Some restoration advise

[Legion]

So I'm restoring another Parker 51 Vac. I've gotten the thing apart (Mostly) but it looks as if someone, in the long distant past, has filled it with India ink, and then let it dry out. Basically the works are now gummed up with what looks like black soot.

Is the a recommended way of cleaning the pen without damage, particularly the delicate fins of the collector? I've got it soaking in water at the moment, but it doesn't look to be doing much to loosen the mess.

 

[Dave258]

Ammonia maybe?

 

[nemo]

Ammonia won't touch it. Try Rapido-Eze by Koh-I-Noor. It successfully loosened up dried India ink for me in a vintage Pelikan 400.

I guess it worked out in my favor that some clod had used it to gum up the works, I got the pen for cheap ... of course it soaked for weeks.

 

[Legion]

Ammonia won't touch it. Try Rapido-Eze by Koh-I-Noor. It successfully loosened up dried India ink for me in a vintage Pelikan 400.

I guess it worked out in my favor that some clod had used it to gum up the works, I got the pen for cheap ... of course it soaked for weeks.

Hmmm, I dont think I can get that here. I'll do some googling...

 

[demerson]

+1: Rapido-Eze, and even better in an ultrasonic bath.

 

[Legion]

Ammonia maybe?

Actually, ammonia, diluted less than the recommended amount in hot water, seems to have improved it a lot. I didn't leave it in there too long.

Then I diluted 1-9 with warm water, and it is now soaking to get rid of the stubborn staining. At least you can tell that the collector is transparent plastic now. And the feeder has come free.

So far, so good.

 

[nemo]

If ammonia and water dissolve it then it apparently wasn't India ink or art ink.

You're stoked!

 

[Legion]

Here is a question for you. In the channel of the collector, there is what appears to be a tiny black rod of plastic. It slides out if I push it with a needle. Now is that actually a component of the pen, intended to keep the width of the slit even, Or is it a bit of hard petrified ink that needs to be removed?

Edit: Google is my friend today. It is a component of the pen.

http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/171379-parker-51-collector-question/

 

[ChefJohnBoy-ardee]

I wish I was here earlier to say a lot of dried ink looks like soot and don't give up hope yet but you did it and it was probably not india ink!

And you are a braver man than I to attack a vac! Best of luck to you.

 

[Legion]

 

[Legion]

This one went back together much more neatly than my first P51 restore. In hindsight, I think the last one had been messed with by a previous owner, or the shop I bought it from, and was a bit of a mess to begin with. Live and learn.

This one seems to work like a charm now. And not such a major effort to get that way. Pen #3 should be a doddle.

 

[Lexbomb]

My father has just given me his fathers parker 51. It has his name engraved on it. Dad had it in his drawer for 17 years untouched. washed it out with warm water inked it and off it went! amazingly lucky I think!

 

[Legion]

My father has just given me his fathers parker 51. It has his name engraved on it. Dad had it in his drawer for 17 years untouched. washed it out with warm water inked it and off it went! amazingly lucky I think!

Yep, most of the Aeromatics I've found have been like that. The earlier Vacumatics have a rubber diaphragm inside which is always perished and needs replacing.

 

[ChefJohnBoy-ardee]

The one 51 I have (had) was toasted and it was an Aero... sac and breather tube were toast when I got it... but sadly I dropped it and the nib went in four directions.