Parker 51

[Uncial]

....and another one turns to mush.

My Parker 51 Vac has had its little rubber buttony thingy replaced for the second time in two years. Maybe this isn't bad going considering the poor quality of rubber sacs and vac units these days, but this time it has left me with a bit of a pain. It's sucking and vac-ing ok but when I fill it with ink it's leaking down through the nib and a little out from the hood section (possibly even the barrel seal, hard to tell with so much ink on my fingers). I can't remember putting silicone grease in any of the threads the last time, but perhaps I did. My question is should I? Will this halt the leaking?

[hari317]

Possibly not. If the diaphragm is ruptured or damaged in any way, air will leak in and ink will drip out from the bottom( when nib is pointed down).

[Uncial]

Nope, diaphragm is fine. It sucks ink perfectly well and there is no leaking out the button end. I took it out to inspect it and put it back in ok. It is quite an old model, well used too. I just wondered if it was worth the frustration of adding grease to the threads to halt leaking knowing that I may spend days getting the hood lined up just right....

[FarmBoy]

Diaphragm may have a very small leak and still generate enough suction to fill with ink but cause dripping. Try blowing through the filler end to see if the pen holds pressure.

You do need something on the hood/barrel threads. I prefer shellac for pens leaving my possession, rosin for pens I will use, and I leave them unsealed for pens that are in the archive. On rare occasion I have used silicone grease.

[Uncial]

Diaphragm may have a very small leak and still generate enough suction to fill with ink but cause dripping. Try blowing through the filler end to see if the pen holds pressure.

You do need something on the hood/barrel threads. I prefer shellac for pens leaving my possession, rosin for pens I will use, and I leave them unsealed for pens that are in the archive. On rare occasion I have used silicone grease.

 

Thanks, I currently have nothing on them. Will silicone grease work ok, or is it better to use shellac?

[FarmBoy]

 

Thanks, I currently have nothing on them. Will silicone grease work ok, or is it better to use shellac?

I only use it when there will be frequent nib changes for a particular person I set pens up for. I'd go with shellac if you don't have rosin.

[Uncial]

Thank you

[Ron Z]

I agree with Todd. Silicone grease is a lubricant, not a sealant. The only "sealing" you get is because of the hydrophobic properties of the lubricant. i.e. it tends to repel water. But it can make it possible to over tighten the hood.

 

Shellac is what most pen mechanics use because it keeps the owner from opening the pen to see what is under the hood and screwing up the alignment. I've seen evidence though that Parker originally used a rosin based thread sealant.