Acrylic In Fountain Pens

[zepp]

I have found an pen I used few years back and back then I didn't know that fountain pens only take water based ink, so I put acrylic ink in it. It's an extra fine pen that I like a lot.

 

I believe it's now clogged, I came accross a post that says the Koh-I-Noor pen cleaner would do great to unclog india ink, would it do the same for acrylic or is there another way to do it?

 

Thanks.

[kidde]

I'm far from expert, but I believe the only way to remove it is mechanical (ie scrape). A chemical strong enough to soften plastic (acrylic) will surely damage a feed (HR or plastic). Let's let other more knowledgeable people answer before my advice is taken. Good luck in your quest!

 

Paul

[Garageboy]

What pen is it?

[zepp]

What pen is it?

It's a chinese pen, hooded, feed and the nib seems to be glued inside

I'm far from expert, but I believe the only way to remove it is mechanical (ie scrape). A chemical strong enough to soften plastic (acrylic) will surely damage a feed (HR or plastic). Let's let other more knowledgeable people answer before my advice is taken. Good luck in your quest!

 

Paul

Alright, it's in a water bath right now.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Is it really worth the effort?

 

I've never had such ink...so am glad I never did when I was new.

[zepp]

Well, it was a sort of gift so I guess it does...

 

And it writes smoothly, it's an extra-fine. Only if I could get the dirty acrylic clog out... I managed to flush most of it out, the blue coming out of it is fading away.

[ac12]

Ultrasonic cleaner with a solution of dishwashing detergent + ammonia (10%).

Maybe, that will work. It all depends on the ink.

Cross your fingers. The problem is you need to get the acrylic ink out of the feed channels, which will be difficult especially if it dried.

At a certain point, you will have to make a decision to give up or spend more time, effort and $$ on it.

[WirsPlm]

Chinese pens with hooded nibs are very inexpensive, you can probably get a replacement pen for less than the cost of cleaning solution, that's what I'd do (unless the pen has sentimental value or something like that).

[scrivelry]

It was mentioned the pen was a gift - let me tell you what little I know of acrylic paint, which may or may not be like the ink.

 

Acrylic paint likes to stick to cloth. Smooth surfaces, not so much. You can get it off non-porous things pretty easily by soaking item in water.

 

The bigger problem with what I assume is a cartridge pen is the feed. If you can pull the nib and feed - no, not recommended as a casual cleaning step, but maybe necessary here - you can almost certainly get the ink out of all the channels by soaking and maybe a little discreet poking with the business end of a cheap bamboo barbeque skewer - the kind that come many many to a package for a buck or two during BBQ season.

 

If it is a pasted on aerometric type filler I think you can probably still get it all out, but I would do that with the nib and feed out - easier to flush larger particles.

 

Now if acrylic ink behaves in a way totally alien to acrylic paint then all this is useless...

Edited May 30, 2014 by scrivelry

[balson]

when dry acrylic ink bonds the same way as acrylic paint. on a plastic feed if the acrylic bonded the way its supposed to it would be virtually impossible to remove and your best bet is to replace the damaged parts. what color/pigment used is important if you are going the solvent rout because you may be releasing more toxic fumes than just those released from the melted plastic. the most likely thing to be released is ammonia as that is naturally released when the paint dries. your best bet is probably to scrape it out with a pin and give it a couple rounds in the ultrasonic cleaner. if it has not bonded to the plastic it will either flake off or pull out like string

[DanF]

Check out this link. Looks like either alcohol or ammonia should work, it the ink is similar to acrylic paint, which I suspect it is.

 

5 liquids that can remove dried acrylic paint from surfaces

 

Dan

Edited May 30, 2014 by DanF

[zepp]

Update: Thanks guys, I let the pen soaked in water overnight, and flushed it with diluted alcohol to remove the acrylic (I know it's not safe for FPs. might try ammonia next time, which I do not have.)

 

Seems like most of the blue coming out is gone, let's hope I have cleaned the mess inside up.

 

Rhodia paper.

http://puu.sh/984oz/8f89a40948.jpg

Edited May 30, 2014 by zepp