Home Made Ink (Mostly Ig) & **tips And Tricks**

[pharmacist]

After experimenting with several recipes I have found the optimal formula for a very nice iron gall ink which freely flows from my cheap papermate fountain pen. For those having access to these chemicals and the apropriate instruments, this is the recipe:

 

-Lamy Black fountain pen ink 30 ml (diluted to 500 ml, the shade becomes a dark blue)

-3.85 gram gallic acid monohydrate Ph. Eur.

-11.70 gram tannic acid Ph. Eur.

-15.00 gram ferrous sulphate crystals (Fe(II)SO₄.7H₂O)

-1.00 gram salicylic acid (a safe substitute to the dangerous preservative phenol, which gives that typical smell to vintage inks)

-5.00 ml hydrochloric acid 25 %

-25 ml glycerol (water free glycerine)

-boiled destilled water up to 500 ml

 

I tried with anilin blue before as described in the orignal "Urkundetinte" recipe by the german government, but the anilin blue was not pure enough which causes a formation of sediment in a few days time in the bottle. If you can purchase the purest anilin blue W.S (water soluble) version, which is completely sulfonated then you will not experience a formation of sediment. I discovered Lamy black ink contains a dye that does not cause a sediment with the ink formule and in the aforementioned concentration the shade is a nice deep blue (similar to the MB midnight blue). According to the original formula if one uses the right quality anilin blue W.S., the ink can be kept for years without depositing any sediment in the bottle. So the type of dye is very important. Good iron gall ink will not deposit any sediment in a well closed container for at least many years. A good alternative to anilin blue W.S. is indigocarmine (2.50 grams per 500 ml).

 

Do not try the cheaper methylene blue, which is very water soluble and has a very nice colour, but it will cause a rapid formation of sediment in a few days time with the tannic acid. The glycerol is added to modify the ink flow, as gum arabic is beneficial for dip pens, not for fountain pens.

 

This ink flows freely from my test fountain pen with a nice greyish blue teint and turns into a nice completely waterproof black.

 

I am still testing the ink and after a few days intensive usage it behaves remarkedly well in my cheap papermate fountain pen. I wil report back how the ink behaves in the future.

Edited July 24, 2010 by pharmacist

[kwpalzang]

Nice to see some homemade inks on here, as apposed to the usual mixed ink recipes. Thanks... I would try it out but too many chemicals I'm not able to get a hold of. I think my homemade green ink (water+a tiny drop of dish soap+food colouring) will work for now... unless I get really daring and try to make Iron-Gall tea ink, and filter it for trial in a Preppy or something... I would have to filter it like 5 times though to be confident of even a chance of success...

[ZeissIkon]

Nice to see some homemade inks on here, as apposed to the usual mixed ink recipes. Thanks... I would try it out but too many chemicals I'm not able to get a hold of. I think my homemade green ink (water+a tiny drop of dish soap+food colouring) will work for now... unless I get really daring and try to make Iron-Gall tea ink, and filter it for trial in a Preppy or something... I would have to filter it like 5 times though to be confident of even a chance of success...

 

My tea-based iron-gall ink (read back up this thread, about a year back) has gotten blacker and blacker as it stood, but that blackening is indication it's less and less safe for fountain pens; it's due to the formation of iron gallate crytals that suspend in the ink (when I stir it -- it settles a bit, probably not quite enough gum). If one were to filter out all those black particles, one would wind up with an ink much like what I had when I first made this: one that needs dye to be visible, but darkens as it dries and oxidizes -- and it still wouldn't be safe for fountain pens, as I verified by testing it in one I can completely disassemble for cleaning.

 

The above recipe was originally formulated for fountain pens, and the amount of iron should be low enough not to precipitate as crystals; as long as you don't let it dry out, it should be adequately safe, likely no worse (given you use the suggested dyes) than Lamy or Montblanc blue-black iron-gall formulae.

[kwpalzang]

Nice to see some homemade inks on here, as apposed to the usual mixed ink recipes. Thanks... I would try it out but too many chemicals I'm not able to get a hold of. I think my homemade green ink (water+a tiny drop of dish soap+food colouring) will work for now... unless I get really daring and try to make Iron-Gall tea ink, and filter it for trial in a Preppy or something... I would have to filter it like 5 times though to be confident of even a chance of success...

