Tag: Refurbish

Posted in Restoration

Refurb Remedy (Esterbrook R2-S, part II)

Posted on by Danny Watts

Previously ..….

Conway Stewart pressure bars are secured by a pass-through screw at the end of the barrel as opposed to the floating pressures used by Parker in the Duofold. The screw was easily removed freeing the remaining portion of the pressure bar. Now for the bad news, replacement bars based on the Conway Stewart design are not available as an after-market replacement part.

As a side note, the back of the Conway Stewart pressure bar base is a patent number. Yes, I researched the GB patent and would never have guessed the patent diagrams supported this pressure bar.

Time for bright ideas. As I see it I have three; 1) repair the existing pressure bar, 2) modify a replacement pressure bar, or 3) install a floating pressure bar.

Conway Stewart’s design is a three-part pressure bar, a base that is held in place by a screw, with an attached pressure bar similar to a floating bar found in a Duofold. As I was preparing the base for a bright idea I discovered the residual of the pressure bar was attached to the base by tabs.

New Pressure Bar

This discovery changed everything, now I can apply all three bright ideas simultaneously. Prior to removing the damaged pressure bar, I placed a preemptive order for a replacement floating pressure bar. Why not use the original base and attach the new floating pressure bar? I notched the back of the floating pressure bar as it was a smidge larger than the base. Applied crazy/super glue, placed the floating pressure bar so the tab fit in the notch, and folded the tab over securing the two.

A new old Conway Stewart pressure bar

Now fully assembled, would it stand up to pressure? YES IT DID. I put the new mechanism through 20 pressure tests and it performed perfectly. Time to look at the barrel.

Not a good idea – it didn’t work

The barrel is warped, and the outside diameter varies by 1mm at random locations. I tried using a drill to reduce the discrepancies but it didn’t work so I applied a small circular file – perfect. Now the base mounting ring easily slides the length of the barrel.

Installation

Time to clean the mounting threads and screw. Scrubbed and brush the threads but the mounting screw still felt obstructed. I applied silicon grease to the threads. The screw twisted freely without binding. Time to put it together.

I wanted to ensure the new bar would hug the barrel wall so I bent the mounting ring upward making a 120-degree angle. I inserted a piece of electrical wire insulation threw the mounting screw to hold the screw steady and in place.

Nice and snug

The bar fit into place perfectly, inserted a screwdriver, and started securing the mounting screw. The notch in the mounting screw is shallow. The screwdriver popped out multiple times catching on the pressure bar. This caused my well-intended bend to go to Hell. The new bar no longer hugs the wall of the barrel, now it is an obstruction impairing the ink sac.

Note the location of the “bend”

Opting for the lesser of two evils (which is still evil), I left the new pressure bar as an obstruction. The next problem is the pressure button. The old pressure bar had a short fixture on which to mount the pressure button. This was affected by a bend in the pressure bar near the mounting ring. My new mechanism also has a bend but at a different location; therefore, the push button didn’t push.

The solution is obvious – large gauge speaker wire. I simply cut an inch of wire and removed the insulation. You see speaker wire is flexible and easy to work with. The idea is simple, trim the insulation to size and use it to artificially extend the pressure button to the new bend, thus the pressure button will push.

Does the Push button Push? Did the ink sac fill? Do I have inky fingers?

I inserted the nib into a bottle of 4001 black and depressed the push button… bubbles. Repeated the process until the bubbles stopped. Judge for yourself and no inky fingers.

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COPYRIGHT © 2021-2024 DANNY WATTS and CHRONICLES OF A FOUTAIN PEN.
Posted in Pens, Restoration

Onoto Penmaster

Posted on by Danny Watts

Onoto is a British fountain pen manufactured by Thomas De La Rue & Company from 1905-1958. De La Rue was also one of the world’s largest producers of postage stamps, banknotes, and playing cards. In 1905, Onoto patented a self-filling fountain pen that guaranteed not to leak because it had a cut-off valve. The pen came equipped with a revolutionary “plunger-filler” system that drew ink into the pen using a vacuum created by the down-stroke of a piston.

Manufactured in London until 1927 when it shifted, including key personnel to the Strathendry works, in Leslie, Fifeshire Scotland. In September 1940, the De La Rue banknote printing works in London were destroyed in an air raid. The printing works were moved to the Strathendry works thus ending pen production for the duration of the war.

