My new ink sample holder

[Skydiver]

I wasn't quite feeling the industrial look of the laboratory ink vial holders available online, so I got a piece of 2x4 from my wood scrap pile and made one:

[inkstainedruth]

Cool!  I don't have those sort of skills, and the only time I really did anything remotely like that was several decades ago in my 3D Sculpture class in college (basically wood and metal shop for art students).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Ink Stained Wretch]

On 9/24/2023 at 4:23 PM, Skydiver said:

I wasn't quite feeling the industrial look of the laboratory ink vial holders available online, so I got a piece of 2x4 from my wood scrap pile and made one:

 

Well, that is an interesting little thing to make. If I had the wood and the tools I'd be tempted to make one myself. Do you have a way of telling what ink vials are in the middle of the holder, or do you just remember what's there? And !

[Skydiver]

Except for the center row, the alternating diagonal pattern actually gives me a chance of reading the labels. (With the lab racks putting everything in files and columns, I could only read the front and back rows.) But currently, it's part of the fun of discovery of pulling out each vial to read the label. I suppose it will eventually grow old when I get to the "My inventory list says I have a sample of Bay State Blue... Where is it? Grrrr...".

 

I am really impressed with the ones who make ink swatches and stick them on the bottle caps. I don't think I'm there yet. My plan is to not have more than 50 samples at a given time. But I'm early in my fountain pen journey and that may change. As it is now, I'm hitting ink choice paralysis just trying to choose between less than 20 samples. (Part of the paralysis is trying to find wet enough inks for my fine and extra fine nibs, and reading reviews that say the ink is "too dry". When I get some Vanessa White Lightning, that may change the calculus.)

 

As for tools, that ink vial holders was done all with hand tools. I don't (currently) own a drill press. The electric miter saw and circular saws are gathering dust because I can take the amount of sawdust they kick up. It was just a matter of a lot of patience to get the drill as close to vertical as possible for each hole, and stopping when the masking tape on the drill bit I used as depth gauge touched the wood.

[Skydiver]

I'm temporarily back to the plastic lab vials holder. I need to get some time in the garage this weekend. My ink sample collection grew from 18 to 31. Picked up a whole bunch of samples from Troublemaker and Vinta Inks.

[Skydiver]

Still using the plastic holders. Got side tracked by another project...

[txomsy]

That's an amazing holder you have done, and more so considering the tools involved. Have you though of varnishing it or giving it a glazing coverage? It may be a matter of time to get it stained with ink spills, although come to think of it, that may add to its personality.

[Skydiver]

I planned to leave them unfinished to pick up character from stains and spills.

[amberleadavis]

1 hour ago, Skydiver said:

I planned to leave them unfinished to pick up character from stains and spills.

 

I think that's a great idea. How is it looking now?

[Skydiver]

Currently still clean since it's been set aside for it's synthetic cousin. The plan is to make another wooden one to be it's partner in supporting my growing ink sample collection. I'm still trying to keep myself at a max of 50 samples and/or homebrew mixes. That simple act of adding White Lightning to Fuyu-Syogun that fixed my dry ink issue is giving me courage to try some ink mixing in the future.

[amberleadavis]

22 minutes ago, Skydiver said:

Currently still clean since it's been set aside for it's synthetic cousin. The plan is to make another wooden one to be it's partner in supporting my growing ink sample collection. I'm still trying to keep myself at a max of 50 samples and/or homebrew mixes. That simple act of adding White Lightning to Fuyu-Syogun that fixed my dry ink issue is giving me courage to try some ink mixing in the future.

 

Well, thank you for sharing what you have done so far.  I like seeing it.