Inky T O D - Improving Ink Flow (Make A Dry Writing Ink, Wetter, Or Help Ignition Problems)

[amberleadavis]

Special thanks to Sandy1 and Lapis for this post.

 

So, sometimes, we have inks that we love the color, but hate the flow. Either the pen won't start when it should (ignition problems), stops writing when you pause (stalling) or just won't go (I had a Corvair like that).

 

So, what can you do?

 

Here's a suggestion from Sandy1.

 

Hi,

I do not intend to derail or shanghai this Thread, so I shall be brief and forego the suggestions for wardrobe & accessories. To minimise measuring inaccuracies, this is based on workable volumes at low concentration. As this is rough work, please do not pick the nits of this Post in this Thread. If found useful, feel free to use it as a template/guide to generate other versions to post in another Thread.

Materiel:

• Kodak Photo-Flo 200 or Ilford 'Ilfotol'.
• Two syringes calibrated in ml.
• Three 50 ml (ink) bottles.
• Swizzle-stick stir thingy.
• Pen: Either c/c or Pelikan M-series or similar - with removable nib, piston fill and large ink capacity. The relative wetness to the 'target' pen should be known.
• Distilled / demineralised water.

Progressive Dilution:

Method:

- Step One

• Draw 2.5 ml of P-F; place that in empty 50 ml bottle.
• Add water to that bottle - bringing volume to about 50 ml.
• Mix without creating foam.
• Label bottle 'P-F 5%'.
• Stow P-F bottle safely away from children.
• Rinse syringe & stir thingy.

- Step Two

• Draw 5 ml of the 5%; place that in empty 50 ml bottle.
• Add water to that bottle - bringing volume to about 50 ml.
• Mix without creating foam.
• Label bottle as 'P-F 0.5% Solution'.
• Stow the bottle 'P-F 5%' safely away from children.
• Rinse syringe & stir thingy.

Tuning the Ink

Now comes the tedium, so take notes - at least a tally stick.
It is still trial & error, so ...

• Draw 10 ml. of the guinea pig ink; place that in empty 50 ml bottle.
• Rinse the syringe.

-

• Draw 1 ml of the P-F 0.5% Solution.
• From the syringe, add drops of the P-F 0.5% Solution to the gpi, and stir.
• Run a sample through the pen onto the intended paper after each dosing of say 5 drops are added.
• Flush pen repeatedly with each new mix before running sample of about 8x8 cm. Return ink from pen to the mixing bottle as you progress.
• Label the sample with the number of drops added, and retain that sample.

-

• If all of the 1 ml of the P-F 0.5% Solution is used without achieving desired results, then it may be necessary to go again using a 1% Solution.
• If few drops of the P-F 0.5% Solution are required, then it may be advisable to go again using a 0.2% Solution.

-

• Go a bit beyond the desired level of wetness, then draw 1 ml of fresh gpi and mix to total in the mixing bottle.
• Ink-up the target pen, and see how she goes.

=

I encourage Member/s to undertake the task of going through this or some other repeatable method; and post results with documentation, written samples, wet tests, smear/dry times, charts, graphs, etc.

I believe such a method may be quite useful to those using the Platinum mixing inks.

Bye,
S1

EDIT - To add:
Perhaps individual Members and/or businesses offering ink samples could offer small volumes of P-F. (?)

[UDog]

Great post. It's now in Evernote forever.

[79spitfire]

Very timely, I plan on doing just this with a couple of stubborn inks!

[fledermaus89]

I believe photo-flo is a surfactant; would this aid in preventing the railroadings of flex pens? From what I see, the pen railroads when the ink film is broken between the tines, so I'm thinking if I add the surfactant it may help maintaing the film.

[amberleadavis]

I admit to having a less systematic approach.

 

First I try cussing.

Next I try dipping.

 

Third I try adding a drop of food grade glycerin directly to the ink in the pen.

 

If that doesn't work, I pull out a syringe filled with OS Flo+ and I inoculate the heck out of ink. Usually a 5 parts ink to 1 part Organics Studio Flo+. If it doesn't work after that, I dump it out of the pen.

 

Oh, and some swearing may occur in between.

 

I don't keep a formal log, I just whine about it to my pen pal MrCharlie who remains unsure why I am such a whiner.

[lapis]

I used to do that all the time. Just by pinching a bottle or two from the lab of a great number of non-ionic surfactants/tensides/detergents -- like Triton, Lubrol, Emulgen -- and then carefully documenting any additions using a microliter pipette, but I don't do that anymore because I've become lazy. I just try out any new ink.

