Pen flushing method

[Keldun]

How do you all flush your pen without wasting tons of ink?

 

Each time i want to switch ink color I flush my pen with water, try to remove the water from the nib by shaking it then use a tissue on the nib and put the new ink color in it.

 

But then the new color is all washed out, and i have to scribble on many pages before my ink looks like it' s supposed to, but still skips(blank) a lot. This is really uncomfortable to write with so I have to scribble much more before it stops skipping.

 

If anyone had some good advices that would be of great help.

 

I also heard that it's recommended to flush a pen with water each time we refill it. Is it true? That sounds like a huge waste of ink with my current method.

[ht1]

I use a converter to flush the nibs. I put water in a cup, place the nib in the water, draw the water into the converter, take the nib out, and empty the converter through the nib into the sink. I do this until the water going into the converter is almost clear. After I'm through I continue the process several times without water to try to get more water out of the nib. I put tissue around the nib to draw the water out, and I let it air dry overnight.

[sonia_simone]

I don't flush with water every time I refill, just when I change colors. If I use the same ink in a pen all the time, I'll flush it every once in awhile when I remember (highly scientific method). I try and flush "problem" colors (mainly anything with a red component) a little more often. I have a Lamy Safari that I fill with turquoise ink, which I flush approximately never. The Safari is tough, turquoise ink is unlikely to create problems, and the pen seems perfectly content.

 

It sounds like you just need to spend a bit more time getting the water out of the nib. The best technique I've learned is to wrap the nib in something absorbant and flick very vigorously to get the last bits of water and ink out. You really need to give it a good fling. Try not to get watery ink all over the kitchen.

 

You can also try wrapping the nib in a paper towel or kleenex and letting it sit point down (a glass is handy to keep everything in place) for a few minutes. That should wick the water out. But I personally have not found this as effective as a strong fling.

 

If none of these is working for you, I wonder if your pen might have some flow issues that need attention. Does the pen eventually end up working well for you?

[FrankB]

It does sound like you are having an issue with getting water out of the nib. I have always flushed my pens between ink changes. It sounds like you do about what I do, just flush the nib and converter with water. But I also flush the pens that have piston, lever or button fillers. With the c/c pens, I can remove the converter from the section and blow through it to remove water. With all of the pens, I wrap the nib and feed in kleenex or loo paper and soak up as much ink as I can. I also let the pen sit overnight to dry, usually standing the pen nib down on a paper towel.

 

Good luck.

[Keldun]

Thank you for the advices, I'll try not to look like a madman in the kitchen with the flinging method :roflmho: .

[Keldun]

I forgot to say that I don't own many fountain pens yet so I'm trying to get the pen working as fast as possible after switching ink. I wonder how those peoples are doing when they test 10 different ink with the same pen in the ink forum.

Edited November 11, 2006 by Keldun

[tonyv]

Thank you for the advices, I'll try not to look like a madman in the kitchen with the flinging method  :roflmho: .

Just be careful not to let go of the pen/nib or hit something (like the sink or counter) when doing this. Obviously, serious damage to the nib could occur. :blink:

[Keldun]

Ooh this wrapping the nib with a kleenex combined with flinging (or is it flicking ? ) method works wonderfully. I just tested this and only have to scribble half a page before my ink color goes back to normal.

 

Thank you for the advices.

Edited November 11, 2006 by Keldun

[aunt rebecca]

hi.

 

go to search option and search for salad spinner--ron zorn's invention. cheap and easy.

 

[Lloyd]

I forgot to say that I don't own many fountain pens yet

THIS is your key problem! :roflmho:

[Keldun]

I though that the salad spinner thing was a joke a first but this seems serious :ltcapd: .

But thinking about it this looks like an efficient and non tiring method.

 

 

I'm a poor student I can't afford a nice pen without eating ramen everyday .

[lisa]

After flushing I get a tissue and roll one of the four points of the tissue ( a tissue is square so 4 point) into some sort of pointy shape with my fingers. This is hard to explain for such and easy action. Q-tip shape only without the cotton on the end. I hope this is clear. With this tissue point I go into the feed section where you screw the pen. This way you can sort of dry in there. Repeat that with dry rolled up pointy tissue untill it looks dry.

After that the old, hold the tissue to the nib. I repeat that too and wait a bit in between. And do some of the tricks descibed above. It's best to let it dry overnight, but if you don't have that luxery because you are normal and don't have 50 pens than all the tips above are your best bet.

[Catsmelt]

It sounds like you've got the problem licked.

 

My curiosity is getting the best of me, though... When you mention the waste of ink, does this relate to writing with watered-down ink for a page or two, or do you discard the ink left in your converter?

 

I've always been curious about whether it is entirely proper to empty leftover ink back into the bottle (in those instances where one wishes to change inks mid-converter).

 

I'm a slob and really don't care too much, but I wonder if there's a potential problem...

 

Oh -- related to your flushing issue -- I've found an ear-wash bulb to be a very handy and thorough cleaning device.

 

R

[Keldun]

It was more pages and ink wasted than that usually but no I don't discard the ink I have back in the bottle.

I'm not sure but something bad could develop in the bottle and make the ink not look as its supposed .

There's a possibility that some residues of other inks are left and they may react with the ink in the bottle after some time.

Edited November 12, 2006 by Keldun

[ipse dixit]

If I am going to reuse the pen immediately after an ink change (color and/or brand) when I fill the pen I will flush the ink in and out of the pen several times in the new ink before I remove the nib from the bottle.

 

Jim