Parker 51 Special Aerometric Section Repair

[Thy]

 

Hello! I recently obtained my Grail pen, a Parker 51 "Special" in Sterling, but unfortunately the section was cracked in several places. This Parker 51 section has a special layout, with it's feed being a pull-twist removal feed. Because this part is seldom sold anywhere due to color and type, and is extremely expensive when sold; I have decided to repair it. Being just an amateur restorer, I contacted a very nice fellow (Siamack) and he/she guided me to a Parker 51 repair thread! This thread from Siamack leads me to the repair materials.

 

I have decided to use either Loctite Shoe Glue (unorthodox) or Plastruct Plastic Weld (volatile, hold stronger). I picked shoe glue due to it's silicone properties (watertight, harmless to most plastics), it's very strong features (I've repaired statues with this type of adhesive), and it's availability, and Plastruct is picked due to it's recommended use in the forums.

Feed, section, and clutch ring

An easier repair job

 

removal of clutch ring shows no extra cracks.

 

I now have a problem: How would we remove the inner "tube" inside the section? The tube restricts access to the cracks on the top of the section, so it's removal is a must.

- Thanks to all who comment and read!

[PaulS]

Hi - firstly, sympathies that such a great pen is damaged. IIRC this is the Vista Blue from 2002, made apparently from acrylic rather than Lucite - it's a great cap design. David and Mark Shepherd devote an entire double page spread in their '51' book to this particular pen.

 

From a technical point of view, the book comments that the front end of this pen uses 'an ultrasonically welded collector', and it looks from your pix that it's the collector about which you are discussing trying to remove - is that correct?

Regret I can't help - in view of the circumstance surrounding the prestige of this pen repairs on this particular model of 51 may not have been commonplace.

Perhaps the 51 experts here might be able to offer some suggestions - you might also try Richard Binder's site - the reference section relating to P51s and their construction etc.

Edited July 17, 2019 by PaulS

[Thy]

Hi - firstly, sympathies that such a great pen is damaged. IIRC this is the Vista Blue from 2002, made apparently from acrylic rather than Lucite - it's a great cap design. David and Mark Shepherd devote an entire double page spread in their '51' book to this particular pen.

 

From a technical point of view, the book comments that the front end of this pen uses 'an ultrasonically welded collector', and it looks from your pix that it's the collector about which you are discussing trying to remove - is that correct?

Regret I can't help - in view of the circumstance surrounding the prestige of this pen repairs on this particular model of 51 may not have been commonplace.

Perhaps the 51 experts here might be able to offer some suggestions - you might also try Richard Binder's site - the reference section relating to P51s and their construction etc.

Thanks Paul! Unfortunately, I got it in this damaged state, but I'm not sure what happened.

 

Yes, that is right! I am trying to remove the collector in order to solvent weld the pen. If it is ultrasonically welded together, it would be a very bad idea to remove it, so would it be better to scrape it with a dremel and fix the crack with any "filling" material?

 

No worries! That information helps a lot; I might still be trying to remove the collector, which may have damaged the pen even further! I hope some 51 experts comment, as I have not done a repair involving cracks in such a dangerous area before.

[PaulS]

the future of this pen and how you treat these defects may depend on whether you intend to use it, or not - if you cap the pen and leave it as a cabinet specimen, then these cracks can't be seen, and you can live in never never land where damage isn't an issue.

Looking at the cracks, do you think that their darker appearance is due to ink seeping through? One of the issues of using the solvent weld is that you will need to persuade the solvent to enter the cracks and if the cracks are too fine could this be an issue?

 

No idea of course what you paid for the pen, but would tend to agree that it's worth attempting removal of the collector, otherwise you may be at a dead end.

Best of luck.

[FarmBoy]

A replacement hood is around 150. The collector is indeed welded in place and can not be removed. Avoid getting your adhesive in the collector. The nibs are prone to bending when assembling unless you have the thing Parker used to do it. If your repair is successful avoid the common pitfall of chipping the hood when assembling the nib and feed.

 

This has been an all to common problem since the pens were issued.

[FarmBoy]

I should add that this is not a 51 Special Aerometric but a 51 SE and is a cartridge converter pen.

[Thy]

the future of this pen and how you treat these defects may depend on whether you intend to use it, or not - if you cap the pen and leave it as a cabinet specimen, then these cracks can't be seen, and you can live in never never land where damage isn't an issue.

Looking at the cracks, do you think that their darker appearance is due to ink seeping through? One of the issues of using the solvent weld is that you will need to persuade the solvent to enter the cracks and if the cracks are too fine could this be an issue?

 

No idea of course what you paid for the pen, but would tend to agree that it's worth attempting removal of the collector, otherwise you may be at a dead end.

Best of luck.

The ink has actually gotten into the section, and I have been trying to find someone with an ultrasonic cleaner actually! That is currently my biggest drawback, considering the fact that nobody really "lends out" an ultrasonic cleaner. I have sharpened a toothpick with a wedge, and I was hoping to stick the adhesive using such; the cracks are much too fine to actually rely on capillary action. My other option is repairing the cracks with a dremel, which I do not want to do, due to my lack of experience in that field.

 

A replacement hood is around 150. The collector is indeed welded in place and can not be removed. Avoid getting your adhesive in the collector. The nibs are prone to bending when assembling unless you have the thing Parker used to do it. If your repair is successful avoid the common pitfall of chipping the hood when assembling the nib and feed.

 

This has been an all to common problem since the pens were issued.

