How to Make an Eye Dropper Pen

[JetPens]

We just uploaded a new instructional article on JetPens: How to Do an Eye Dropper Pen Conversion

 

http://www.jetpens.com/images/PenPedia/Eyedropper_26.JPG

 

It uses supplies that you can get at any local hardware store

http://www.jetpens.com/images/PenPedia/O-ring.jpg

and it teaches you how to make a standard Preppy Fountain pen (by the way we got new colors and sizes)

http://www.jetpens.com/images/platinum_ppq-200_1_05.jpg

into an eyedropper fountain pen.

http://www.jetpens.com/images/PenPedia/Eyedropper_12.JPG

We had many customers ask us how to do this. Thank you to FPN member Ken Schwartz for providing the instructional information. We hope it is helpful!

 

Please feel free to comment/offer suggestions to us!

 

 

[cgreen]

I have a variation on this that works well for me; YMMV.

 

I use two o-rings, both 5/16". One goes in the conventional location between the feed section and the top of the barrel, the other goes into the barrel so it seals immediately below the feed section, below the thread. The bottom o-ring is my first line of defense, and the top one is the second.

 

I've converted two Preppys this way so far, and have flown both short and long haul with both. No ink has made it past the bottom seal.

 

My initial motivation was that I found the silicon-grease-in-the-threads approach both inelegant and messy; I wanted to keep both ink and anything else out of the threads, and so far I'm very happy with how well this approach works.

 

[JetPens]

I have a variation on this that works well for me; YMMV.

 

I use two o-rings, both 5/16". One goes in the conventional location between the feed section and the top of the barrel, the other goes into the barrel so it seals immediately below the feed section, below the thread. The bottom o-ring is my first line of defense, and the top one is the second.

 

I've converted two Preppys this way so far, and have flown both short and long haul with both. No ink has made it past the bottom seal.

 

My initial motivation was that I found the silicon-grease-in-the-threads approach both inelegant and messy; I wanted to keep both ink and anything else out of the threads, and so far I'm very happy with how well this approach works.

 

 

Thanks for your input! Could you describe more where you put the second O-ring? Do you mean in the inside of the barrel? I haven't tried this method before but I would be interested...

[cgreen]

I have a variation on this that works well for me; YMMV.

 

I use two o-rings, both 5/16". One goes in the conventional location between the feed section and the top of the barrel, the other goes into the barrel so it seals immediately below the feed section, below the thread. The bottom o-ring is my first line of defense, and the top one is the second.

 

I've converted two Preppys this way so far, and have flown both short and long haul with both. No ink has made it past the bottom seal.

 

My initial motivation was that I found the silicon-grease-in-the-threads approach both inelegant and messy; I wanted to keep both ink and anything else out of the threads, and so far I'm very happy with how well this approach works.

Thanks for your input! Could you describe more where you put the second O-ring? Do you mean in the inside of the barrel? I haven't tried this method before but I would be interested...

Sorry for the delayed reply -- the forum software didn't notify me of your reply.

 

 

These are the first two that I converted, the top is a regular retail Preppy (bought from JetPens -- I'm a very happy customer) and the other came with Noodler's Kung Te-Cheng. I've since also converted a 0.5mm Preppy and the process was no different. I place the "inside" o-ring inside the barrel, the "outside" o-ring goes in the standard location. I try to place the inside ring up high enough that screwing in the feed section pushes the ring down and forms a good seal. I also use no grease at all.

 

I use 7/16" OD, 5/16" ID, 1/16" thick o-rings. Note that these are thicker than the ones Noodler's uses. I've also found variances between manufacturers with this size. Most recently I had some difficulty seating the inside o-ring, but washing it with handsoap in warm water fixed the problem.

 

In further use I have a minuscule amount of seepage past the inside o-ring on the first one I converted several months ago, but it's still far, far less than the amount of ink that wound its way up the threads with the grease method.

 

Hope this is useful.

[penrivers]

Well, I have my O ring's kit but I dont use it anymore.

See, the O ring protudes among the nib's feeder mechanism and the barrel.

So I have an unconfortable sensation in the greeping fingers whenever I am writing.

So, I get back to Silicone grease Permatex Ultra Grey. (You find it in auto parts stores)

No problem until now, no leaks, no shirt lost. My two pilot birdies working well.

After refill, be careful to clean every tiny rest of silicone with a piece of flanel in your fountain pen

Greetings from México.

[mge01park]

Wondering where to get these. Copied from the JetPens web site thanks.

 

Here we used a black Platinum Preppy Fountain Pen with a Noodlers Kung Te-Cheng Emperor's Purple since it already includes an eyedropper. The O-ring can be purchased at any hardware store. They should have a 1/16" thickness, with an outside diameter of 3/8" and inside diameter of 1/4 inch, and are sometimes referred to as #5 O-rings. http://www.jetpens.com/images/PenPedia/O-ring.jpg

[I am not a number]

Have you tries a google search for O rings? The photo gives you the size you need.

[mge01park]

Yes, not successfully though.

