Converter Pens Drying Up

[Marcwithac]

Perhaps this issue has been addressed previously on FPN because it is one that I have experienced for a long time. And it generally seems limited to certain Japanese pens - specifically my Nakayas and Eboyas. After I fill the converter the pen writes perfectly - for a while. But after some time the ink stops flowing. When I check the converter, there is still plenty of ink in there. So I give depress the plunger - maybe half a turn, sometimes a full turn - and then the pen starts writing again. This stopping, depressing the plunger, and starting again, might happen 3-6 times over the course of a fully loaded converter.

 

Has anyone else had this problem? Is there an easy fix? Am I not filling these particular converters properly? Any help would be appreciated.

[praxim]

Most of my converters now have gold keyboard springs in them, to break surface tension. Ball bearings can work so long as they do not sit neatly over the hole for ink.

[Marcwithac]

Do you buy them with springs or ball bearings or do you insert them in converters yourself?

[Intensity]

Most of my converters now have gold keyboard springs in them, to break surface tension. Ball bearings can work so long as they do not sit neatly over the hole for ink.

 

Great idea, I have some of those springs. I wonder if the gold coating is thick enough to withstand average modern inks over a reasonably long period of time. Also not sure I can fit those into a converter without a complete converter disassembly to drop a spring in.

[Intensity]

Perhaps this issue has been addressed previously on FPN because it is one that I have experienced for a long time. And it generally seems limited to certain Japanese pens - specifically my Nakayas and Eboyas. After I fill the converter the pen writes perfectly - for a while. But after some time the ink stops flowing. When I check the converter, there is still plenty of ink in there. So I give depress the plunger - maybe half a turn, sometimes a full turn - and then the pen starts writing again. This stopping, depressing the plunger, and starting again, might happen 3-6 times over the course of a fully loaded converter.

 

Has anyone else had this problem? Is there an easy fix? Am I not filling these particular converters properly? Any help would be appreciated.

 

I'm not sure it's the converters that are at fault here--most likely it's the smaller amount of ink in them combined with some worse sealing of the nib and feed by the pen cap. I have some pens with very good sealing that are converter-filled, and they never hard-start, even after being left alone for a month. And then there's my yellow Pilot Vanishing Point which I really like, but it hard starts severely after being left unused overnight. It's one of those poorly sealing pens on the nib-side. I have to dip it into a droplet of water to dilute dried ink on the nib/feed end and to get the ink flowing again, and then it writes well for a long time--until I set it down overnight or longer.

Edited October 31, 2019 by Intensity

[praxim]

Do you buy them with springs or ball bearings or do you insert them in converters yourself?

I bought a packet of 110 gold keyboard springs for about US$6, freighted. I chose light pressure (45 g) springs because, well, they do not need pressure.

 

Great idea, I have some of those springs. I wonder if the gold coating is thick enough to withstand average modern inks over a reasonably long period of time. Also not sure I can fit those into a converter without a complete converter disassembly to drop a spring in.

 

By "average modern inks" I take it you mean inks with near neutral pH. The gold will be fine, and if I see a problem, I have about 99 to spare.

 

The reason I wrote "Most of my converters" is that there are some I have not been able to take apart, or am not willing to supply sufficient force to do so. I do not try to insert a spring into the hole.

[Intensity]

Most inks are not neutral pH, unfortunately, even modern inks. Sure, if you literally averaged them, the result might be neutral (with some precipitate). Some inks are acidic, like even Waterman blues. Japanese inks are alkaline. The gold coating of the springs will be subjected to being submerged in various inks regularly.

[praxim]

I suggest you avoid inks comprising three parts hydrochloric to one part nitric acids as their dye carrier.

 

I guess I have succeeded in that because my gold nibs up to 100 years old all seem to be quite intact.

 

eta: I thought earlier you were concerned about flaws in a gold coating allowing a steel spring to corrode, if that were indeed their construction. Gold itself is not a problem.

Edited October 31, 2019 by praxim

[kenny]

Perhaps this issue has been addressed previously on FPN because it is one that I have experienced for a long time. And it generally seems limited to certain Japanese pens - specifically my Nakayas and Eboyas. After I fill the converter the pen writes perfectly - for a while. But after some time the ink stops flowing. When I check the converter, there is still plenty of ink in there. So I give depress the plunger - maybe half a turn, sometimes a full turn - and then the pen starts writing again. This stopping, depressing the plunger, and starting again, might happen 3-6 times over the course of a fully loaded converter.

 

Has anyone else had this problem? Is there an easy fix? Am I not filling these particular converters properly? Any help would be appreciated.

 

Excellent question! I have the exact same problem. I have been experiencing it with my Levengers, which I use as my inexpensive "work pens" because I don't care as much if they get lost or damaged/contaminated (I work in a hospital environment).