That's too bad. It actually came bent, and I fixed up the nib since than! I pull out the nib with usually the "Lamy method", which is a tad rough. I try not to remove/put it in too often due to it's soft malleable nib. I sadly chipped the nib when I was examining the collector, sadly. I suppose I would be now forced to use the Dremel method, which I can use to repair those chips as well.

 

I should add that this is not a 51 Special Aerometric but a 51 SE and is a cartridge converter pen.

Thanks! I was contacted by a fellow repairs person on discord, and I realized the difference! I'm not sure if we can edit the title though, so I'll have to stay that way for now.

[Thy]

I've decided to take the Dremel and Superglue way! I'm quite sure superglue will not be a good filling solution, but I'm not sure what to use as of the moment. I'm holding back on working with the Parker 51 C/C, and have decided to test it out using a cheaper, yet similar pen.

 

Using a Wing Sung 601 Barrel, I have intentionally drilled holes and large scratches on the surface, and have coated the pen with several layers of rough, steel wool. This is to test the tools I am using to polish the pen once done, as well as to recreate the gash I will inflict on the Parker 51, but on a much grander scale. Currently, it's sitting out to dry with both superglue and silicone adhesive; We'll see what happens afterwards once dried.

 

Tools I am using in this experiment-

Dremel with 100-200 grit sandpaper

400, 1000, 1500 grit micromesh

400, 1000, 1500, 2500 dry sandpaper

Aluminum Oxide, Mother's Metal polish, as well as Plastic polish (Respective order: Strong, medium, fine polishing paste)

Superglue/ Silicone adhesive as filler

Toothbrush, toothpick, Q-tip, etc

Polishing cloth (for a finishing polish)

Fiberglass cloth (although there is no need for it since I'm not pouring resin, it would be nice to use as a polishing cloth due to it's roughness)

 

If there's anything else I need, feel free to tell me, thanks!

[FarmBoy]

I’m not clear on why you would be regularly removing the nib.

[Thy]

I’m not clear on why you would be regularly removing the nib.

Sorry! I meant "chip the hood". I didn't chip the nib in any way. I also set aside the nib and feed once I got it out, so it's not going back in until I'm finished.

[FarmBoy]

Sorry! I meant "chip the hood". I didn't chip the nib in any way. I also set aside the nib and feed once I got it out, so it's not going back in until I'm finished.

Yes I assumed you meant the hood. The problem is you can't pull this nib straight out, doing so almost always damages the hood and the nib.

 

Where in California is this pen?

 

An ultrasonic cleaner is far less expensive and far more useful than an SE 51 hood.

[pajaro]

I think you need to ruin a few pens finding your way around.

[doggle2]

Testing the damage on the 601's barrel will not help at all. The 601 is made from a completely different plastic.

[Thy]

Testing the damage on the 601's barrel will not help at all. The 601 is made from a completely different plastic.

Sad but true. Acrylic is much stronger than ABS plastic. I'm just practicing the filling process on the barrel however, and knowing how to do that properly might be very useful. Currently, I have a problem with removing the white areas of the superglue fill, and I'm still figuring out how to do that.

 

Yes I assumed you meant the hood. The problem is you can't pull this nib straight out, doing so almost always damages the hood and the nib.

 

Where in California is this pen?

 

An ultrasonic cleaner is far less expensive and far more useful than an SE 51 hood.

I found this pen in an estate sale! Although the owner was charging premium retail price for all the pens, there were some expensive pens in the pile which he did not notice, including this pen and the pen inside my profile picture! I agree an ultrasonic cleaner would be for less expensive and much more useful than a SE 51 hood of course, but I have no more funds for pens ($200 is my yearly limit usually, since I don't like spending too much on writing instruments) so I have to resort to asking others. Either way, I most likely won't use it too often, so it would be a waste to buy one.

 

I think you need to ruin a few pens finding your way around.

Sadly, I agree

Edited July 19, 2019 by Thy

[Thy]

Here is my progress:

My polishing skills are pretty good, but my only problem is with the white residue that the superglue emits. I can't get rid of it, and it looks quite bad afterwards. I cannot Dremel it out, as the Dremel also create unwanted scraps that does discolor the superglue.

 

From this:

To this:

Edited July 19, 2019 by Thy

[FarmBoy]

Where in CA? Perhaps if you are close I could identify a time to let you use a cleaner.

[Thy]

Where in CA? Perhaps if you are close I could identify a time to let you use a cleaner.

I live near Huntington Beach, California. That would be really helpful!

Edited July 21, 2019 by Thy

[FarmBoy]

There is a Southern CA pen club. Not sure who runs it but look for Greenie here.

[Thy]

There is a Southern CA pen club. Not sure who runs it but look for Greenie here.

Ah I see. I haven't actually gone to any pen clubs, but I am(hopefully) going to the LA pen show there, in time. I usually can't due to schedule, but there's no other way I can get access to an ultrasonic cleaner otherwise.

Edited July 22, 2019 by Thy

[Thy]

Now having access to an ultrasonic cleaner, I managed to remove all the old ink. Unfortunately, the cracking was much worse than I thought.

 

The cracking actually removed a small chunk of acrylic in the section, so I can no longer just use solvent weld to repair the pen. I been recommended epoxy, should I sand a small amount of acrylic from the unseen parts of the and mix it to the epoxy, or would there be a better type of filler for acrylic? Epoxy itself might be too high of in terms of viscosity, so perhaps there would be a smoother flowing liquid other than superglue?

- The crack extends all the way into the section collector.

Edited August 13, 2019 by Thy