Disassembled My First Hood

[Gump]

I've had this 51 Special for a while and tried many a flush to get it clean. A while back I got frustrated with it and cast it into the Classifieds, but the questions I received regarding it's spotty writing sample and damaged jewel devalued it to the point I felt better about making a go at it myself. So after some heating under an LED desk lamp, with the assistance of some rubber lined gloves the hood came off to reveal the mess below.

http://i.imgur.com/031vrna.jpg?1


http://i.imgur.com/qS3Koav.jpg?1

http://i.imgur.com/a6DySyz.jpg?1

 

I've since cleaned the remainder of the dried shellac away and went able flossing the collector. Still some ink, but I believe it's stained, as I can't budget it with flossing. The nib looks pretty nice, stamped Made in USA, RU, Parker. Assuming it is gold, since I understand octanium nibs were silver in color.

 

I always enjoy all the great photos others share, so I thought I'd put up some of my own. I will probably soak the collector overnight to attempt to rid the remainder of the ink and move on from that point.

 

Gump

Edited September 2, 2014 by Gump

[FarmBoy]

LEDs generate enough heat to loosen shellac ?

[Gump]

http://i.imgur.com/lg4metY.jpg?1


This is the "before" writing sample, very slow flow, even after numerous soak and flush cycles. I had not performed another cycle after the writing sample, which will help explain the unsightly condition of the collector in the first photo.

 

LEDs generate enough heat to loosen shellac ?

 

I have been using this desk lamp in my simple repairs for a while, mainly with Esterbrooks, and it seems to generate a fair amount of heat. I don't own a hairdryer or a heat gun, so....improvisation

Edited September 2, 2014 by Gump

[TimGirdler]

I'm curious about your pictures....

 

The picture with the breather tube... Is that the breather tube from this particular pen????

 

Blessings,

 

Tim

[Gump]

Tim,

 

Indeed it is, it was free of any obstructions when I pulled it. I ran it through an ultrasonic as a precaution as well.

 

Thanks tor your interest, I've read and learned a lot from your various posts on here.

 

Gump

[TimGirdler]

Tim,

 

Indeed it is, it was free of any obstructions when I pulled it. I ran it through an ultrasonic as a precaution as well.

 

Thanks tor your interest, I've read and learned a lot from your various posts on here.

 

Gump

 

You're quite welcome! I love the "51", and it is such a good pen!!!!!!!!!!

 

The reason I asked about the breather tube is that your pen is an Aerometric and it looks like it has a Vacumatic front end. Of course, your pen may be an English-built pen and there are some differences (at least there were with my Bloody British Burgundy). Also, your pen may be one of the "51"s that used the plastic breather tubes.... In other words, the plastic breather tube may be perfectly germane to the pen.

 

In any event, be sure that the breather tube is the proper length. The ink will only go as high into the sac as the breather tube is long. So, if the tube is too short, you'll be forever half-filling your pen.

 

Also, on the off-chance that it is a Vacumatic front end.... Check to see if there's a hard rubber plug in the bottom of the collector (opposite of the wide channel in the collector). If there's a diamond scoring mark on the outside of the channel, you're OK. If there isn't, and there's a little round opening in the back of the collector and that opening is missing a hard rubber (black) plug, you need to find something to put in there. I use 0.7mm pencil lead.

 

Moreover, when you reassemble the pen, make sure the wide channel is at the top of the pen and the nib is lined-up with that wide channel. Parker--at one point--mandated the alignment I've described, but they later rescinded that mandate. However, everyone I talk to insists that it is vitally important for proper ink flow. So, the wide channel should be at 12:00 and the narrow channel at 6:00.

 

Above all, have fun working on your pen. As I said, these are great pens and enjoying one you've restored yourself is a very satisfying experience!

 

Good luck!

 

Blessings,

 

Tim

[OcalaFlGuy]

I'm curious about your pictures....

 

The picture with the breather tube... Is that the breather tube from this particular pen????

 

Blessings,

 

Tim

I believe that particular 51 is a Special with a Gold nib.

 

That breather tube is correct for a Special I believe.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

[Glenn Atkins]

 

You're quite welcome! I love the "51", and it is such a good pen!!!!!!!!!!

 

The reason I asked about the breather tube is that your pen is an Aerometric and it looks like it has a Vacumatic front end. Of course, your pen may be an English-built pen and there are some differences (at least there were with my Bloody British Burgundy). Also, your pen may be one of the "51"s that used the plastic breather tubes.... In other words, the plastic breather tube may be perfectly germane to the pen.

 

In any event, be sure that the breather tube is the proper length. The ink will only go as high into the sac as the breather tube is long. So, if the tube is too short, you'll be forever half-filling your pen.

 

Also, on the off-chance that it is a Vacumatic front end.... Check to see if there's a hard rubber plug in the bottom of the collector (opposite of the wide channel in the collector). If there's a diamond scoring mark on the outside of the channel, you're OK. If there isn't, and there's a little round opening in the back of the collector and that opening is missing a hard rubber (black) plug, you need to find something to put in there. I use 0.7mm pencil lead.

 

Moreover, when you reassemble the pen, make sure the wide channel is at the top of the pen and the nib is lined-up with that wide channel. Parker--at one point--mandated the alignment I've described, but they later rescinded that mandate. However, everyone I talk to insists that it is vitally important for proper ink flow. So, the wide channel should be at 12:00 and the narrow channel at 6:00.