 

Have you tries a google search for O rings? The photo gives you the size you need.

[ehebert]

Take the picture of the O ring package to your local hardware store.

[ZeissIkon]

Take the picture of the O ring package to your local hardware store.

 

+1

 

Any Lowe's, Home Depot, Ace, True Value, or independent hardware store should have common plumbing o-rings in stock -- and those are common plumbing o-rings.

[Mrsal]

Take the picture of the O ring package to your local hardware store.

 

or better, write down the measurements with one of your fountain pens!!

[OtterNZ]

The hardware mega store near me only went down to 10mm O-rings, where as the ones needed are more around 6-6.5mm O rings. I actually found the ones I needed at a car accessory shop

[penrivers]

Well, I have my O ring's kit but I dont use it anymore.

See, the O ring protudes among the nib's feeder mechanism and the barrel.

So I have an unconfortable sensation in the greeping fingers whenever I am writing.

So, I get back to Silicone grease Permatex Ultra Grey. (You find it in auto parts stores)

No problem until now, no leaks, no shirt lost. My two pilot birdies working well.

After refill, be careful to clean every tiny rest of silicone with a piece of flanel in your fountain pen

Greetings from México.

If there is still a remaining of silicon imposible to get with the flannel use that little brush that comes with your electric razor.

With the size of a finger is fantastic for cleaning.

Yesterday I was reading the post ''google and FPN''. They are one hundred percent right.

I am 61 years old who lives in a small town in México, so I use whatever I can get here for my non profesional fixing of my fountain pens, so please, please, dont take my opinion for granted in any way, I am not a profesional or expert in fountain pens.

As a mater of fact you will find O rings everywhere in the third world from San Miguel Allende to Iquitos but certanly you wont find the sophisticated silicones you find in the States.

So, if you want a good safe eye droper use the O rings from the hardware around the corner. Greetings from México.

[mge01park]

Thanks all, I just called an Ace store near me here in Hollywood, FL and they have them and they said #5 o-rings as Jet said.

[Possum Hill]

The hardware mega store near me only went down to 10mm O-rings, where as the ones needed are more around 6-6.5mm O rings. I actually found the ones I needed at a car accessory shop

I measured the O-ring on an eyedropper Preppy that came with a bottle of Noodler's ink; it appeared to be 1 mm thick and 10 mm in outside diameter (8 mm inside diameter).

[mge01park]

How does that stack up against what JetPens had indicated on their post on converting the Preppy.

I noted on o-ring specialty web sites that the o-rings come in in. and mm measurements. I also noted that there is a standard AS568B size which is 010 size on various charts.

 

The hardware mega store near me only went down to 10mm O-rings, where as the ones needed are more around 6-6.5mm O rings. I actually found the ones I needed at a car accessory shop

I measured the O-ring on an eyedropper Preppy that came with a bottle of Noodler's ink; it appeared to be 1 mm thick and 10 mm in outside diameter (8 mm inside diameter).

[mge01park]

How did they stack up against the JetPens size and specs. I understand that they're plumbing type o-rings and perhaps we can stretch that to pens as we're plumbing the ink to function in the pen and not leak!

 

 

The hardware mega store near me only went down to 10mm O-rings, where as the ones needed are more around 6-6.5mm O rings. I actually found the ones I needed at a car accessory shop

[OtterNZ]

The hardware mega store near me only went down to 10mm O-rings, where as the ones needed are more around 6-6.5mm O rings. I actually found the ones I needed at a car accessory shop

I measured the O-ring on an eyedropper Preppy that came with a bottle of Noodler's ink; it appeared to be 1 mm thick and 10 mm in outside diameter (8 mm inside diameter).

 

Hmmmm. The 10mm I gave was an inside measurement, and the 6.5mm was a conversion from imperial to metric of the measurements given in this post.

[OtterNZ]

How did they stack up against the JetPens size and specs. I understand that they're plumbing type o-rings and perhaps we can stretch that to pens as we're plumbing the ink to function in the pen and not leak!

 

 

The hardware mega store near me only went down to 10mm O-rings, where as the ones needed are more around 6-6.5mm O rings. I actually found the ones I needed at a car accessory shop

 

 

They look exactally the same, just in a different box. I don't have the pen yet to try it on, I'll let you know when it's done.

[Possum Hill]

The hardware mega store near me only went down to 10mm O-rings, where as the ones needed are more around 6-6.5mm O rings. I actually found the ones I needed at a car accessory shop

I measured the O-ring on an eyedropper Preppy that came with a bottle of Noodler's ink; it appeared to be 1 mm thick and 10 mm in outside diameter (8 mm inside diameter).

 

Hmmmm. The 10mm I gave was an inside measurement, and the 6.5mm was a conversion from imperial to metric of the measurements given in this post.

Metric o-rings are not always easy to find in the U.S. There are standard small o-rings 1/32" thick, but I haven't found any large enough in diameter to use on a Preppy. The next standard thickness is 1/16", which actually seems like it would be a little too thick. It seems to work well enough, though, as several people have posted.