Use Of Ammonia To Clean Nib - What Dilution ?.

[kavanagh]

Dear Colleagues,

 

I have used water mixed with dishwasher soap to clean out a nib and feed, but there are still dried ink deposits which it did not remove.

I have a bottle of clear household Ammonia and it says 'contains Ammonia 9.5%'.

 

What I want to ask is:

 

1) Is the solution in the bottle already at 1 part Ammonia to 10 parts water ? - meaning I can use it straight from the bottle ?.

 

Or

 

2) How much further should I dilute the Ammonia solution to make it safe and still effective in removing the dried ink from the feed and nib ?.

 

3) After the soak in the Ammonia solution, should I invest in a bulb syringe to flush it out or can I just soak the nib and feed in de-ionised water for a day and then place the nib and feed pointing downwards on absorbent tissue paper ?.

 

Thanks

 

( apologies to the Moderator if this post should be in 'Repair Q&A' - please move if appropriate )

Edited April 13, 2019 by kavanagh

[sciumbasci]

Is the ammonia scented?

I remember, vaguely to be honest, that some brands of ammonia are diluted with water and a fragrance(?) of sorts, which will damage the pen.

[Ron Z]

The dilution is 10% ammonia as taken from the bottle, in water, not straight from the bottle.

 

We also recommend using Dawn dish detergent, very brand specific. I forget what the UK equivalent is.

[sciumbasci]

In Europe it is known as Fairy!

[kavanagh]

Thanks for the reply's.

 

The dilution is 10% ammonia as taken from the bottle, in water, not straight from the bottle.

 

We also recommend using Dawn dish detergent, very brand specific. I forget what the UK equivalent is.

 

Ron Z, does that mean 1 part from the bottle itself and dilute with 10 parts water ?

( the UK equivalent is Fairy Liquid ).

 

Sciumbasci mentioned scent - I don't understand - surely it is going to smell of Ammonia ? - I don't understand how its going to be odourless ?.

[gyasko]

Yes it's going to smell of ammonia. However, more and more often these days, the supermarkets sell lemon scented ammonia. You want the straight stuff.

[Ron Z]

 

 

Ron Z, does that mean 1 part from the bottle itself and dilute with 10 parts water ? ( the UK equivalent is Fairy Liquid ).

 

Yes to the dilution of ammonia 1 part ammonia from the bottle in 10 parts water. Fairy liquid is the equivalent of the USA brand Dawn dish detergent. You use a few drops of that along with the ammonia and water.

 

You can always mix up a bunch in a larger quantity and store it for future use. People buy it premixed as "pen flush", but this is the same, except the people who make pen flush likely use distilled water.

 

re. scent. In the USA there is plain (clear) ammonia, and "sudzy" ammonia, which is ammonia with a detergent and a fragrance (usually lemon scent) added. You are better off with what we call "clear" ammonia, and adding the Dawn/Fairy dish detergent. Some detergents can damage a feed. Dawn/Fairy won't.

[Paul80]

In the UK the best place to get the correct type of Ammonia is your local hardware shop.

 

Paul

[inkstainedruth]

In addition to what has already been said, I recommend using distilled water, rather than tap water. This is especially the case when you live someplace that has hard water (i.e., with a high mineral content) -- if you have stuff building up around your faucets, just think of what that could be doing to a pen's feed.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Tweel]

In my experience, adding ammonia to hard water can cause a "snow globe effect" as the minerals precipitate out of the water.

[kavanagh]

Thanks for the replies.

 

 

 

In the UK the best place to get the correct type of Ammonia is your local hardware shop.

Paul

 

 

Dear Paul, I bought the Ammonia from Robert Dyas and de-ionised water from Tesco's.

 

 

Yes it's going to smell of ammonia. However, more and more often these days, the supermarkets sell lemon scented ammonia. You want the straight stuff.

 

Hopefully, If I only get a whiff of Ammonia - then its the straight stuff

 

Will eye protection or gloves be required when mixing the ammonia with water ?.

Edited April 14, 2019 by kavanagh

[inkstainedruth]

I don't ever use any. Household ammonia is already diluted. I put the distilled water into the container first (a cheap votive candle holder with fairly thick straight sides that is bottom heavy. Then add a drop (or two, if I get clumsy with the bottle -- I'm using a bulk-size container) of the dish detergent, then add the ammonia (or white vinegar in the case of flushing out an iron gall ink). I sort of do things in that order because of one of the few things I remember from my high school chemistry class: acid into water, base into water, acid into base. I don't know the reason for it (possibly to lesson the chemical reaction if you screw up) but the alphabet mnemonic has stayed in my brain all those years later.

And I'll admit that I just eyeball the amounts, and don't really measure too carefully.... Yeah, ammonia can be a little stinky -- but it's the stuff they use in all those old movies when someone has fainted and everyone is rushing around for "smelling salts" -- that's what it actually is, apparently -- ammonia....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[kavanagh]

I don't ever use any. Household ammonia is already diluted. I put the distilled water into the container first (a cheap votive candle holder with fairly thick straight sides that is bottom heavy. Then add a drop (or two, if I get clumsy with the bottle -- I'm using a bulk-size container) of the dish detergent, then add the ammonia (or white vinegar in the case of flushing out an iron gall ink). I sort of do things in that order because of one of the few things I remember from my high school chemistry class: acid into water, base into water, acid into base. I don't know the reason for it (possibly to lesson the chemical reaction if you screw up) but the alphabet mnemonic has stayed in my brain all those years later.

And I'll admit that I just eyeball the amounts, and don't really measure too carefully.... Yeah, ammonia can be a little stinky -- but it's the stuff they use in all those old movies when someone has fainted and everyone is rushing around for "smelling salts" -- that's what it actually is, apparently -- ammonia....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

Thanks for the advice Ruth - should the nib be soaked in Ammonia overnight or for a couple of hours ?

 

Update: the nib has been in the Ammonia for about two hours - there doesn't appear to be any ink coming out of it - only faint ink particles. Does the Ammonia take a long time ?.

Edited April 15, 2019 by kavanagh

[BaronWulfraed]

Try vibrating the nib. If you've got a cheap massage vibrator try holding it against the container holding solution and nib (I'm guessing you don't want to run out and get a reasonable ultrasonic cleaner).

 

Or find some sort of squeeze bulb that can be cut to fit onto the section to force fluid back and forth.