That looks dirty

After the war, production resumed in 1947 with the introduction of a new Magna series, including a lever-fill model. The production of economic lever-fill pens substantially increased culminating with the Penmaster, a hooded nib pen with a metal cap.

My Pen

I have an lever filler Onoto Penmaster which of course does not have a hooded nib. It has a traditional 2-tone De La Rue #5 nib. I assume this is an early model, possibly based on or using ‘47 Magna parts.

The pen body is black plastic, with very few scratches and a gold-filled lever. The cap is gold Filled as is the clip. Pattern on the cap are in groups of 8 lines then a space before another group begins. Engraved on the base of the cap is “ONOTO,” opposite “De La Rue.” The cap has a typical Parker ‘51’ cap clutch and clutch ring.

I proceeded to dismantle the pen, it needed a new ink sac and a really good cleaning. This is the dirtiest pen I’ve handled in years. After a manual cleaning with a Sunshine cloth, I put the pen into the ultrasonic cleaner, subjecting the pen to three cycles.

The nib has a crack! Removed it from the section and well shit. The nib is missing half of the base and there is a crack running along the dorsal before shifting to the left shoulder. I know, another post about a broken vintage pen, but this has been my luck and the risks associated with buying vintage pens. Off to my spare nib drawer, I have a Mabie Todd #4 – way too big and a vintage Veri-Smooth nib that is 1/2 mm too wide at the base.

What the Hell happened?

I have a damaged Mabie Todd #2 that fits like a glove. I assume the De La Rue #5 cracked because it was forced into a section too small for the base. The Mabie Todd #2 is 4.65mm wide at the base and the De La Rue #5 appears to be +5mm. Maybe I will install the damaged nib, ink the pen, and see if it writes, I know, what have I been smoking.

If you can help, I am looking for a nib that is 27-30mm long and 4.5-4.7mm wide at the base. The odds of finding a suitable De La Rue nib are slim to none, I occasionally come across Mabie Todd nibs but they are expensive. If anyone knows of a contemporary nib equal to the Mabie Todd #2, don’t be shy.

Veri Smooth nib fits with a little effort

With a little effort I was able to install the Veri-Smooth nib. I inked the pen and it writes well. I was shocked. The nib came out of a 1960s Arnold fountain pen.

As a service to my readers, I am trying to limit the BS in my post. As you can see there is only a slight tendency towards BS.

My wife would argue otherwise.

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COPYRIGHT © 2021-2024 DANNY WATTS and CHRONICLES OF A FOUTAIN PEN.
Posted in Restoration

Esterbrook Relief 2-S

Posted on by Danny Watts

Esterbrook Relief pens were manufactured by Conway Stewart from the mid-1930s into the 1950s. The Relief pen is embossed with R. Esterbrook & Co. ‘Relief’ equipped with a Relief 14ct nib and many brandished a red casein band above the clip. Intended to easily identify that this was a Relief pen.

Standard appointments for the Relief 2 included a gold-filled cap clip and cap ring, if so equipped. Available in a choice of three filing systems were available, the 2-L (Lever filler), 2-S (“Stud” or button filler), and the 2-R (“Regular” or eyedropper filler).

My Pen

I have a Relief 2-S Stud (button) filler. The cap threads contain some damage resulting in the cap sitting askew. The push button filler mechanism is frozen, and the ink sac must require replacing. And the embossed logo is well-worn. Keep in mind, that the pen is roughly 85 years old.

The barrel contains an odd deformity, the area behind the section has the faintest depression and discoloration as if the barrel was excessively heated. Even worse, when trying to remove the section the barrel stretches and sinks in on itself – like pulling taffy.

If examined closely, a fingerprint is discerned permanently affixed in the barrel. I know this sounds dramatic but it is so minor and only noticeable with considerable examination.

Neither the cap ring nor the clip show signs of brassing. I’m sure the body and cap are not made of celluloid as it is not warm to the touch nor has the telltale odor of camphor. The model number (#2) indicates the nib size, Relief 14ct #2. It appears we have the original nib.

What kind of button filler am I dealing with, one styled after Parker Duofold, or the Conway Stewart 485? I removed the push button revealing the filler mechanism that does not share any similarities with the Duofold. The filler mechanism must be removed from the open end of the barrel now closed by the section.

