, but the cap was/is stuck on tight. I have a couple other Parker "51"s and know the cap isn't meant to screw off...it pushes on and clicks on the clutch ring. However, I thought maybe the cap would loosen up if I turned it counterclockwise, as if to unscrew it, and low and behold, the barrel comes off with everything intact in my right hand, including the nib, but the hood stayed stuck inside the cap in my left hand. Although I find it fascinating to see the inside of a "51", what I wanted is a pen I could just fill up with one of my newly purchased FPN exclusive Noodler's inks and try out.
This is the description of it from the seller on eBay:
"PEN ID : Parker 51, LUSTRALOY, vacumatic,BLUE DIAMOND Made in USA , 1947
CAP: POLISHED LUSTRALOY
CLIP : Gold Filled Split Arrow with Blue Diamond on curve, gray color plastic jewel, no brassing
BARREL MATERIAL: CEDAR BLUE plastic, no SCRATCHES, well poished, Number 7 with 3 dots around for dating plus Made in USA
NIB : Solid Gold , medium size, limited use, good condition, 100% iridium
FEEDING SYSTEM : vacumatic, perfect, new DIAPHRAGM
SUMMARY: Good example of a great pen quite adequate for a lifetime of daily use and a vintage pen almost 70 years old. In excellent condition
CASE: We will deliver this pen in a strong plastic case but not a Parker case"
QUOTE (jicaino @ Jul 23 2008, 06:25 PM)
If I understand correctly, you can't pull the hood out of the cap, but you can unscrew the barrel to the point where you can remove the pen with no hood?
well perhaps the seller in all honesty did wait until the last minute to seal the hood, aligning the nib and regulating the flow after selling the pen, I sometimes keep my for sale or trade 51's unsealed until the customer is happy with flow and everything and THEN I rinse the pen and seal it. If some glue poured out of the hood and the seller placed the cap on, it might be glued.
While medicinal alcohol or any other alcohol might be a killer for some plastics, it really doesn't affects much the plastic on 51's. If you dare you can let the cap with the stuck hood dry, then in one single act flood the cap with alcohol, jam the barrel without collector and nib assy, screw the barrel and work the hood out (do not use the filler whatsoever in this process!!!!! ) by pulling out and moving sideways like if you where working a stick shift car (no circular motion, like pulling up and alternatedly in a cross pattern (away from the cap and say towards the clip, to the other side, to the left and to the right) If you succeed, immediately stich the barrel in a glass of water and shake the excess, then disassemble and rinse again and then assemble the nib/feed/collector and seal the hood.
well perhaps the seller in all honesty did wait until the last minute to seal the hood, aligning the nib and regulating the flow after selling the pen, I sometimes keep my for sale or trade 51's unsealed until the customer is happy with flow and everything and THEN I rinse the pen and seal it. If some glue poured out of the hood and the seller placed the cap on, it might be glued.
While medicinal alcohol or any other alcohol might be a killer for some plastics, it really doesn't affects much the plastic on 51's. If you dare you can let the cap with the stuck hood dry, then in one single act flood the cap with alcohol, jam the barrel without collector and nib assy, screw the barrel and work the hood out (do not use the filler whatsoever in this process!!!!! ) by pulling out and moving sideways like if you where working a stick shift car (no circular motion, like pulling up and alternatedly in a cross pattern (away from the cap and say towards the clip, to the other side, to the left and to the right) If you succeed, immediately stich the barrel in a glass of water and shake the excess, then disassemble and rinse again and then assemble the nib/feed/collector and seal the hood.
Thank you, too, for answering my question. You do understand me correctly...I can remove the pen, but the hood is stuck inside the cap.
I hesitate doing a repair myself...I'd hate to make things worse and make it impossible to return. I paid $119 for it, plus shipping...I would have thought that it would have come ready to rock and roll. I'm not accusing the seller of anything...he's got terrific feedback, so I don't think he's crooked. When I first got interested in fountain pens again, I found Richard Binder's website and read all the good things he had to say about his cedar blue Parker "51" and figured if he had such nice things to say about it, I'd look for one myself. It just feels like I bought a broken pen for the money.
QUOTE (KenS @ Jul 23 2008, 05:52 PM)
QUOTE (spike789 @ Jul 23 2008, 03:19 PM)
I just received delivery of a cedar blue Parker "51" bought on eBay. I was very disappointed to find that I cannot remove the cap. I can unscrew the barrel with the nib, but the top part of the barrel, the hood that covers the nib, is stuck in the cap. I currently am soaking it in cool water thinking maybe it's a problem with sticky ink holding the top firmly in the cap, but so far, when I rescrew the barrel back into the cap, I still can't pull the cap off.
Unless the photo that was included in the pen's description was bogus, apparently there was a time not long ago that the pen was able to have the cap removed. I've thought of putting it in the freezer for a bit to see if that would work.
Any suggestions?
Cedar Blue Parker "51"
Unless the photo that was included in the pen's description was bogus, apparently there was a time not long ago that the pen was able to have the cap removed. I've thought of putting it in the freezer for a bit to see if that would work.
Any suggestions?
Cedar Blue Parker "51"
I hope Ron Z or someone chimes in here. There is a chance that the cap is jammed on as happens with P51's on occasion (usually when they are dropped). There is a specific action for loosening a jammed cap, but I can't remember what it is. As I recall, what often happens is the owner starts pulling and maybe twisting, trying to force the cap off and breaks the pen in the process. That BTW is the reason for using the one handed grip for removing slip caps.
