Parker 51 for Restoring

Picked up an inexpensive Parker 51 to try my hand at restoring.The pen is black with no markings on it that I can make out.The cap is gold with a greenish/ gray jewel on the top.The cap is marked, 51,gold filled,Made in Canada.Just wondering if this is correct for the pen or perhaps it is a pen made up from different pens?No matter as I want it to try restoring so I do not want a pen that might have value and make a mess of it. Sorry I can post no picture.Computer skills just too poor.


Any tips on restoring these pens?I have looked a bit on You Tube and it seems that a special tool is needed to get the "plunger" to unscrew from the barrel.I do not have this tool and was wondering if any one knew where to get one or perhaps how to have one made?

I tried dipping the pen in ink and it would not draw any.However with what ink was on the pen it seems to be a very smooth writer.



Thanks in advance for any help concering this matter.




Just noticed there is a R&R section to the boards.Sorry for posting in the wrong section.

Edited by Parker Quink Turquoise, 27 July 2012 - 08:10 PM.

Hi there.

If you have not repaired any pens before, a 51 may not be the best one to start with. Vacumatics can be a pain, and from my experience which is no where near that of others, 51's are just a bit more of a pain. However, if you would like to start with this 51, I would suggest you spend some time reading on Richard Binder's website, richardspens.com.

There is a special tool, usually referred to as a "Vacumatic tool." This can be purchased from Martin at http://www.woodbin.c...NibsJewels.html .

My advise is to read much before you attempt. Even if the pen is not a fine specimen, it is still a terrible feeling to break a pen.

I hope this helps.

Preston

This is the "correct" GF cap for a Canadian with a blue diamond clip:



There may be a different GF cap with the plain arrow clip. Imprints can wear or be polished off or, if the pen came from a repair shop, it may have never had an imprint.

Hi there.

If you have not repaired any pens before, a 51 may not be the best one to start with. Vacumatics can be a pain, and from my experience which is no where near that of others, 51's are just a bit more of a pain. However, if you would like to start with this 51, I would suggest you spend some time reading on Richard Binder's website, richardspens.com.

There is a special tool, usually referred to as a "Vacumatic tool." This can be purchased from Martin at http://www.woodbin.c...NibsJewels.html .

My advise is to read much before you attempt. Even if the pen is not a fine specimen, it is still a terrible feeling to break a pen.

I hope this helps.

Preston

Thank-you for the reply.It is a help.I have not done a lot of pen restoring but
have done two Sheaffer Snorkels,a Sheaffer Touchdown,a Parker Parkette and a
Sheaffer Fineline lever filler.

Was looking at the tool needed.It
is fairly expensive for only doing one or two pens.Probably could get two pens repaired
for a bit more than the price of the tool.Guess I will have to give it some
thought as to what I will do.Would like to restore one myself just to say I
could do it.


Yes I know what you mean about feeling bad should a pen get broken.

This is the "correct" GF cap for a Canadian with a blue diamond clip:



There may be a different GF cap with the plain arrow clip. Imprints can wear or be polished off or, if the pen came from a repair shop, it may have never had an imprint.

Hello matt,thanks for the great pictures.The markings on the cap of the pen I have is just like yours in the picture.Even the lines on the cap are the same.Interesting that the cap of this Parker 51 is marked Made in Canada while the cap on my Canadian made Parker 51 Demi is only marked so on the barrel.Do you know if there was a reason for that?


I would say you are right about the barrel marings.Nothing on it to show where it was manufactured at all.


The pen is black, but from where the cap fits, to where the buttom cap screws on it is faded a lot.The plastic under the cap and the button cap are however very black.Kind of funny.I wonder if at some point in its live the pen had been left in the sun to cause it to fade.I am thinking the screw on cap was made of a different material and that is the reason it did not fade out.

matt does your Canada cap pen have any markings on the barrel?If so what are they?

Edited by Parker Quink Turquoise, 28 July 2012 - 12:05 AM.

A cheap, but safe, vac tool is available from Laurence Oldfield: http://www.penpractice.com/page3.html, a simple c-ring with the correct thread; available for 51 and larger vacs.

I've used the 51 vac tool on several occasions with great success.


Paul

A cheap, but safe, vac tool is available from Laurence Oldfield: http://www.penpractice.com/page3.html, a simple c-ring with the correct thread; available for 51 and larger vacs.

I've used the 51 vac tool on several occasions with great success.


Paul

Hello Paul,that is a most interesting site.Thank-you for posting the link.

Tried to contact Laurence by clicking on the e mail address.Was unable to get the e mail link to work.All I get on my computer is,"Could not perform this operation because the default mail client is not properly installed."Most likely something on my computer.As I have said before my computer skills are very poor.When someone starts talking computer talk to me they might as well be talking Greek. Tried calling but all I received was a busy signal.Not sure if it was busy there or perhaps the overseas line here.Will try again later.

Well after soaking the hood over night in water and adding some heat I was able to get the hood off.The pen may have a Made in Canada cap but the nib is marked Parker Made in USA 1948.No markings on the barrel that I could find.I assume what ever they were wore off over time.

Have ordered a tool to remove the plunger and a new diaphram.Guess I will have top wait until they arrive before I can do any more.

This is the "correct" GF cap for a Canadian with a blue diamond clip:



There may be a different GF cap with the plain arrow clip. Imprints can wear or be polished off or, if the pen came from a repair shop, it may have never had an imprint.

Hi Matt,
This cap was on a fully marked (even the nib) Canadian, 1948 cordovan brown 51 vac.

The cap has a blue diamond clip, with absolutely no trace of the blue enamel, as is common on Canadian B.D. clips.

I do not believe this cap has had it's clip swapped from a plain arrow to a B.D, as the plain arrow version of this cap had Parker marked opposite the "gold filled" stamp, this one does not!



Regards
Paul.

Doh! My cap is one of the correct BD Canadian GF caps, not the only one. I forgot a had a parallel lines Canadian pencil! We need to ask Ernesto to add a Canadian caps page. They should also have the blue diamond way up high on the clip.

The Canadian GF cap pen pictured above has a barrel marked Parker 51 Made in Canada and a '46 date code.

Tried to contact Laurence by clicking on the e mail address.Was unable to get the e mail link to work.All I get on my computer is,"Could not perform this operation because the default mail client is not properly installed." snip

It has to do with whether or not you are using, for example, Microsoft Office for your email. Just copy and paste his email address into whatever you are using for email. You may have to delete the ( ) around the address.

Edited by matt, 31 July 2012 - 12:21 AM.

Thanks for that,matt.However that is way past anything I can do on a computer.

Couple of more questons.I have been reading that the Canadian made Blue Diamond caps have the BD higher than on US made pens.The cap on the one I am restoring has Made in Canada stamped on the side of it but the BD does not appear to be any higher than on the pictures of US pens I have looked at.Did all Canadian caps have the higher BD or did some of them have the lower one as well?



Also this pen has a black breather tube.All the pictures I have seen of breather tubes for the 51 were clear.The breather tube has been well soaked so it is not ink.It is the same black colour as the feed.Did breather tubes come in different colours?

Edited by Parker Quink Turquoise, 07 August 2012 - 12:10 AM.

Well the black Parker 51 restoring has been put on hold.The socket was to rough after getting the plunger out to hold the ball of the new diaphram.Have purchased a new socket but have not as of yet had time to play around with putting it on.Anyone have any tips on removing and installing a new socket to the plunger system?


On an up note, I have purchased a Parker 51 Made in Canada cedar blue and have restored it to working condition.Have been writing all my letters of late with this pen