Intermittent application of heat failed to loosen the section. I relented to do the unthinkable and bought a “section plier.” The actual tool I opted for is a spark plug puller – I grew up with street squirrels, so that choice was natural.

Simply applied some heat and the section came out quickly and easily – lesson learned.

Attached to the section was a silicon ink sac (yeah) with a hole in it (no). But why wasn’t the button filler working? A quick glance into the barrel and the issue was evident, the pressure bar was broken. The pressure bar was removed and the damage was evident … but wait! Something appeared odd. Inside the barrel was another piece of pressure bar. This is a 3-piece pressure bar, and a portion remained firmly attached inside of the barrel.

Guess what I found?

Conway Stewart pressure bars are secured by a pass-through screw at the aft end of the barrel as opposed to the floating pressure bars used by Parker in the Duofold. The screw was easily removed freeing the remaining portion of the pressure bar. Time for the bad news, the replacement pressure bar must be based on the Conway Stewart design and that is unavailable as an after-market replacement part.

Broken Pressure bar

Time for bright ideas. As I see it I have three; 1) repair the existing pressure bar, 2) modify a replacement pressure bar, or 3) install a floating pressure bar. Assuming my bright idea is successful, reinstalling the pressure bar requires a specialty screwdriver known as U-shaped. I imagine I’ll make my own. Sounds like a topic for another day.

Vital Statistics

  • Capped length; 121mm,
  • Uncapped length; 113mm,
  • Barrel diameter; 11mm,
  • Cap diameter; 13mm,
  • Weighs in at 15g.

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COPYRIGHT © 2021-2024 DANNY WATTS and CHRONICLES OF A FOUTAIN PEN.
Posted in Restoration

Stupid is as Stupid Does or How Refurbishing Fountain Pens Saved My Purchase

Posted on by Danny Watts

No, I did not have another bright idea go bad. I mentioned I was collecting vintage vinyl LPs to decorate a wall in my office, welp Aqua Lung arrived and there was an issue. Using experience learned from refurbishing fountain pens I decided to try and address the issue. Guess what? I was successful (mostly) so let’s celebrate the win.

As Stupid Does

I bought the album on eBay, and the seller decided to be cheap and ship the LP in a poly bubble self-sealing envelope – THE HORROR. There was no added cardboard to protect the album, plus the adhesive sealing strip was attached to the album cover not to the poly mailer bag.

The poly security seal attached to the album

Have you ever gotten a package from Amazon with those self-adhesive strips called security seals. They are designed to seal the mailer forever! Here I am with a security seal attaching a poly mailer bag to the front cover of my wall decoration. As you may recall, I don’t have a turntable (yet), I bought the LP to display on my office wall. The cover was in great shape for being 53 years old and now it has a portion of the shipping package and the adhesive strip from Hell attached to it.

I contacted the seller who smugly said it was a “shipping problem,” and that she will refund the shipping cost. Another string of colorful expletives and the wise decision to sleep on it.

The Remedy Process

After freeing the bubble wrap poly mailing bag from the album, I took a deep breath, time to learn if the unprotected vinyl record survived the 1700-mile trip. The sleeve slipped effortlessly from the confines of the cover, I delicately removed the record touching only the edges with the palm of my hands…. Fulling expecting to see a variety of cracks radiating across the vinyl but NO.

In one piece

I flip the record and still NO. It miraculously survived the journey. Vinyl records are fragile, they will crack when the slightest pressure is applied. Unbelievably, this record managed the trip protected only by a 4mm layer of bubble wrap and the album cover.

Take a deep breath and begin.

Armed with a hairdryer, and forceps I set about removing the remains of the packaging still attached to the album cover. Attached the forceps to the bag and rolled it back exposing the adhesive strip from Hell. Applying high heat, I brought it to within an inch of the forceps. Within seconds the bag was released from the adhesive. Using a thin-bladed pocket knife blade horizontal to the cover, I gently removed some adhesive and the bag from the cover.

The adhesive balled up and is now stuck on the knife blade impeding the removal of more adhesive. A problem for later, the focus shifted to removing the bag, afterward, I’ll focus on the residual adhesive. Gently, rolling the forceps away from the heat the bag was removed in less than 10 minutes.

