I want to change ink colors in my fountain pen. Do I need to "wash" remnants of the old ink out of the nib area? If so, what's the best way to go about this?
Jordan
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I want to change ink colors in my fountain pen. Do I need to "wash" remnants of the old ink out of the nib area? If so, what's the best way to go about this?
Jordan
Is this a cartridge pen? Or converter/piston/bladder?
Either way a good soak in warm water will start the process. You have an advantage, if you have a piston etc., because you can cycle the pen and more actively flush out the nib.
Thank you. It's a converter (the plunger screws up and down). I'll give the warm water a try.
Jordan
you don't have to, some people enjoy watching the ink slowly change from one color to the next.
however, if you are using 2 different brands of ink, you prolly should.
I would respectfully disagree -- if you're changing color, you should flush and clean the pen. Sometimes manufacturers use different formulations for different colors (noodlers does this quite frequently), and (rarely) two formulations can react and turn to sludge, which is not a good thing. Generally, you're safe -- but it only takes once to gum up the works of an expensive pen -- which is easiest cleaned out with a ultrasonic cleaner, by the way.Quote:
Originally Posted by jockeys
Just my two cents.
cass
I'll pass along what the reps at Waterman told me when I contacted them. Because most fountain pens have a very small passage, and because most new pens are made of plastic, anything that will warm the pen (like warm water) will risk constricting that passage and risk warping/cracking it. THey advise cold water...the colder the better. Cold water will open that passage up and help flush the old ink out.
FWIW, I always flush the pen whenever I'm refilling, even if I'm not changing colours.
Mark
Warm water, cold water. Each pen (I have many of different prices and ability) is an individual that may respond better to different techniques. Either way the water will dissolve any crud that builds up inside. I've never had a pen quit functioning using warm water and I clean the pen most every time I reload with ink. I'll report back if one does. I agree with Milton though, even the more expensive pens have plastic innards.
I learned to take mine apart (yes, field strip) all of them. YMMV.
it's quite possible. all of my ink is noodler's and all of it is bulletproof, which is the same base compound i think. i frequently mix them on purpose (not just when i'm refilling) to create custom colors, and have never had any issues. but then again, i've been using a fairly homogenous set of inks, so i'm prolly just lucky.Quote:
Originally Posted by cassady
This reminds me that I have to refill my remaining fountain pen that wasn't stolen.
I always flush between colors or if de-inking a pen to put it away a while (yes, a rotation of pens just like razors). I run water through it, not hot, not cold, just luke warm. I typically take one of those rubber baby suction bulbs found in any drug store (for clearing their nose and mouth) and squirt water through the section/nib to clean the interior passages well.
BTW, the Philidelphia Pen Show is this weekend for anyone nearby.
Tony
You may find addition of a little clear vinegar may speed the rinsing process, especially if the pen has been unused for some time. (Which isn't a good thing: if you know you aren't going to use your pen for a while, rinse it!)
Never blow the rinsing water through your nib, neither by mouth nor using the convertor. Just soak for a while (a night in severe cases) and then rinse by letting the water drip through by itself.
As for the temperature: lukewarm will do the trick. Ink residues will solve very slowly in very cold water, and good pens - made for being worn on your person, in waistcoat pockets atl - should be able to stand at least body temperature.
As for different inks: not only incompatabilty in terms of clotting (very true!) might be an issue; ink colours often depend on acidity and different inks (even of the same make) may differ greatly in this respect, thus often yielding disagreeable intermediate hues remarkably differing from what one would expect from mixing the original colours.
Good evening all,
I have a hundred or so fountain pens and do my own restoration. Warm water probably won't harm most plastic pens, but it can oxidize hard rubber. I never use warm water (over 100 degrees F) on pens, even though it may be quicker. I have several ear syringes, as Tony stated, and these speed up flushing, even with cold water. Forced flushing with a syringe will not harm the nib/feed/section assembly, unless you let the assembly go flying across the room. If the water is spraying out the breather (that's the hole in the slit of the nib, often shaped like a circle, half moon, or heart), hold your finger over the breather to plug it and force the water down the length of the nib.
If I have a pen with dried ink plugging the channels, I knock the nib/feed out of the section and clean everything with cool water and a tooth brush. I have the tools and know how to align the nib to the feed. If I didn't, I would soak the nib/feed/section in a glass of cool water until ink stopped bleeding from the feed. It might take overnight or several days. Change the water when it is colored.
Be careful with vinegar. It may discolor some plastics and hard rubber. I know folks that use dilute ammonia for cleaning, but be careful as it will also discolor plastics and hard rubbers. I have had nib/feed/sections that were so full of dried ink and crud that I could not safely knock them apart. Several days soaking in water did not help. I soaked them in isopropyl alcohol for a day or two and that disolved the ink so I could knock them apart.
I used to be very careful to not mix inks in a pen. I know many people who mix their own custom colors and some even mix different brands without problems. I still don't mix inks, but I'm not nearly as worried about some minor ink residue left in a pen when I switch inks. The exception is J. Herbin inks, which are vegetable based, I believe. Whatever the reason, they do not mix well with other inks. If you use J. Herbin inks, be extra careful when switching brands.
This is my $2 worth. I hope it helps. Sorry for the length.