Reseal Ink Cartridge After Syringe Refill?

[Federer]

Hello good people of FPN,

 

I'm wondering if there's any good, reliable way of resealing ink cartridges after refilling them via syringe (ie/ for quick swapping later on if ink runs out, etc). I'm assuming the factory seal breaks when you insert the cartridge into the pen for the first time...

 

NB; this is the syringe method if anyone is wondering.

 

 

Best!

Edited June 5, 2011 by Federer

[wimg]

Some people use some silicon sealant for this, if that is of any help. The same stuff IOW to seal seams in a bathroom, or the edges of an aquarium, etc., just that you really only need the tiniest of drops.

 

HTH, warm regards, Wim

[JonSzanto]

I was thinking about this the other day, and haven't tried it, but I wonder about using just a bit of Teflon tape? Stretched tight, like plastic wrap, it might do the trick. Though if I was going to transport them or they might get bounced around a bit, I'd probably use the silicon/aquarium sealant trick.

[Alohamora]

I use a blob of hot glue.

 

The topic comes up pretty often, I found a few of the threads for other ideas--

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/180425-sealing-cartridges/

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/159310-capping-refilled-ink-cartridges/

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/131061-resealing-cartridges/

 

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/174378-way-of-sealing-up-my-re-filled-cartridges/

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/57429-making-tiny-stoppers-for-refilled-ink-cartridges/

[Possum Hill]

Hello good people of FPN,

 

I'm wondering if there's any good, reliable way of resealing ink cartridges after refilling them via syringe (ie/ for quick swapping later on if ink runs out, etc). I'm assuming the factory seal breaks when you insert the cartridge into the pen for the first time...

 

NB; this is the syringe method if anyone is wondering.

 

 

Best!

You can re-seal cartridges originally sealed with a little ball by simply inserting a new ball of the proper diameter.

 

You can also use a tiny rubber stopper.

 

The details of those methods are in the archives.

[Phormula]

I have found that the Lego Round Plate 1x1 is a fantastic cap

http://themorningnews.org/images/Turnbull-Legos/image002.jpg

 

Or, if you prefer square

http://themorningnews.org/images/Turnbull-Legos/image007.jpg

[Mickey]

The kits for refilling ink-jet printer cartridges contain various sized rubber plugs for stoppering the hole drilled to permit refilling the cartridge. I suspect one of them might work for pen cartridges.

[mooshi]

I just use a glob of hot glue. Works fine for me. Good seal and easy to pop off when you need to use it.

 

If you have access to it, parafilm works awesome. I use it in the lab to get a good seal on test tubes and flasks.

[Chevalier]

I never tried it myself, but a friend told me, that he simply extracts the ball from another cartridge, and that it's reusable multiple times. Using the ball, from the cartridge you filled, seems to cause problems.

 

I'd simply whittle a piece of rubber, or another plug, to make a fitting plug. I never had an inkpocalypse this way. Using old cartridges parts from Pilot worked well. I might try the trick with the ball myself next time.

[dennis_f]

I just use a glob of hot glue. Works fine for me. Good seal and easy to pop off when you need to use it.

 

If you have access to it, parafilm works awesome. I use it in the lab to get a good seal on test tubes and flasks.

 

 

Does the hot glue glob trick if you're travelling with the cartridge (I mean "daily travel"... to and from work in a messenger bag (protected))? I'd imagine the glue glob might just come unstuck...

 

D

[JonSzanto]

Does the hot glue glob trick if you're travelling with the cartridge (I mean "daily travel"... to and from work in a messenger bag (protected))? I'd imagine the glue glob might just come unstuck...

I would think that if you felt there was going to be some bumping in the travel, I'd seal up two or three cartridges and put them in something like a used Altoids tin (or similar). Wouldn't add any real amount of weight or too much bulk, but you'd keep them from being banged around. Total safety would be then to put the entire thing in a ziplock bag in case of a spill.

 

You could also wear a Hazmat suit for ultimate protection. There is NO end to our ingenuity!