Residual adhesive, lovely

For the residual adhesive, high heat was again applied to soften the adhesive. The adhesive balled up and was easily removed from the cover. At this point, 90%+ of the adhesive was removed. During the removal process, it became evident ink pigment was leaching from the cover. The decision was made to leave any remaining adhesive. The remaining adhesive is nearly impossible to see unless the album is viewed from an angle.

Before (R) and After (L)

At this point, I made a careless mistake. I was cleaning the scraper with lemon extract when I dropped the swab. It landed on the bottom right corner of the cover where the security seal had damaged the cover. At this point, I gained a humbling appreciation for what 83% alcohol will do. The ink pigment in the affected area was immediately removed.

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COPYRIGHT © 2021-2024 DANNY WATTS and CHRONICLES OF A FOUTAIN PEN.
Posted in Restoration

The Restoration Bright Idea

Posted on by Danny Watts

If you have been following me for any length of time, you know I frequently have very bad “bright ideas.” This is the story of a bright idea gone right.

A couple weeks past, I posted about the Parker “51” and “21,” and I mentioned the “21” I bought. It was inexpensive but damaged. The body and hood/cover is made of a cheap plastic known to easily crack. The barrel and hood of the “21” were made of polystyrene plastic, a synthetic polymer made from monomers of the aromatic hydrocarbon styrene, a hard, brittle, inexpensive resin. Back in the day, this was the same plastic used to manufacture cassette cases.

Excerpt: “Let’s look at the business end of the pens. After filling the “21” I experienced the reality of a hooded pen with cracks. Yes, the dreaded inky fingers.“

A Topcoat

I bought a clear topcoat to protect fingernail polish (I forget why) when a thought hit me, seal the hood/cover with it. I set about applying multiple coats to the inside of the hood multiple times before installing it over the nib and feed section. The cracks immediately reappeared, so I started applying the topcoat over the cracks until each crack was filled. The hood looked good so I inked it up and guess what? Yup, inky fingers.

Liquid Cement

I was in a hobby store, staring down the aisle containing plastic models. You see, I assembled model cars, boats, planes, etc as a young person. There was a liquid cement applied with a brush that sort of melted the adjoining plastic parts. I wonder if it is still available? YES! I bought a bottle.

I removed most of the topcoat and coated the inside of the hood with glue. Installed it, and minor cracks appeared. Next, I applied numerous coats filling the cracks from the outside.

I inked the pen, and guess what, no inky fingers.

For days the pen was put through the paces, expecting at any moment the inevitable would happen but it never did.

Clear and Present Danger (that’s me)

Technically, there should not be a danger, but it turns out I am an idiot. I was busy sanding the coats of glue thus creating a smooth, polished finish when the paper caught the nib and off sailed the pen. The pen landed, nib first on the metal base of a stationary bike under my desk. Imagine the worst outcome, it was worse. The nib bent backward, breaking off the tip of the hood. Ink splashed across the floor and onto my foot. With a show of hands, how many of you have had a case of inky toes?

Broken hood tip – told you I am a danger

Much to my surprise, the tip was not lost. I found it, by accident, near the point of impact. Remember it is triangle-shaped, like a pyramid, with a base measuring 2mm.

I set about straightening the nib using dapping tools. I was successful, though a minor refinement is still needed. The next step, attaching the tip, and capillary action to the rescue. I placed the tip on the nib and the ink held it in place. Applied the liquid cement then using a razor knife, I gently lifted the hood tip off the nib until the glue set – a matter of seconds. The tip reattachment is nearly flawless.

Reattached hood tip

For fear of myself and in the best interest of the pen, I decided to stop while ahead. Minor imperfections are just that, the pen is 70 years old – it is supposed to have imperfections. The months after my “bright idea” the pen is still in use and I remain inky finger-free.

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COPYRIGHT © 2021-2024 DANNY WATTS and CHRONICLES OF A FOUTAIN PEN.
Posted in Restoration

Sources of Helpful Information to Prevent My Mistakes

Posted on by Danny Watts

This topic has been kicked down the road more than I can recall. I intended to delete it from the list of topics altogether, until the last post. For those of you unfamiliar I am a danger to vintage fountain pens. I started this blog to help others by repeating my mistakes. In retrospect, last week was helpful and provided credence to this post. Let’s expand on helpful.

