Safest Way To Remove A Parker 51 Jewel?

[Paul80]

Hi all

 

A quick question I hope

 

What's the safest way to remove a Parker 51 Jewel from it's brass screw when it has been fixed with Shellac

 

Heat, solvent or something else.

 

Thanks for any help with this.

 

Paul

[Ron Z]

Do you know that it's been secured with shellac? Parker used thread sealant, which you can sometimes break down by getting some naphtha to wick in - either under the clip, or down between the inner cap and the cap. Otherwise heat and a prayer. I hate taking out jewels.

[Paul80]

Hi Ron thanks for the reply

 

Don't know for sure, just going on the colour so it might be their thread sealant you mentioned.

 

It's out of the pen, just stuck in the brass screw.

 

Will have a look for some naphtha but not sure if it's available over here in the uk.

 

Paul

[Paul80]

A quick Google seems to suggest naphtha in the UK is just good old lighter fuel, so will give that a go.

 

Paul

[fabri00]

A quick Google seems to suggest naphtha in the UK is just good old lighter fuel, so will give that a go.

 

Paul

naphta is the diesel fuel. In Europe is available everywhere.

[Ron Z]

No, lighter fluid. It is a very light petroleum distillate. To be precise, what we use is Varnish and Pain Makers Naphtha or V&PM Naphtha. Used as quick drying paint thinner for oil based paints, but it has also been used as lighter fluid. I think that quarts may still be available in the big box home stores, but I go to a paint store to buy it in larger quantities - I use it quite a bit.

[Fermata]

Would it be correct to say that if the top of the jewel snaps off from the threaded stem that you are looking at a replacement cap?

[Ron Z]

No. You can solvent weld the jewel back on the stem that is left in the clip screw. There are also decent replacement jewels out there. Dale Beebe at Pen Tooling sells them at a reasonable price. They're made to fit the later clip screws with the skinny stem, but they look pretty good.

[CS388]

Small cans of lighter fluid can be bought on the UK high street, at the 'pound-stores'* (I buy it for my Zippo)

 

 

 

* discount shops which sell everything for £1 - eg Poundland etc

[Paul80]

Hi all

 

Thanks for the replies

 

I had s go with the lighter fuel and it did not budge, so either it's not Naphtha or it's glued in with Shellac

 

So to plan B, dry heat, I used one of those variable blowers sold for SMD solder work and started low and crept the heat up until the jewel unscrewed, hopefully before it melted.

 

Result was it came out at 120deg, anyone know what temp shellac softens at or the thread sealant Parker used.

 

I have a bottle of Naphtha on the way and will test thst on the next one, just to test.

 

Paul

[Paul80]

Just found the ideal tool to help remove the jewel

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dycem-Black-Hole-Cello-Spike-Floor-Protector-Cello-Anchor/161906859682

 

Nice and soft with the right amount of grip to get the jewel out without a struggle, just tried it on the 10 I have in the to do box and got all of them out with no more than a couple of twists.

 

Well worth getting one in, just in case.

 

Paul

[Glenn Atkins]

Hey Paul,

 

I'm curious why you're taking the jewels out?

 

Thanks.

 

Glenn

 

Just found the ideal tool to help remove the jewel

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dycem-Black-Hole-Cello-Spike-Floor-Protector-Cello-Anchor/161906859682

 

Nice and soft with the right amount of grip to get the jewel out without a struggle, just tried it on the 10 I have in the to do box and got all of them out with no more than a couple of twists.

 

Well worth getting one in, just in case.

 

Paul

[Paul80]

In my case it's for a couple of reasons, one to correctly tighten a lose clip screw or to strip a cap prior to dent removal.

 

Paul

[Glenn Atkins]

Paul,

 

Ok, thanks. That's what I thought but was curious as it seemed like you were doing many of them, but reading back you may have picked up several pens.

 

The naphtha method that Ron uses works well - I learned it from him on this board. I just put the cap upside-down in a shot glass with the naphtha up to the level of the clip screw and then drop some naphtha into the cap and let it soak for a while. Probably overkill but it works and I haven't had any problem doing it that way.

 

I've read on here that much of the lighter-fluid in the US no longer contains actual naphtha, probably reflecting Ron's suggestion of getting the painter's stuff from either a big-box or an actual paint store.

 

Which cap de-dinger are you using?

 

Thanks for the update.

 

Glenn

 

 

In my case it's for a couple of reasons, one to correctly tighten a lose clip screw or to strip a cap prior to dent removal.

Paul

[Paul80]

Hi Glen

 

I use the one Laurence Oldfield produces.

 

Paul

[Glenn Atkins]

That's the one I primarily use as well. There was another highly reputable maker on a de-dinger set from a few years ago whose name escapes me at the moment - Ron or Farmboy will know - very high quality as well. I've got one of those as well.

 

Glenn

[Paul80]

Was that the one from PenTooling?

 

Just got a bottle of Naphtha, will give that a go next time.

 

Paul

[Ron Z]

Stuart Hawkinson made the ones that I use. I think that they were the first ones on the market, over a decade ago.

[Glenn Atkins]

I knew Ron would know. That's the other one I have, but I use the one Laurence makes.

 

 

Stuart Hawkinson made the ones that I use. I think that they were the first ones on the market, over a decade ago.

[eckiethump]

I have found that naptha does not always work to release the jewel from the bushing.

 

In these cases, I heat a pair of pliers, the concave section and pick up the brass screw, so heat is transferred through the brass to the jewel threads. the jewels are very fragile so heat cannot be easily applied without damage to the fine tapered edge.

 

As previously stated the jewel needs to be removed to fully tighten the bushing holding the clip in place.

 

I use Lawrence Oldfield's clutch removal tools, both Mk1 and Mk2 for P51's, also the attachments for removing inner caps on celluloid and hard rubber pen caps, as well as PFM inner caps (Great care has to be taken with PFM III caps)