Cartridge Refill kits available again!

[rubyeyespenlover]

Today I went to the drugstore with a platinum ink cartridge saying.....

 

"I need some syringe to put ink in these cartridge for some fountain pens...."

 

"Ah, yes..... one minute...I call the doctor...."

 

"No, no, I only want some syringe......"

 

"yes, please don't worry, be patient and I call the doctor and he will ....."

 

"I'm calm but I only need S Y R I N G E...."

 

Maybe she thought I was doped but in about 10 minutes I had what I wanted.

 

 

[XerQ]

How do u seal the cartridge after the refill?

 

after the refill, simply plug it into the pen?

[CMaxx]

The previous post brings up a good point. As far as I know, there is not a good way to refill a bunch of cartridges at once, which you can then carry around without getting ink all over everything.

 

When I refill cartridges, I get whichever pen is out of ink (or needs a different color or whatever), take it to the sink, refill an empty cartridge that I've previously washed out (or, if I'm feeling daring, just pop the current cartridge out and refill that--mixing inks FTW!), and put it in the pen. Also, it might be best for your pens to rinse them out before putting in new ink. I do that lots of the time, but not all (and that might have to do with the cost of the pen. Lamy Safari? I just chuck a new ink in there and see what comes out).

 

I guess my point is, this really works on a "one cartridge, per pen, at a time" basis.

 

CMaxx

 

How do u seal the cartridge after the refill?

 

after the refill, simply plug it into the pen?

 

[Ink Stained Wretch]

Wonderful -- I've been using one that a scientist friend gave me, and it's unpleasantly sharp! Also, the plunger on mine seems to be getting stiff and worn, which leads me to a question; do these things have a material shelf life, or is it simply the wear and tear from ink and repeated cleanings that makes them stiff and uncooperative?

I think that the shelf life of syringes is quite long, but wear and tear will take their toll.

 

Something to consider is that fountain pen ink has some surfactant in it. This will gradually wear away the lubrication for the rubber part of the plunger, making it very stiff and eventually unusable. I've been using syringes and blunt needles to refill cartridges for years, I bought the syringes and needles in bulk years ago, and I found out about some of these niceties the hard way. One thing I found out pretty early on is don't try to use detergent to clean out the syringe! You'll remove all of the lubricant instantly .

 

And on mine, the numbers and graduate lines are wearing off.

Yeah, handling will wear away the details. I take care to handle the syringes I have, 3 mL and 1 mL, by the thicker plastic up by the top. It doesn't take much to start removing the lines and numbers and when I'm trying to mix very small amounts in a cartridge for some experimental ink mixture I really need to see those graduated marks. For inks where I just use the system to move ink from bottle to cartridge, without having to measure anything, I don't care about the lines and all wearing off.

[Ink Stained Wretch]

How do u seal the cartridge after the refill?

 

after the refill, simply plug it into the pen?

Mostly, yes. That's why I carry more than one fountain pen to meetings.

 

Someone sent me some plugs that I'm experimenting with to see about the feasibility of carrying refilled cartridges around. I'm still working on that project.

[rAlexander]

I would imagine a simple silicone sealant from any hardware store would do the trick. This article is on sealing up boats, but the need to not leak applies to fountain pens as well . A dab over the injection hole and your good to go. If you were talking about the ball valve thing that's in place when you buy the cartridge, it might be a bit tougher. Silicon might once again solve your problems; though I haven't tested this myself you could top the cartridge with sealant, and before putting it into the business end of the pen pealing the sealant off. If you really want to give it a go play around filling the cartridge with water to find a good way of sealing it, before you try with the ink.

Edited May 12, 2009 by rAlexander

[rAlexander]

I know from handling lab equipment that you can get corrosion resistant sharpies, which work wonders when binding to plastics. Not as nice as the original (silk screened?) numbers but if you want to go for that mad scientist feel when mixing inks, it works just as well.

[sentraser165]

For sealing up cartridges, one of the things I've done is to stick some blue-tack on the end of it. It works just fine.

[Kabe]

Maybe a replacement eraser for a mechanic pencil would seal cartriges

[bardharlock]

Maybe I am old-fashioned, but why not ask a restaurant or friend who imbibes the fruit of the vine if you can have some corks. Or, perhaps you have a glass or two yourself now and then? Seems cork with a little scotch tape around it would make a pretty good seal on those tiny holes.

 

Also, PayPal for 5 syringes sent. Thanks in advance!

[Trogg48]

 

Got my 5 two days ago. Gave one away right away to a surprised and delighted new fountain pen fan.

 

Works great. Lots of fun. Many thanks!

 

 

 

[Zeroblade]

Where do you get 18 gauge blunt needles? I can get a syringe + needle in the drugstores here for the equivalent of about 20, 30 US cents, but all the 18 gauge needles are sharp!

[trailrnr]

Payment sent for 5 refill kits.

 

Many thanks for putting these up for sale!