Message Boards

Primarily sites are operated by fountain pen enthusiasts and those interested in all things pen-related.

It doesn’t matter if your interest is refurbishing pens, collecting vintage pens, or simply enjoying fountain pens, you need a FREE membership to pose questions.

  • Fountain Pen Network – a collection of forums dedicated to fountain pens, their repair, history, inks, and marketing. Including regional and brand-specific forums.
  • Fountain Pen Geeks – very similar to FPN except it is based on bulletin boards. In my experience, the membership are quicker to answer queries.
  • Fountain Pen Board – not much going on here but it is worth a search.

Blogs and Websites

Primarily blogs and websites operated by pen enthusiasts amassing decades of knowledge and experience.

These folks roll up their sleeves and do the work. Some of them have storefronts, and I am confident you won’t be disappointed.

Cindy’s Danny’s List of Repair Services

As I have not used any professional repair services I will limit the list to those suggested by enthusiasts we can trust. Look for customer reviews, do not be afraid to ask for referrals. It is your pen and in the case of vintage pens, it may not be replaceable.

When selecting a repair service perform your due diligence and as always, caveat emptor.

References

I’ve made use of far more references than I can list here. Instead, I am providing a handful of exceptional references that have provided help often and frequently.

As mentioned, this is not a comprehensive list of authoritative sources. Most sources listed are operated by enthusiasts like myself and I found them helpful. If you have a favorite source of helpful information, please share, if not for me for the well-being of my vintage pens.

COPYRIGHT © 2021-2024 DANNY WATTS and CHRONICLES OF A FOUTAIN PEN.
Posted in Restoration

Learning the Hard Way, aka “I’m a danger to pens”

Posted on by Danny Watts

Frank Spors, of Le Center, Minnesota was the owner of SPORS and Company, a marketing company that sold cheap stuff through mail order, to drug stores, to salesmen, and to the public. One such item was a crescent-fill, glass-nibbed fountain pen. This pen was made in pre-war Japan and shipped to SPORS for distribution.

Click for a detailed gallery view

SPORS Pens are not easy to refurbish. Not because they are complicated, nope, because they are the “made in China” quality pens of their time. Literature found on Phil Munson’s blog clearly indicates that the section is glued to the barrel so that users will not “be so apt to take it apart, twist the ink container (sac) all out of shape, and then finally blame the pen.”

I managed to unscrew the grip with the glass nib from the section which is glued to the barrel. Great. How to remove the the section from the barrel when only threads are available?

The outside of the feed, appears to have a finish or skin, while the interior appears porous. Based on the diagram provided by Phil Munson, the ink sac appears to attach directly to the feed.

My Pen

The pen I have probably dates to the late 1920s. I read a FPN post describing the refurbishment of a similar pen and that author broke the treads off the pen. I got an idea! I would use the D7 BRASS VACUMATIC TOOL to secure and protect the threads while I apply heat to the barrel. Brilliant idea, I am glad I thought of it.

The threads perfectly fit the small threads of the vacumatic tool. I threaded the pen to the tool and the second the barrel became snug with the tool the threads separated from the section. Yes, the threads broke free of the pen which begot a stream of colorful expletives followed by an eye roll and the proclamation “You idiot!”

Click for a detailed gallery view

After I pouted for two days I got a bright idea, as my history of bright ideas usually ends badly I decided to forgo that bright idea. Back to the FPN thread, the author goes on to say the “body is nitrocellulose based celluloid; I verified that by burning a sliver of the broken threads – it lit up like a flare!” Good news, the house did not burn to the ground.

The next surprise related to the cap. I was busy taking the Sunshine cloth to the cap when the innards fell out. With the advent of “safety pens” in the early 20th century, fountain pen caps have an inner sleeve. Now the sleeve was in my hand and it looked funny. Using sandpaper to lightly scrape the sleeve, years of ink stains, etc. were removed and it became evident that the inner cap sleeve was bamboo.

Click for a detailed gallery view

This is when I did something dumb – again (I am on a roll folks), I put the bamboo and grip with nib into the ultrasonic. The inner sleeve had yellow paper or cloth stuffed inside to secure the glass nib. Welp, it is now blue and shrunk by half in size; therefore, I guess it is paper of some sort. “You idiot!”

