Parker 51 Dry

[Nestorvass]

I recently bought a Parker 51 Vacumatic. The pen was heavily used. However after, changing the filler unit, the diaphragm, cleaning the collector the breather tube and polishing, the pen looked like new. I was excited and all, filled it with Waterman Serenity Blue and begun writing with it. The line was very wet and the nib quite smooth (I did smooth it at a little). However after a few words the pen started to dry and then the inkflow stopped. I shook it a little, again wet line and after a few words dry. Does, anyone have any idea whats the problem and how can it be fixed. The nib has no baby's bottom, the collector feed and breather tube are super clean the nib is aligned with the feed and the collector slot. The only thing I suspect that may be causing this could be that the breather hole does not have a tiny hole on its side. The aerometric breather tube does so that tiny amounts of ink can flow to the feed. Are vacumatic breather tubes supposed to have a tiny hole on the bottom and the side, like the aerometric? If no is there any other reason I may have missed that causes the nib to run dry?

 

Thanks in advance,

Nestor

[GlenV]

I think youre on track with your thinking the breather tube does need to be clean to fill the reservoir possibly the nib slot closed or too narrow if that doesnt fix it, youll get it working

[Nestorvass]

I think youre on track with your thinking the breather tube does need to be clean to fill the reservoir possibly the nib slot closed or too narrow if that doesnt fix it, youll get it working

No no I cleaned everything, the breather tube is super clean. The nib slot is pretty open too, it it wasn't it wouldn't write at all. Yet it does write only to stop after a few lines. For some reason the collector isn't supplied with a lot of ink (its pretty dry when I remove the hood). Like I said I believe that the breather tube is supposed to have a tiny hole on its side, in order for ink to move from the barrel to the feed/collector (like the aerometric's breather tube does). The question is, is this true? Is that what may cause this problem, or is it something else?

[GlenV]

Sorry I don't have access to my pens today but I don't think there is a hole like the aerometric, correct me if I'm wrong. Two other things come to mind, a block to ink within the feed, most likely, and the nib advanced too far forward. If the wider channel in the collector is not on the vent hole side of the nib is another, but I wish I could look at one of my vacs to give you help better, dang. Sorry if this is not helpful.