Opening Air Channels In Feed For Flex Nibs?

[twomartoe]

Was meddling around with a bock nib unit, (housing, feed, nib) and converter. Added some flex by cutting 2 half circle and lengthen the tines with a 8/0 jewerler's blade. It now looks battle harden but gives a nice semi flex with some spring with very little pressure.

 

So my question is more to do with the feed. I deepen the ink channel, probably 1-2mm deep. Flows great if I prime the feed, but will stop after a couple of lines of writing. 2nd test was with cutting a 'bridge' where fins meet the main ink channel. It flows now, no issue. However I do get some occasional pooling when flex for an extended time.

 

My previous flex adventure was with an indian ebonite with a zebra g-nib. Much deeper ink channel. Also noticed a similar behaviour with flow stopping when I air 'tighten' the feed, nib to section with plumbers tape and silicon grease.

 

The pace of flex writing is done on a slow side of normal.

 

So I would love thoughts on this. Is there a necessity to open a small air channel on the feed for flex nibs? But it also doesnt make sense because ink will fill the air channel. I getting the feeling I'm not fully comprehending this.

 

 

[Mauricio]

Opening the air channels will increase ink flow at all times, meaning it will offer wet ink flow, potential of flooding at all times, and it might even write thicker lines when not flexed. Your writings will also be more prone to feathering and bleeding through paper due to excessive ink flow at all times. Do not be surprised if the pen starts leaking as well.

 

Opening the air channels is not recommended in most pens as it does not resolve the root problem: A sub-par nib/feed/section/filling mechanism/pen design/nib setup. Your best course of action is to get a decent pen body, a real flexible nib, and to leave its setup to a competent individual who really understands flex. Anything different from this will offer substandard performance.

[twomartoe]

For all you tinkers out there, I tried opening a tiny air channel in the feed and it worked. BUT, cavet, It took alot of time of get right. 3 days, on and off, meddling with feed and nib. Disclaimer, it might not work for you.

On my 1st attempt I opened an air channel but it was too large(0.5mm ish) and ink pool when flexing too wide, also it has a tendency to leak slowly after leaving the pen nib side down. So i plugged the hole with Bluetac but left a tiny gap, maybe 0.1mm or less. AND Great Success! No leaks, no pooling, and only leaks a tiny bit when shaking it violently. Im pretty surprise with the how well the plastic feed is keeping up.

 

BUT, I do not have a secret sauce. Lots of trial and error. Could also be how well the nib fits onto the feed. I dont have a concrete answer. However my gut feeling is that opening a tiny air channel is one of the key to flex feed.

 

P.S. if anyone's looking for a competent individual for getting a flex pen, I hear http://www.peytonstreetpens.com/ comes highly recommended

 

[Bo Bo Olson]

Mauricio is one of our leading experts on superflex and the fitting of nib to feed. Do go read his 'blog'.

There is a world to learn there.

 

An Ahab is a good pen to fiddle with,,,the half moon mod will take the semi-flex pressure nib into superflex. The Ahab is not a semi-flex nib in it's tine spread is too much.

 

Just remember when you are 'talking' about flex, you are not talking about semi-flex...which on normal vintage pens that have it, is a 3X tine spread. You are talking about superflex.....(don't want some 'noobie' thinking, it's semi-flex ...= a Flex pen....gee doing Olympic splits....sprung the nib.

 

The Ahab ebonite feed is good***, is easy to widen channels if you need to or to chop off combs to get more flow. Combs are the buffer....old, old vintage superflex had very little buffering so were fast feeds.

Combs and more buffering was needed at pen companies went over to making cheaper to make nails and regular flex nibs instead of superflex....in nails and regular flex didn't need lots of ink, buffering was necessary.

Ebonite is a better feed for superflex.

 

*** Cheap to get a new one if and when you screw up.

Edited June 16, 2016 by Bo Bo Olson

[twomartoe]

So you are saying I know nothing because i a noobie. And I agree. I'm fine being a noobie. I dont think being a noobie is shameful. You are also absolutely right about the Ahab. I have the fountain pen revolution jaipur and played around with the ebonite feed and semi-circle cut out. I have a couple of nibs and feed that I play around with.

 

I'm glad you put Mauricio on your pedestal, everyone needs someone to look up to. Speaking of blog recommendation, there's https://fountainpendesign.wordpress.com/ , to me at least looks to have more meaning in the words.

 

Also thank you for correcting me that flex is superflex and not semi-flex. Its so much fun with this amount of details. Also thank you for correcting me on my oh so stupid error.

Edited June 17, 2016 by twomartoe

[AmaranthMoor]

I'm not at all an expert on this in the slightest, but you could probably help out your situation by using ink that flows a little more freely, or adding something like dishwashing liquid or photoflo to the ink to make it runnier! No matter how wide the channel is, if the ink is slow then it won't get to the tip of the tines fast enough for good flex results.

[twomartoe]

I'm not at all an expert on this in the slightest, but you could probably help out your situation by using ink that flows a little more freely, or adding something like dishwashing liquid or photoflo to the ink to make it runnier! No matter how wide the channel is, if the ink is slow then it won't get to the tip of the tines fast enough for good flex results.