The grip with nib went through two cycles in the ultrasonic. Even after being dried, the grip continued to deposit ink on my fingers. This is how I determined the feed was a porous rod saturated with vintage dried ink which I reconstituted. I began writing using just the grip with nib in hand.

The old ink sac is hard and brittle, yet intact inside the barrel. I have a sac that will fit over the porous rod and will slide inside the barrel – another bright idea forms based on the Munson diagram.

I slipped a sac onto the feed and depressed it – another failed bright idea. The air evacuated the sac but failed to draw air back in. Clearly not the solution. At this point, I am open to suggestions. I still have the deferred bright idea, plus I have a second SPORS crescent that has not been refurbed, maybe I can go break that pen as well and in the process learn something?

Let’s not forget the Nib

The nib is made of glass, close to 100 years old in a budget-friendly pen (it would cost $20 if purchased today). The nib glass has 8 channels beginning at the grip and terminating at the point. The glass has an amber tone, not sure if that was intended or the result of usage. There appears to be slight damage to the tip but I did not notice when using it.

Click for a detailed gallery view

To Be Continued…..

Vital Statistics

  • Capped Length; 125mm,
  • Uncapped Length; 114mm,
  • Barrel Diameter; 11mm,
  • Cap Diameter; 12mm,
  • Weighs in at 14g.

Reference Material

COPYRIGHT © 2021-2024 DANNY WATTS and CHRONICLES OF A FOUTAIN PEN.
Posted in Pens, Refurbish, Restoration, Stories

51’47 Refurb the Rebuild

Posted on by Danny Watts

Now that I successfully disassembled my Parker 51 and cleaned it, time to put it back together. I’m hoping there will not be any extra parts.

Assembly

The diaphragm gets all the attention but I found the collector to be equally interesting, thus an excerpt from the Parker service manual:

“The interior of the collector is a center hole drilled in a series of steps. The inner diameter of the front of the collector .144 Inches. At the next step the inner diameter is .125 inches, and at the third step .112 inches. The feed is inserted into the collector it seats firmly against the shoulder at the back of the .112 diameter hole. Because increases the diameter of this opening to .125 and because the feed is actually .112 in diameter, an open space of .0065 inches surrounds the feed.”

I decided it would be best to replace the breather tube. I found replacement tubing at Indy-Pen-Dance and bought a foot. When cutting the new breather tube I used a very sharp knife as I wanted to minimize compressing the tubing walls. Afterward, a dental pick easily expanded the tubing walls.

A new breather tube installed, let’s focus on the collector. The feed is inserted into the collector from the front. The inside of the collector is machined so the feed will firmly seat itself. Confirm the “capillary channel is aligned with the vide channel in the top of the collector.” Now the nib is inserted, the slot in the nib must align with the vide channel at the top of the collector. “Be sure that the small plug is in the saw cut of the collector and has not been removed.” Oh yeah, right. Good thing this is a diaphragm model as the service manual has a section on the weir vent feeler gauge and the “Go, No-Go” gauge associated with the collector. This is a pen, not a rocket launch.

On to the easy stuff, installing the new diaphragm. Really, it is easy comparatively speaking. The diaphragm is cut to the length 11⁄32” to 11⁄16” (26.2 mm to 27.0 mm). Insert onto the blunt end of the D15 Pellet Pusher tool and applied talc (everywhere). Slide the diaphragm off, which makes it roll up (we want that), and insert over the thin pellet pusher end. Carefully insert the pellet within the diaphragm into the pellet socket. As the socket showed signs of damage I then applied heat to the socket and worked the pocket so it would tightly hold the diaphragm pellet.

Applied a light coat of mineral oil (or Vacumatic lubricant) to the retaining collar and to the end of the diaphragm that folds back on itself. The diaphragm is not secured with any kind of glue or adhesive. The pressure of the securing screw pressing down on the retaining collar will keep it in place.

Prep diaphragm
Insert pellet pocket
Installed

I gently wiggled the diaphragm down into the barrel. The lubricant on the diaphragm permitted it to slide past the tapered seat within the barrel. Then the pump was inserted until it stopped. By hand, I tighten down the threaded securing screw until it felt firm.

Performing the near impossible, I directed a light down the barrel while depressing the plunger looking for creases or folds. Had I spotted anything odd, the unit would be removed and installed again.