[dennis_f]

Does the hot glue glob trick if you're travelling with the cartridge (I mean "daily travel"... to and from work in a messenger bag (protected))? I'd imagine the glue glob might just come unstuck...

I would think that if you felt there was going to be some bumping in the travel, I'd seal up two or three cartridges and put them in something like a used Altoids tin (or similar). Wouldn't add any real amount of weight or too much bulk, but you'd keep them from being banged around. Total safety would be then to put the entire thing in a ziplock bag in case of a spill.

 

You could also wear a Hazmat suit for ultimate protection. There is NO end to our ingenuity!

 

 

Haha... Right! Of course... don't know why I didn't think of the altoids tin. I typically carry my cartridges in a used cartridge box (the ons that a five-pack would come in, for example)... And I was thinking the glue might just slip off the end (hot glue has a tendency to come unstuck, especially when bonded to plastics).

 

I guess that I could wrap the re-sealed edge with tape as well... just in case.

 

I think I jumped the gun when asking the question. I'm going to look into the Altoid suggestion.

 

Thanks!

D.

[JonSzanto]

I think I jumped the gun when asking the question. I'm going to look into the Altoid suggestion.

And you don't have to be totally utilitarian about it, either: check out the Altoid tins etching at the Steampunk Workshop

 

http://steampunkworkshop.com/images/Alt22.jpg

[Phormula]

International cartridges can be sealed simply by cutting out a cap out of the bottom of another cartridge

[dennis_f]

And you don't have to be totally utilitarian about it, either: check out the Altoid tins etching at the Steampunk Workshop

 

 

Wow... those are sweet cartridge cases (I mean altoid tins).

D.

[arcaneradio]

This is a topic I have thought about a lot myself. I used to use the little rubber plugs they make for candle molds. Candles molds have a hole at the bottom to run the wick through, to prevent the wax from running out the hole people use either a putty or the little rubber plugs.

 

The plugs work great but they wear out really quick and they are not cheap. After reading this and a similar thread, I liked the idea of the hot glue gun. I already had one and it was easy to test on an empty Sheaffer cartridge. The results were good so I filled a cartridge and resealed it. It survived the pressure test by giving it a little squeeze. I have already been using an Altoids tin with a small syringe and a blunt gavage needle. Now I can prefill my cartridges and carry them with me in the tin.

Incidentally I also tested this on a Scripto ink cartridge (hard to find these) and it worked fine.

[Surnia]

Incidentally, I cut a cartridge up a while ago because the ink was bad, and I wanted to grab the ball for future carts that needed sealing... However, I also discovered, the back end of a cartridge is also a great cap for other cartridges and one end of converters.

 

So for me, I take old carts that have gone beyond their useable life and cut them to make caps for new ones.

[denix]

Does the hot glue glob trick if you're travelling with the cartridge (I mean "daily travel"... to and from work in a messenger bag (protected))? I'd imagine the glue glob might just come unstuck...

I would think that if you felt there was going to be some bumping in the travel, I'd seal up two or three cartridges and put them in something like a used Altoids tin (or similar). Wouldn't add any real amount of weight or too much bulk, but you'd keep them from being banged around. Total safety would be then to put the entire thing in a ziplock bag in case of a spill.

 

You could also wear a Hazmat suit for ultimate protection. There is NO end to our ingenuity!

 

That's what I do, seal with hot glue and put the cartridges in a tin box. I've traveled by plane with this setup and no problems. It's easy to pop the glue from the cartridge, but it's surprising how well it sticks.

 

I have about 12 cartridges for my VP. When I'm down to one or two I refill all the rest at the same time. It only takes a few minutes to fill and seal, then I'm good to go for a while.

 

Guy

[LedZepGirl]

I've never refilled carts, but I would go with hot glue as well. It's easy enough to apply and it just picks right off plastic after it has cooled.

 

You know, I always wondered if hot glue would work. I always meant to try it, but never got around to doing it.

[Needhelp]

can we use standard liquid white glue or super glue intead of a hot glue gun to reseal ink cartridges?Thanks for th answer hope you have a good day.