 

Above all, have fun working on your pen. As I said, these are great pens and enjoying one you've restored yourself is a very satisfying experience!

 

Good luck!

 

Blessings,

 

Tim

 

I don't have a dog in this particular thread, but thank you for being so helpful.

 

Glenn Atkins

[FarmBoy]

Just for clarity, a 51 Special is not an Aerometric.

[OcalaFlGuy]

Just for clarity, a 51 Special is not an Aerometric.

Due in large part to the shorty, non-vented breather tube in question.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

[TimGirdler]

Just for clarity, a 51 Special is not an Aerometric.

 

I meant Aero in opposition to a Vacumatic.

 

I have seen the odd Special with a gold nib and breather tube. In fact, I think they're pretty fantastic pens.

 

ETA: Out of curiosity, how what are you looking at to adjudicate that it is a "51" Special? Is it only the statement in the OP?

 

Tim

Edited September 2, 2014 by TimGirdler

[Gump]

The sac protector/squeeze filler is imprinted as such. That's really my only basis for identifying it as such, although based on some of the above comments this may be a combination pen. ??

 

I will post some photos of the cap jewel later, it is chipped and I am curious as to what source would best be used for replacing it. I understand there are varying sizes of jewel, and I'm unsure of what size I actually have.

[TimGirdler]

The sac protector/squeeze filler is imprinted as such. That's really my only basis for identifying it as such, although based on some of the above comments this may be a combination pen. ??

 

I will post some photos of the cap jewel later, it is chipped and I am curious as to what source would best be used for replacing it. I understand there are varying sizes of jewel, and I'm unsure of what size I actually have.

 

The loop filler sac guard is standard on the "51" specials. Specials are supposed to have Octanium nibs, but I've seen a few that have the non-special 14K nib. The plastic breather tube isn't uncommon (the early regular Aero "51"s had the sterling silver tubes).

 

It is possible, however unlikely, that someone upgraded the nib (aftermarket) to a non-special "51" nib. It's also possible that someone made a mess of the innards by mismatching Vac parts into a non-Vac pen. I've seen regular Aerometrics with Vacumatic feeds and collectors. The Vac parts fit perfectly fine, really. The problem is with the length of the breather tube and the aforementioned perpetual half-filling....

 

Replacement jewels can be had. Since the pen is a Special, it should have a black jewel. Does it?

 

Blessings,

 

Tim

[Florida Blue]

 

The loop filler sac guard is standard on the "51" specials. Specials are supposed to have Octanium nibs, but I've seen a few that have the non-special 14K nib. The plastic breather tube isn't uncommon (the early regular Aero "51"s had the sterling silver tubes).

 

They could be 51 "Standards." Parker changed the name of the Special to the Standard in 1957. Over the course of several years, it slowly got more and more upgraded that by the 60s it had a Lustraloy cap (albeit without a chrome cap lip), a pearl jewel and gold nib. However, they still kept the open hoop filler marked "Special." Parker advertised the regular 51 as the 51 "DeLuxe." So you had "Standard," "DeLuxe," and "Custom" (GF cap) as the basic lineup.

[TimGirdler]

 

They could be 51 "Standards." Parker changed the name of the Special to the Standard in 1957. Over the course of several years, it slowly got more and more upgraded that by the 60s it had a Lustraloy cap (albeit without a chrome cap lip), a pearl jewel and gold nib. However, they still kept the open hoop filler marked "Special." Parker advertised the regular 51 as the 51 "DeLuxe." So you had "Standard," "DeLuxe," and "Custom" (GF cap) as the basic lineup.

 

That's a fair point...

 

Still, these pens being so many years old (50 or 60+) it's possible that some cross breeding happened... This is but one reason why I try to ID each pen as it is. So many pens that are so old and have been around so long and have, most likely, been restored a couple of times means that what they were in their "original" configuration may be lost. Still, we try to get them as close to OEM as possible.

 

Blessings,

 

Tim

[FarmBoy]

...Specials are supposed to have Octanium nibs...

Not always. Have owned many that had gold nibs when they left Janesville.

Edited September 3, 2014 by FarmBoy

[TimGirdler]

Not always. Have owned many that had gold nibs when they left Janesville.

I've seen a few of those, too.

 

Blessings,

 

Tim

[Gump]

Everything went back together relatively seamlessly earlier today and I've inked the pen up with Waterman Serenity Blue, the same ink used before.  I'm blown away by the difference, i did spread the tines with a brass shim while the nib was out, but did not expect to improve the flow so much.  Before it was a 3/10 wetness, now more along the lines of a 7-8/10. 

 

 

http://i.imgur.com/mEJjOJe.jpg?1

[Gump]

http://i.imgur.com/yawM3Xw.jpg?1


I've also gotten the cap apart successfully, and this is the jewel in question. Would this be a good fit for a Kullock replacement part? Based on my ebay review, the width of the stem is the primary identifying feature of the two jewel types, please correct me if I'm wrong.

[FarmBoy]

You want a 3-56 thread for all but the early cap screws.

 

Many lathe operators making reproduction jewels seem to have trouble cutting threads this small in acrylic.