Yea, agreed, I tried some ox gall for watercolour( and on a different mix a photoflo by ilford) and it did actually help with the flow. But even without it, This hacked nib(to my surprise) is doing some flex really well after opening a tiny air channel, but I'm also not sure if it'll maintain this form for the foreseeable future. Been bringing it around and so far no leaks and no pooling.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Twomato....I think you are over reacting. .."Stupid error!!!!"

 

I started as a 'noobie' and copied some 4 meg's of info in the first months here. For years I came to this section and learned something new every day.....now it's more like every two weeks.

 

Living in Germany I had easy access to Semi-flex and Maxi-semi-flex pens.

Someone living in the US would have easier access to Waterman superflex pens.

 

Ignorance is curable....be it as 'noobie' or for someone who sometimes knows half as much as what he thinks.

 

I recommend to all 'noobies' taking 3 days to read Richard Binder's site....he has a great article of how to spring your nib.

I once said often, 96% of all I knew came from Richard....now I say 92 1/2% of all I know came from Richard....after 7 years I should have learned something.....sigh.

 

I still learn much here.....and there is much to learn about inks....and more to learn about papers.

 

Do when you get to the Ink Review section pay great attention to reviews done by Sandy!.

 

Pens that are already superflex or even wet noodles might give you more of what you want, in the first place. They will have a faster feed.

 

Personally I'm not willing to put in the work a wet noodle demands. I'm fine with semi/maxi and the first stage of Superflex.....what I define as Easy Full Flex.

 

When I want to fool with Super Duper Flex.....there are dip pen nibs that make a Wet Noodle look uncooked.

Cheap too. Some of my 'stiffer' dip pen nibs are 'only' superflex Wet Noodles or Weak Kneed Wet Noodles. Some flex when there is an Earthquake anywhere in the World.

[Frank66]

For all you tinkers out there, I tried opening a tiny air channel in the feed and it worked. BUT, cavet, It took alot of time of get right. 3 days, on and off, meddling with feed and nib. Disclaimer, it might not work for you.

On my 1st attempt I opened an air channel but it was too large(0.5mm ish) and ink pool when flexing too wide, also it has a tendency to leak slowly after leaving the pen nib side down. So i plugged the hole with Bluetac but left a tiny gap, maybe 0.1mm or less. AND Great Success! No leaks, no pooling, and only leaks a tiny bit when shaking it violently. Im pretty surprise with the how well the plastic feed is keeping up.

 

BUT, I do not have a secret sauce. Lots of trial and error. Could also be how well the nib fits onto the feed. I dont have a concrete answer. However my gut feeling is that opening a tiny air channel is one of the key to flex feed.

 

P.S. if anyone's looking for a competent individual for getting a flex pen, I hear http://www.peytonstreetpens.com/ comes highly recommended

 

Screen Shot 2016.jpg

 

Hi twomartoe, I just discovered your post.

 

This is to let you know that I have done similar modifications in some of my feeds (all 3 steps as you describe) to increase ink flow demands in some of my pens that I have modified to produce flex. Instead of the jeweler's #8 blade that you have described, I have used small surgical blades (#15c or 15 or 12 used in plastic surgery) mounted on a surgical scalpel to deepen the feed ink groove. With surgical blades, though, one has to be EXTREMELY careful so as not to cut yourself, so I do not recommend it for everyone who is not a skilled medical professional with good surgical experience, and still one has to be very careful. Feed should definitely be held with a small vice so that the blade is away from one's fingers. Jeweler's #8 blade is a better alternative in this respect.

 

Like yourself, I have been quite happy with the results. Thanks for posting, I am sure your post will give insight to other pen enthusiasts with similar inquiries...

 

-Frank66

Edited December 21, 2016 by Frank66

[Pen Engineer]

Oh yes, be careful with the blades

 

And consider, bluetac, silicone and plumber's tape have a very different surface tension quality (more hostile towards ink) in comparison with the feed material. This will have a stronger effect on feed behaviour than a half millimeter cut away.

 

I used to put some masking tape around the surgical blade so that only a millimeter or less would stick out, so if I would cut myself it would not be too deep. (the good thing is, the cuts are so fine, they heal in no time). A tiny vice is good and always push the blade away from you...

[lurcho]

Oh yes, be careful with the blades

 

And consider, bluetac, silicone and plumber's tape have a very different surface tension quality (more hostile towards ink) in comparison with the feed material. This will have a stronger effect on feed behaviour than a half millimeter cut away.

 

I used to put some masking tape around the surgical blade so that only a millimeter or less would stick out, so if I would cut myself it would not be too deep. (the good thing is, the cuts are so fine, they heal in no time). A tiny vice is good and always push the blade away from you...

 

I wish I'd had your advice when I stuck my first Stanley blade into a feed. Cutting twice into the same point just above the fingernail is evil.

 

I also recommend not trying any of this whilst drunk, although it does help a bit with the pain. According to my friend.

[Pen Engineer]

 

I wish I'd had your advice when I stuck my first Stanley blade into a feed. Cutting twice into the same point just above the fingernail is evil.

 

I also recommend not trying any of this whilst drunk, although it does help a bit with the pain. According to my friend.

Aren't we lucky to have helpful friends