 

Mike

[amberleadavis]

Did you do the swearing too?

[lapis]

Swearing? No. Belching, yes.

[The Good Captain]

Swearing? No. Belching, yes.

Aaaahhhh!!! Twisted Spire Syndrome!

[Cyber6]

I admit to having a less systematic approach.

 

First I try cussing.

Next I try dipping.

 

Third I try adding a drop of food grade glycerin directly to the ink in the pen.

 

If that doesn't work, I pull out a syringe filled with OS Flo+ and I inoculate the heck out of ink. Usually a 5 parts ink to 1 part Organics Studio Flo+. If it doesn't work after that, I dump it out of the pen.

 

Oh, and some swearing may occur in between.

 

I don't keep a formal log, I just whine about it to my pen pal MrCharlie who remains unsure why I am such a whiner.

 

 

You forgot the swearing that happens AFTER.... when in our non-scientific-swearing-prone state we add too much surfactant.. and end up with an unusable bottle of ink... .... it just drips from every pen... .... (I did that ONCE... I learned my lesson)

 

 

C.

[amberleadavis]

Oh, yeah, I did that too.

 

Best to do the ink a fill at a time.

[Sandy1]

Hi,

 

The approach I suggested is intended to be a means to fine tune an ink to a given pen+paper combo, which might seem OTT or too cautious to some people.

 

Member sooto2 chose to forge ahead by dead reckoning - achieving an enhanced level of inky enjoyment, even with Lamy Blue.

@ Post № 15 https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/199472-in-praise-of-dish-soap/?p=3016647

 

Sometimes things like this are akin to making soup: one could follow a recipe or use what's to hand including a sprinkling of common sense. Both approaches will result in soup, (or stew or chowder.) Either way no one should go hungry.

 

Bye,

S1

Edited June 9, 2014 by Sandy1

[sotto2]

Hey Sandy1:

[lapis]

Hi,

 

The approach I suggested is intended to be a means to fine tune an ink to a given pen+paper combo, which might seem OTT or too cautious to some people.

 

Member sooto2 chose to forge ahead by dead reckoning - achieving an enhanced level of inky enjoyment, even with Lamy Blue.

@ Post № 15 https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/199472-in-praise-of-dish-soap/?p=3016647

 

Sometimes things like this are akin to making soup: one could follow a recipe or use what's to hand including a sprinkling of common sense. Both approaches will result in soup, (or stew or chowder.) Either way no one should go hungry.

 

Bye,

S1

 

 

Sometimes things like this are akin to making soup: one could follow a recipe or use what's to hand including a sprinkling of common sense. Both approaches will result in soup, (or stew or chowder.) Either way no one should go hungry.

Who wants chowder? (It only takes one and a half minutes...)

[amberleadavis]

Lapis, that's just wrong.

[lapis]

Ok, I find it crass but hillarious. I mean, chowder was already chosen first but not by me. I love (and collect) the Family Guy stunts. Please delete w/a. I'll do my best to refrain from same.

 

Lois

[amberleadavis]

ROFL - I'm not deleting it. I just thought it was crass, gross and disgusting. What more could we want from Family guy?

[lapis]

Okay, thanks for your tastefulness -- (BTW "hilarious" needs only one L) -- so... need a few more sketches? But only where they are related to inks...............

[Sandy1]

Hey Sandy1:

Hey you!

[Bo Bo Olson]

In that a semi-flex and or a 'flexi'/maxi-semi-flex is often a wetter writer, that's where I'd head.

 

Not all semi-flex are wet writers. I have one .. just found a second dry one but in 'flexi' I use a wet ink with.

 

But I'd never fiddle around trying to make an ink(s) match a pen, when I have wet pens like a vintage Pelikan for dry ink.

 

I'm sure if I poke around enough I'll notice a pen (outside my dry semi-flex) that is real dry needing a wet ink. Noodlers as I read make a lot of wet inks....so wet that many newer folk think Waterman is dry ink.

 

One could of course get a brass shim and or use one's thumb nails to widen a dry nib. I may have done that a few times....bound to have***, but only two or three pens 'needed' that....to my wetness level.

 

 

*** I mostly chase semi-flex (27) and 'flexi'/maxi-semi-flex (14) so don't have a problem with dry nibs.

Edited June 12, 2014 by Bo Bo Olson