You've Got Your First Found In The Wild Parker 51 In Your Hand, Now What?

[Ciliegia]

Received this littel beauty this morning! It's identical to the pen I used every day at school ages 11-18 from 1976 to 1983. A nice sister pen to my Parker 51 italic....

[inkstainedruth]

Congratulations!

51 Aerometrics often just need a good flushing out (as described at the beginning of this thread) and they're good to go.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[PenFan95]

Recently got a "51" as a present, it's in excellent condition physically but it had terrible flow. Leaving it in an ammonia solution for 36 hours helped, but the flow still isn't optimal. I'm almost tempted to tear it down and see if the collector's gunked up, but I'm not sure if Permatex's 'Indian Head' shellac's gonna do the job.

[Dip n Scratch]

I flushed my '51 with soapy water over three days before graduated to the ammonia solution. With the ammonia I flushed it repeatedly over the course of a week. Try doing it that long.

If it was left to dry out with a full charge of ink inside it's no surprise that things are going to be messy in there.

 

I don't know how many nib sizes Parker had for the '51. Mine is definitely a Fine/Medium. Well, it is compared to the Fine and Medium nibs in my P45's. I think the P51 would still be a Most Useful Pen, in a office situation where it stays inked with the same shade.

Every FP 'accumulator' should have a representative example.

Edited May 31, 2020 by Dip n Scratch

[jcrowemag]

Is it required to shellac the hood threads of a Parker 5 vac during reassembly?

[jcrowemag]

My "new to me" Parker 51 from 1946!!! It is a vac model and after a little TLC she is looking gorgeous.

 

 

 

[inkstainedruth]

Is that a Dove Gray? I finally got my hands on one last fall at the Ohio Pen Show (and as a coincidence, was just thinking last night that I should put it back into rotation, once I get some other pens run dry and flushed out...).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[pajaro]

Is that a Dove Gray? I finally got my hands on one last fall at the Ohio Pen Show (and as a coincidence, was just thinking last night that I should put it back into rotation, once I get some other pens run dry and flushed out...).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

That pen would be Dove Gray.

[mitto]

Is it required to shellac the hood threads of a Parker 5 vac during reassembly?

 

My reply would be 'yes'.

[jcrowemag]

My reply would be 'yes'.

Is the intent to ensure one does not accidentally unscrew the hood, spilling ink everywhere?

[FarmBoy]

Is the intent to ensure one does not accidentally unscrew the hood, spilling ink everywhere?

There are several fixing pens in tents, I don't recommend it. I fix pens in my house or garage or the little shop out back, depends on the season. I'm not clear that is a reason to do something.

 

The best reason to use shellac is to seal the hood in place--Parker used hood sealant which seems to have changed formulas over the years. Having spoken to more than one Parker trained repair person, shellac was certainly used to accomplish this task.

[jcrowemag]

Hahahaha. Good one. Thanks for the laugh.

 

Anyone know a good source for 51 vac breather tube material???

[jcrowemag]

I guess I should clarify as well.....obviously I understand that the shellac secures the hood to the body. My primary question was that if the hood and body are NOT shellaced together would that mean ink would certainly leak at the clutch ring?

[IThinkIHaveAProblem]

I guess I should clarify as well.....obviously I understand that the shellac secures the hood to the body. My primary question was that if the hood and body are NOT shellaced together would that mean ink would certainly leak at the clutch ring?

 

In my experience (about a dozen 51s, most with no o-ring) none have leaked. I dont use shellac. If i were selling a pen or repairing for someone else i would use rosin. As it is i use nothing (since they are my pens and i know what to expect) and none have leaked.

 

Beautiful pen btw, congrats

Edited June 9, 2020 by IThinkIHaveAProblem

[jcrowemag]

Thanks for the reply!!!! I guess if I was going to take this on a long trip I would want some sort of sealer but for about town, work, home.....it has not leaked yet over the last week and a half.

[IThinkIHaveAProblem]

Thanks for the reply!!!! I guess if I was going to take this on a long trip I would want some sort of sealer but for about town, work, home.....it has not leaked yet over the last week and a half.

What little repair knowledge i have tends to lean towards not using Shellac to seal anything if Rosin will do. Rosin being MUCH easier to undo. The basic principle being "Don't make life any harder for the next person doing repairs than you have to! It may very well be YOU!"

[jcrowemag]

Loving these two beauties. One Vac and one Aero.

[IThinkIHaveAProblem]

... a midnight blue aero... nice.

and the vac is gorgeous too

 

congrats. Very jealous.

 

BTW the cap on the Aero is not original to the pen, It's a vac cap (blue diamond clips were discontinued BEFORE the first Aeros)

 

And... assuming it is gold, as it appears in the photo... you may want to check the clip on the round part at the top for a little tiny 14k imprint..

because i think you may have a 14k solid gold clip based on the pattern at the base of the cap.

 

The pic I've attached is from the Parker "51" book

 

now I'm REALLY REALLY jealous.

 

[jcrowemag]

correct!!!

[IThinkIHaveAProblem]

Even more jealous now...

 

ya know, since the cap on the Aero doesn't go with it... you should remedy that situation, so you should either

1) send me the cap, and ill send you an Aero cap in its place; or

2) Send me the midnight blue aero and ill send you a vac in its place...

 

Edited June 19, 2020 by IThinkIHaveAProblem