The all-important question “Is there a vacuum? I did the obvious, depressed the plunger, with the open end of the barrel stuck out my tongue, and let the plunger go – YEAH! It stuck. I know “loser.”

Time now to insert the collector into the barrel. The hood is installed to secure the collector. Only took a dozen times to get the nib to align properly.

The End

Time to ink it up with Pelikan 4001 Black – cross your fingers! Looking good, wait, F@%#, it is leaking at the clutch ring.

In my excitement, I forgot a step. The hood is a very important component of the function of the pen, it’s not just there for looks. As you may recall, Parker applied a heat-sensitive sealant to the threads of the hood and welp I forgot (old man brain). As I don’t have a heat-sensitive sealant I considered options; rosin, silicone grease, shellac, and Ron Zorn sells Sheaffer thread sealant. As Ron prefers shellac on a 51, a little dab of shellac it is.

Now that the hood is secured, let’s give it a go – again. Success, no leaks. What I failed to appreciate is simple. This pen is held together via vacuum and pressure fittings.

Reference Material

COPYRIGHT © 2021-2024 DANNY WATTS and CHRONICLES OF A FOUTAIN PEN.
Posted in Restoration

51’47 Refurb the Teardown

Posted on by Danny Watts

The pens I typically refurbish do not require special skills or tools, then along came the 1947 Parker 51. Refurbishing this pen is not overly difficult; however, it is not possible without the proper tools. As this restoration is a very technical tear down and build-up process, this post will be decided into two parts.

In the 1930s, Parker developed their proprietary vacumatic filling system. Instead of an ink sac, the barrel is the ink reservoir. A rubber diaphragm is installed between the reservoir and a spring-loaded pump which, when depressed, forces air out of the reservoir creating a vacuum that draws ink into the reservoir.

Disassembly

Remove the hood, which is cemented in place with a heat-sensitive sealant. Failure to soften the sealant first and the use of section pliers will not end well. With the hood safely removed, the collector is friction fit in the barrel and may be easily removed by twisting the collector loose from the barrel. The feed and nib are removed from the collector by a simple twist and pull.

Parker began dating nibs in 1943ish, and most will have the tipping material also engraved on the nib. The earliest 1943 nibs will have OS-PL, which stands for Osmiridium Plathenium, changed later in the same year to RU-PL, which stands for Ruthinium Plathenium. Sometime in 1947, the designation was changed to just RU.

Mine has RU-PL || 9.4.7 (the dots are below the numbers). Assume the date is Q3 1947. A nib with code 94 is a medium italic 14k nib. BTW, what we are looking at is only 3.5mm wide.

Using a sheet of paper (heavier weight) I slide it through each fin of the collector removing old ink. The nib and feed were cleaned with a Sunshine cloth. The capillary channel on the feed was cleaned using a dental pick. The breather tube is yellowed, brittle, and fouled by dried ink.

Screw the threads of the filling unit (where the plunger is) into the removal tool/wrench (I use the Pen Tools Vacumatic tool). Tighten the knurled knob, and depress the plunger before attempting to remove the threaded collar. I applied heat to the barrel at the wrench, now grasp the wrench securely in my right hand and grip the pen barrel with a rubber pad (I use a bicycle inner tube) in my right hand, and twist in a clockwise direction until the filler unit is free of the barrel.

Depress the plunger
Apply heat and twist
Pull the filler unit out

Now that the filler unit has been unscrewed from the barrel, the remainder of the unit may be pulled straight out. Sometimes the unit may be stuck. In which case you should use a “pump ejector.” If a pump ejector is used, be super careful and avoid shattering the pellet pocket. Upon removal, it became apparent that the diaphragm was no longer seated in the unit.

Note the condition of the pellet pocket (right photo), shows signs of damage or deterioration.

The filler unit was covered with residual ink, shellac, and grime. Making use of a Sunshine cloth, a variety of dental picks, and nylon brushes the unit was cleaned. As a final step, the unit was placed in an ultrasonic in solution of water and ammonia. A similar effort was employed to clean the threads inside the barrel.

Special Tools

D7 BRASS VACUMATIC TOOL. This unit is made of brass. There are 2 sizes of threads used on Vacumatics and 51s, covering Debs, Standards (both the same thread), and Oversized / Maximas. This tool will fit both thread sizes for all three pen sizes.