Wishing you luck. Ken.
Thanks Ken. I'm not sure if the cap was put on and the clutch ring is sort of "cross threaded", keeping it from coming off, or if like jicaino said, it's glued to the inside of the cap. I don't want to force it, making things worse, especially knowing how easily my other "51" caps click on and off.
Getting a cap unstuck can be a very scary procedure! But a stuck cap is not uncommon. Parker had a tool for removing stuck caps. Unfortunately their drawing of the tool doesn't give enough detail, and I've never actually seen one. If I had, you can be sure that I would have figured out a way to make one by now!
What often happens is that the pen is dropped, or the barrel is jammed into the cap, and the hood gets stuck on the inner cap. The usual reason for jamming the cap on is that the clutch is compressed and out of adjustment enough that it doesn't hold the cap on the pen. The pen is then forced into the cap to get the cap to stay on, and it's over done in the process. That's why you often see rings on a hood - it's from the inner cap. It's also a reason why adjusting the clutch should be part of any restoration.
But how to resolve your problem? If it's a vacumatic, you're in better shape than with an aerometric. Put on a pair of rubber gloves, warm the cap and pull straight out. Sometimes using a propel/repel action with two hands will work better than just pulling. My concern with an aerometric is that the action puts a lot of stress on the threads of the barrel. Resist the urge to wiggle/bend the barrel back and forth as you pull. That could break the pen. A slight clockwise twisting motion as you pull might work too. Counter clockwise would tend to unscrew the barrel from the filler on an aerometric, and the hood from both pens.
Take your time, and good luck!
What often happens is that the pen is dropped, or the barrel is jammed into the cap, and the hood gets stuck on the inner cap. The usual reason for jamming the cap on is that the clutch is compressed and out of adjustment enough that it doesn't hold the cap on the pen. The pen is then forced into the cap to get the cap to stay on, and it's over done in the process. That's why you often see rings on a hood - it's from the inner cap. It's also a reason why adjusting the clutch should be part of any restoration.
But how to resolve your problem? If it's a vacumatic, you're in better shape than with an aerometric. Put on a pair of rubber gloves, warm the cap and pull straight out. Sometimes using a propel/repel action with two hands will work better than just pulling. My concern with an aerometric is that the action puts a lot of stress on the threads of the barrel. Resist the urge to wiggle/bend the barrel back and forth as you pull. That could break the pen. A slight clockwise twisting motion as you pull might work too. Counter clockwise would tend to unscrew the barrel from the filler on an aerometric, and the hood from both pens.
Take your time, and good luck!
ron would you be interested on a design for stuck cap removal? that's actually a piece of cake! I don't know if you expect a tool that would "set free" a whole pen from a stuck cap or just be able to pop a stuck hood out of a cap. Second case scenario is easier.
ferree's tools corrosion cracker works miracles on stuck things (even plastics) www.ferreestools.com code J88A for a bench oiler with 50 ml ballpark $5 or J88B for a pint of corrosioin cracker in a big bottle. Great on lever fillers, stuck vac diapragms, inner cap removal, even crest cap dismantling.
ferree's tools corrosion cracker works miracles on stuck things (even plastics) www.ferreestools.com code J88A for a bench oiler with 50 ml ballpark $5 or J88B for a pint of corrosioin cracker in a big bottle. Great on lever fillers, stuck vac diapragms, inner cap removal, even crest cap dismantling.
QUOTE (jicaino @ Jul 23 2008, 09:15 PM)
ron would you be interested on a design for stuck cap removal? that's actually a piece of cake! I don't know if you expect a tool that would "set free" a whole pen from a stuck cap or just be able to pop a stuck hood out of a cap. Second case scenario is easier.
ferree's tools corrosion cracker works miracles on stuck things (even plastics) www.ferreestools.com code J88A for a bench oiler with 50 ml ballpark $5 or J88B for a pint of corrosioin cracker in a big bottle. Great on lever fillers, stuck vac diapragms, inner cap removal, even crest cap dismantling.
ferree's tools corrosion cracker works miracles on stuck things (even plastics) www.ferreestools.com code J88A for a bench oiler with 50 ml ballpark $5 or J88B for a pint of corrosioin cracker in a big bottle. Great on lever fillers, stuck vac diapragms, inner cap removal, even crest cap dismantling.
I contacted the seller right away and he said he'll honor the return policy as stated in his eBay description, so it's gonna go back.
I've bookmarked the www.ferreestolls.com website. Never know when we'll need something like that and I know I'd never find it again on my own.
Thanks for all the advice! I appreciate it.
glad to be of (any) help 
QUOTE (jicaino @ Jul 30 2008, 04:58 PM)
glad to be of (any) help
If it were my pen, that is, if I'd had it awhile and it was my fault that the cap was stuck, I'd have taken the advice here, but getting it for the price I did and not being able to take the cap off right out of the package, I figured I'd rather send it back and get a refund. I hope the seller's word is good. I do appreciate the advice in case I have a problem with my other Parker 51's, though. I don't know where else I'd turn to for help.
I see your point and I totally agree. Another big help in this case is stoddard solvent, doesn't attack plastics and provides sort of a lubricating film over surfaces. Very helpfull for resurfacing delicate barrels and plastics on the lathe using micromesh.
Keep us posted about how the seller behaves!
Keep us posted about how the seller behaves!
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