[kenny]

I bought a packet of 110 gold keyboard springs for about US$6, freighted. I chose light pressure (45 g) springs because, well, they do not need pressure.

 

 

By "average modern inks" I take it you mean inks with near neutral pH. The gold will be fine, and if I see a problem, I have about 99 to spare.

 

The reason I wrote "Most of my converters" is that there are some I have not been able to take apart, or am not willing to supply sufficient force to do so. I do not try to insert a spring into the hole.

 

How exactly are you taking apart the converters? Not sure I see a way to do it.

[kenny]

I bought a packet of 110 gold keyboard springs for about US$6, freighted. I chose light pressure (45 g) springs because, well, they do not need pressure.

 

 

By "average modern inks" I take it you mean inks with near neutral pH. The gold will be fine, and if I see a problem, I have about 99 to spare.

 

The reason I wrote "Most of my converters" is that there are some I have not been able to take apart, or am not willing to supply sufficient force to do so. I do not try to insert a spring into the hole.

 

Also, when you say "keyboard springs" are they for computer keyboards or for musical instrument keys? I see more ads for the musical ones.

[Intensity]

eta: I thought earlier you were concerned about flaws in a gold coating allowing a steel spring to corrode, if that were indeed their construction. Gold itself is not a problem.

 

That's exactly what my concern was. I can't imagine that gold coating is thick and maybe not even evenly applied. I'll try it out, however, as I do have such springs.

[sandy101]

Could it be that the ink you are using is too dry for the pens you are using?

 

Try a wetter ink - such as Waterman' s and see if you get a different result.

[praxim]

Also, when you say "keyboard springs" are they for computer keyboards or for musical instrument keys? I see more ads for the musical ones.

Computer, I believe. Not sure it would be important.

 

That's exactly what my concern was. I can't imagine that gold coating is thick and maybe not even evenly applied. I'll try it out, however, as I do have such springs.

Examination of some of my spares under a loupe shows no obvious flaws. It is also a well known technique discussed here on FPN, far from my invention.

 

How exactly are you taking apart the converters? Not sure I see a way to do it.

Unscrew the metal top. Works for Schmidt (various pen brands), not for my Watermans, others unknown.

[Marcwithac]

 

I'm not sure it's the converters that are at fault here--most likely it's the smaller amount of ink in them combined with some worse sealing of the nib and feed by the pen cap. I have some pens with very good sealing that are converter-filled, and they never hard-start, even after being left alone for a month. And then there's my yellow Pilot Vanishing Point which I really like, but it hard starts severely after being left unused overnight. It's one of those poorly sealing pens on the nib-side. I have to dip it into a droplet of water to dilute dried ink on the nib/feed end and to get the ink flowing again, and then it writes well for a long time--until I set it down overnight or longer.

 

To be clear, the issue is not hard-starting. It happens when I am writing. The nib just dries up. It seems the ink has stopped flowing to the feed. A turn of the converter piston gets it going again. I would add that the ebonite Nakayas and Eboyas have great cap seals.

[senzen]

 

To be clear, the issue is not hard-starting. It happens when I am writing. The nib just dries up. It seems the ink has stopped flowing to the feed. A turn of the converter piston gets it going again. I would add that the ebonite Nakayas and Eboyas have great cap seals.

 

Sounds like they just need to be cleaned, no pen should stop as you're writing with them. A drop of dishwashing liquid, if possible / not damaging to the pen, leave soaking overnight.

[Marcwithac]

 

Sounds like they just need to be cleaned, no pen should stop as you're writing with them. A drop of dishwashing liquid, if possible / not damaging to the pen, leave soaking overnight.

 

The issue is not a clogged feed. I thoroughly soak and flush my pens regularly and don’t use inks that have a high particle content. I think Praxim is onto something, but there must be an easier way than disassembling the converter to insert a spring or ball bearing.

[pajaro]

I have that ink sometimes dries up when I leave a pen idle for an undetermined time, overnight or longer. or even a few hours with some pens. I rewet it. Years ago I tried little balls in the converter, lighter little plastic balls in the converter, several kinds of springs in the converter. The items in the converter helped but did not make things perfect. So, I just wet a dried up nib, or just refill the pen. I expect to be dealing with these events until I stop using fountain pens.

[SpecTP]

there are several previous threads on this issue; one of them is - https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/314191-problem-with-air-in-converter/

 

you can purchase a sack of computer keyboard springs and insert them into the converter. https://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_list&c=339

[Marcwithac]

Thank you SpecTP. I suspected this issue had been raised before. So, surface tension is the culprit. Guess I’ll buy some springs.