D15 VACUMATIC PELLET PUSHER. Use this to re-install a removed/damaged Vacumatic diaphragm on Parker Vacs and Vac 51s.

Reference Material

COPYRIGHT © 2021-2024 DANNY WATTS and CHRONICLES OF A FOUTAIN PEN.
Posted in Pens, Restoration, Reviews

Esterbrook Dollar pen, the review

Posted on by Danny Watts

I wrote about this pen in April 2021. It was my 6th post, and I’m afraid to read it. Anyway, I got this pen at a great price from a seller in Michigan, it really looks more green than brown to me and the presence of white spots is prominently indicating extensive light damage with complications caused by water damage. But fear not…….

Pen Back Story

A late first-generation Esterbrook Dollar pen, so called because they cost a dollar in their time when the average hourly salary was 70 cents per hour.

Esterbrook manufactured this style pen from 1934-1942, a new wider clip design was introduced in 1938 as was a new fishtail shape lever.

I believe this pen was manufactured at the very beginning of 1938 using both old and new component parts. This pen sports the new design fish tail lever and the original clip design. The contradictory parts could also indicate the cap does not belong to this pen.

First Gen clip 1934-1937

A notable feature of the Dollar Pen was the use of expensive material. Most notably the company had chosen to use the newly available wonder metal – stainless steel. The pen is made of hard rubber (aka ebonite or vulcanite) and is very durable but subject to damage by sunlight. Light damage is not immediately obvious, after some time the pen will turn to a brown color, and its gloss will fade to a light tan color. The good news is the damaged areas can be repaired but henceforth the pen is also susceptible to water damage (spots).

Pen prior to refurbishment

I set about refurbishing the pen and all went better than I hoped. I encourage you to read the original unremastered post here, Brown is the new black.

The review

When choosing a pen to enter rotation this month I said to myself, “self, you have never reviewed a pen you refurbished, now is a good time.” Agreed, I present to you my 1938 Esterbrook Dollar pen. Let’s begin with the overall condition of the pen. I just published a rating system I apply to vintage pens primarily and this one scores well. I give it a B.07 – Micro defects. There are no significant scratches or teeth marks, the logo on the barrel is crisp, and the cap clip and lever are both stiff and have a spring to them. Overall a very impressive pen. The A quality code is because I could have done better in the refurb. The pen is stellar.

The refurbished Dollar Pen

This is an awkward review, the pen is 85 years old, and that comes with baggage not found with a contemporary pen. The first thing I noticed is the feel of the barrel, it is warm to the touch compared to a contemporary acrylic and very lightweight. Capped the pen is a hair longer than a Pilot Prera. The metal accents of the pen are all stainless steel. The clip is short (31mm), extending only half the length of the cap. It bends at the top of the cap and becomes an end piece with a script Esterbrook stamped in it.

Pilot Prera vs Esterbrook Dollar pens

The cap is a screw-on and is removed after 1 full turn. The pen is best suited for smaller hands. The section is minimal, only half the length of a Prera section. As I normally hold a pen at or behind the cap threads, this doesn’t affect me. The pen fits nicely in my hand, even unposted.

The pen came with a 2556 nib that was heavily stained. Turns out the tip on the right tine is missing. I changed out that nib for a 9461 Rigid Fine Manifold nib and inked up the pen (SCRIBO Rosso Chianti) then gave it a go.

The nib was not the most smooth which I was initially surprised by. The 9xxx series Esterbrook nibs are their best, but wait, this is a manifold nib. The term “manifold” is an older, more formal description meaning “many.” The nib is rigid to support use with carbon paper. For those too young to know, carbon paper was a means of making duplicate copies. It was placed between sheets of paper, as you wrote, applying a little more pressure than normal the carbon paper created one or more copies simultaneously.

For a pen that has seen a bunch of decades, it worked wonderfully. I left it in my pen cup – nib up – for the weekend and it started instantly on Monday morning. There were no ink accidents, the nib was a bit wet. Overall I am impressed and can only hope I work so well when I’m 85.

Vital Statistics

  • Capped length: 122mm
  • Uncapped length: 114mm
  • Barrel diameter: 11mm
  • Cap diameter: 12.25mm
  • Weighs in at 12g
COPYRIGHT © 2021-2024 DANNY WATTS and CHRONICLES OF A FOUTAIN PEN.