 

My tea-based iron-gall ink (read back up this thread, about a year back) has gotten blacker and blacker as it stood, but that blackening is indication it's less and less safe for fountain pens; it's due to the formation of iron gallate crytals that suspend in the ink (when I stir it -- it settles a bit, probably not quite enough gum). If one were to filter out all those black particles, one would wind up with an ink much like what I had when I first made this: one that needs dye to be visible, but darkens as it dries and oxidizes -- and it still wouldn't be safe for fountain pens, as I verified by testing it in one I can completely disassemble for cleaning.

 

The above recipe was originally formulated for fountain pens, and the amount of iron should be low enough not to precipitate as crystals; as long as you don't let it dry out, it should be adequately safe, likely no worse (given you use the suggested dyes) than Lamy or Montblanc blue-black iron-gall formulae.

 

Ah, I see! Thank you for sharing your knowledge with me. Still have a question though, in the fountain pen you tested it in, what exactly happened that led you to conclude that it's not safe for use in FP's?

[pharmacist]

Just FYI: the el cheapo papermate FP still writes remarkedly well, no clogging and immediately ink flow when the point touches the paper.

 

The reason why there is no precipitate in this ink formula is the hydrochloric acid: this acid is necessary to prevent oxidation from Fe(II) to Fe(III) in your ink bottle and prevents the preliminary formation of the insoluble ferric gallotannate pigment. The Fe(III) is the oxidised iron ion which precipitates with gallic and tannic acid to form that beatifull black pigment of iron gall ink. When the ink dries on the paper, the hydrchloric acid -actually a gas dissolved in water- evaporates, so the pH value increases, making the Fe(II) possible to oxidize to Fe(III). This is the secret behind the so-called blue-black ink.

 

The acid ensures all the ingredients stays in a complete transparant solution, not an iron gallotannate suspension like the older iron gall inks used with quill pens, which requires gum arabic to keep the particles suspended in the solution.

Edited July 27, 2010 by pharmacist

[pharmacist]

Some other testing news: I tried on of my expensive MB Meisterstück fountain pens and actually the ink flow as dissappointing. The converter does not feed the ink well towards the tip of the pen point and dries after a page of writing. Actually I had similar problems with Lamy Blue-Black in my MB Meisterstück FP. This commercial Iron Gall ink is somehow not optimized for this pen and I had to refill it with the MB Midnight Blue (the former Blue-Black) Iron Gall ink to have a good ink flow, so MB FP's need MB ink to behave well.

 

Now I put my home brewed Iron Gall Urkunde-ink in two other fountain pens I've got and one of them the ink flow was very bad, but the other one works remarkedly well and the ink flow is just superb. Fine and very sharp hair lines and almost immediately dry after the pen has past the paper surface. Nice greyish blue and turning into a waterproof black stroke after a while.

 

Somehow the ink only works well in some types of fountain pens and in others the flow is rather bad. Maybe other forum members have similar experiences with other inks (not just iron gall inks) ?

[pharmacist]

Just another fountain pen iron gall ink without the tannic acid and containing less acid:

 

-2.50 gram indigocarmine Ph. Eur

-6.00 gram gallic acid monohydrate Ph. Eur.

-9.00 gram ferrous sulphate crystals (Fe(II)SO4.7H2O)

-1.00 gram salicylic acid

-3.00 ml hydrochloric acid 25 %

-25 ml glycerol (water free glycerine)

-boiled destilled water up to 500 ml

 

The indigocarmine can be replaced by Lamy black fountain pen ink or similar black ink that contains an acid type of blue/black dye. The amount to achieve a nice shade of blue, is 30 ml's per 500 ml of ink. Indigocarmine gives you a very dark jeans type of blue, but ultimately the ink stroke will become a deep black.

[wallylynn]

unless I get really daring and try to make Iron-Gall tea ink, and filter it for trial in a Preppy or something... I would have to filter

My tea-based iron-gall ink (read back up this thread, about a year back) has gotten blacker and blacker as it stood, but that blackening is indication it's less and less safe for fountain pens; it's due to the formation of iron gallate crytals that suspend in the ink

in the fountain pen you tested it in, what exactly happened that led you to conclude that it's not safe for use in FP's?

