Safely Cleaning Ink Stains In A Demonstrator - M200

[amberleadavis]

So, I'm testing a bunch of inks.

Please do not blame the ink maker!

 

He stated that this series:

 

Water resistant inks with very high saturation level. Pay attention to carefull clean before and after using those inks because they are not compatible with almost any other fountain pen ink. In case of staining transparent parts of pen diluted alcohol (20-30%) will remove the stains easily. Not suitable for celluloid fountain pens because of possible staining.

 

Of course, I didn't worry about using this ink in my Pelikan because it is not celluloid AND in the 2 years I've been using the clear M200s, no ink has stained it.

 

So, here is what it looked like after 3 days - and all the ink was gone:

 

http://sheismylawyer.com/She_Thinks_In_Ink/Inked_Today/slides/20140705_020011.jpg

[amberleadavis]

Here's how it looked after the first water flush.

 

http://sheismylawyer.com/She_Thinks_In_Ink/Inked_Today/slides/20140706_133641.jpg

[amberleadavis]

Here it is after 4 cycles through a sonic cleaner with trace amounts of ammonia. Then flushed with clear water.

 

http://sheismylawyer.com/She_Thinks_In_Ink/Inked_Today/slides/20140706_195944.jpg

[amberleadavis]

So, here is the question -- can I safely use alcohol on a resin pen?

[da vinci]

Oh dear. Will you have to make up the diluted alcohol mix in a cup and suck that up into the barrel by using the piston filler?

 

Edited to add: Sorry I should have been more patient. Thank you for posting this thread, I am interested to know the answer as the risk of difficult to treat ink stains put me off many inks.

Edited July 7, 2014 by da vinci

[amberleadavis]

IF all else fails, I know I can get it clean by using a bunch of other inks - red seems to work the best for me.

 

I could remove the nib and fill it like an eyedropper.

 

The problem is that I don't know if alcohol is safe with the Pelikan.

[Peine11]

Diluted bleach may work better than alcohol, however it will also remove silicone grease, which you can reapply easily afterwards. If possible, avoid contact with the piston seal and let the affected area soak overnight. I tried it once with great success.

[WaskiSquirrel]

Is it bad if I think the pen looks kind of cool with the original stain?

 

I don't know from your description if the ink is a certain infamous one made in New England. I once slopped a bit of that infamous one on my laminate floors. I had to use diluted bleach to get it off. I used the same diluted bleach to get it out of the stained piston.

 

Of course, never, never, never use bleach and ammonia together.

[dduran]

Rapido-eze? So far it's been able to clean all stains I've come across with.. it's so effective that it'll remove the silicone grease so I don't recommend it on pens that you can't disassemble.

Wonder if it works with Baystate though..

[amberleadavis]

No, it isn't BSB, it's a new ink maker from Poland. I'm doing a series of tests. I don't want to strip out my grease if I don't have to, because unlike a TWSBI, those Pelikans are difficult to take apart and re-grease.

[canibanoglu]

I've never taken apart an M200 because I don't have one but if it is like my M1000, it is just as easy to take apart as my TWSBI Vac 700. The tool included with the TWSBI fits the M1000 piston as well and you can remove the piston the same way you would remove the piston/vac filler from a 540/580/Vac700.

[MarkTrain]

No, it isn't BSB, it's a new ink maker from Poland. I'm doing a series of tests. I don't want to strip out my grease if I don't have to, because unlike a TWSBI, those Pelikans are difficult to take apart and re-grease.

One doesn't need to take the piston apart to regrease it. Just unscrew the nib and apply a little grease on a toothpick; for example see here.

 

Mark

[amberleadavis]

One doesn't need to take the piston apart to regrease it. Just unscrew the nib and apply a little grease on a toothpick; for example see here.

 

Mark

 

 

As a fellow "conductor" I must say thank you. These directions are easy enough.

 

Lubricating a Pelikan Piston

The piston in my Pelikan is tight, and I’m afraid I’ll break something if I keep using it. Can I lubricate it? How?

http://www.richardspens.com/images/ref/pendoctor/rx.pngIf the pen has a plastic piston seal (not a cork), you can lubricate it. You must first find some 100% silicone grease. In the U.S.A., this grease is sold for use by divers (to lubricate SCUBA gear) and by restaurateurs (to lubricate food processing equipment). Some online pen dealers (including RichardsPens.com) also carry it. Do not use any silicone grease that contains even the tiniest amount of petroleum distillates!

To lubricate the piston, empty the pen completely and flush it with water until the ejecta are clear. Draw the piston back up, as if filling the pen, and remove the nib unit. Twist the corner of a paper towel into a point (often called a “twizzle”), insert it into the open end of the pen barrel, and use it to absorb any remaining droplets of water from the inside of the barrel. Put a tiny amount of grease on the end of a wooden toothpick or match. Insert the toothpick or match into the open end of the barrel, and apply the grease around the inside of the barrel as close to the piston as you can get it. Now run the piston down and back up a few times. It should move very easily after the first stroke. Reinstall the nib, fill the pen, and write!

[Tanzanite]

I did this with one of my Pelikan demonstrators a few months ago. It is easy and works fine. A really tiny amount of grease is enough. I got the right amount but I think it is easy to take too much.

[inotrym]

Isopropyl alcohol is supposed to be gentle on plastics (99.9% pure IPA).

 

I don't know the exact plastic Pelikan uses, but I have a somewhat beaten up Vista that I can use as a guinea pig.

Lemme know if you care, so I can dig it up.

[whych]

Try unscrewing the nib and adding a drop of dishwash liquid and then fill with water.

Leave the pen a day or so, rinse and repeat till it clears.

My M200 ink window was stained by some Penman ruby and it eventually shifted after a few days.

If it is an IG ink, use some vinegar in the water.

Edited July 7, 2014 by whych

[Peine11]

While I applaud some of your enthusiasm to help, I must stress that unless you have done this before on an -exact- pen please refrain from sharing assumption based wisdoms.

 

I have clouded Pelikan resin before by accidentally using a alcohol/metho/IMS soaked cloth. While the damage was reversible, it wasn't an easy task. I'd imagine it'd be impossible to do it inside the barrel and on the inside of the section nook. It was real tricky to remove stain from the latter, let alone removing cloud!

[amberleadavis]

I'm still listening to ideas so you can present any idea or thoughts. Please be sure to tell me what you personally have tried and what is just an assumption. I will give each of those ideas their due weight. Thank you for thinking of me.

[inotrym]

I just submerged half my Vista's barrel into pure IPA, left it for a while in there and then rubbed it as forcefully as I could.

No damage at all. (It actually cleaned out dust and fingerprints quite beautifully).

 

I repeated the test with acetone. Well, let's just say that it was not a good idea.

 

 

I understand that my little experiment does not guarantee that IPA is safe for your Pelikan, but then again it's the most I could do to be of help.

 

 

PS. do not inhale any of this stuff...

[dduran]

Oh, I'm not suggesting it's BSB but you should give Rapido-eze a try

 

Was just thinking if it has effect on either Baystate inks because its been very effective so far