My understanding is that the ink should NOT turn black while wet. I.e. it should not darken while in the bottle or in the pen. Darkening means the iron is precipitating out of solution and forming solid crystals (tiny, but still solid). Given enough of them, your pen will clog.

[pharmacist]

unless I get really daring and try to make Iron-Gall tea ink, and filter it for trial in a Preppy or something... I would have to filter

My tea-based iron-gall ink (read back up this thread, about a year back) has gotten blacker and blacker as it stood, but that blackening is indication it's less and less safe for fountain pens; it's due to the formation of iron gallate crytals that suspend in the ink

in the fountain pen you tested it in, what exactly happened that led you to conclude that it's not safe for use in FP's?

My understanding is that the ink should NOT turn black while wet. I.e. it should not darken while in the bottle or in the pen. Darkening means the iron is precipitating out of solution and forming solid crystals (tiny, but still solid). Given enough of them, your pen will clog.

 

It has nothing to do with precipitation with the iron. It is the oxidation from the Fe(II) ion to Fe(III) by atmosferic oxygen. the gallic and tannic acid inside the ink stay perfectly solved into solution with the Fe(II) ions in the ink, but as soon as this has oxidized to Fe(III) ion, the reaction of precipitation begins when the Fe(III) ions bind to the gallic acid and tannic acid to form a non-soluble iron(III)gallotannate deep black pigment, which is the basis of iron gall ink.

 

Therefore the necessity of adding hydrochloric acid to prevent the oxidation from Fe(II) to Fe(III) in your ink bottle. Actually when one ads ferrous sulphate to a gallic/tannic acid solution you will see the solutions darkens immediately. The reason is that a tiny part of the Ferrous sulphate is already oxidized to ferric (Fe(III) sulphate, which immediately reacts with the gallic/tannic acid to form the black pigment. But when you ad the hydrochloric acid, the next day the solution becomes yellowish clear again, since the Fe(III) is reduced back to Fe(II) again. As long the acid stays in solution the ink will keep well.

 

When the ink is applied on the paper, the water starts to evaporate along with the dissolved hydrochloric acid, which is a gas dissolved in water. Helped by additives like kaolin used in the paper manufacture, the ink is neutralized and this gives the Fe(II) chance to oxidize to the Fe(III) which turn immediately reacts with the gallic/tannic acid to form the deep black pigment.

[fiberdrunk]

After experimenting with several recipes I have found the optimal formula for a very nice iron gall ink which freely flows from my cheap papermate fountain pen. For those having access to these chemicals and the apropriate instruments, this is the recipe:

 

-Lamy Black fountain pen ink 30 ml (diluted to 500 ml, the shade becomes a dark blue)

-3.85 gram gallic acid monohydrate Ph. Eur.

-11.70 gram tannic acid Ph. Eur.

-15.00 gram ferrous sulphate crystals (Fe(II)SO₄.7H₂O)

-1.00 gram salicylic acid (a safe substitute to the dangerous preservative phenol, which gives that typical smell to vintage inks)

-5.00 ml hydrochloric acid 25 %

-25 ml glycerol (water free glycerine)

-boiled destilled water up to 500 ml

 

Can you recommend a good mail-order catalog that sells chemicals like these? Thanks so much!

[pharmacist]

After experimenting with several recipes I have found the optimal formula for a very nice iron gall ink which freely flows from my cheap papermate fountain pen. For those having access to these chemicals and the apropriate instruments, this is the recipe:

 

-Lamy Black fountain pen ink 30 ml (diluted to 500 ml, the shade becomes a dark blue)

-3.85 gram gallic acid monohydrate Ph. Eur.

-11.70 gram tannic acid Ph. Eur.

-15.00 gram ferrous sulphate crystals (Fe(II)SO₄.7H₂O)

-1.00 gram salicylic acid (a safe substitute to the dangerous preservative phenol, which gives that typical smell to vintage inks)

-5.00 ml hydrochloric acid 25 %

-25 ml glycerol (water free glycerine)

-boiled destilled water up to 500 ml

 

Can you recommend a good mail-order catalog that sells chemicals like these? Thanks so much!

 

Hello,

 

I cannot, since these products are from my own pharmacy. The problem is that pure gallic acid, which is essential for the ink, is difficult to get for none scientists. Depending on the local laws, you will need a special license to get it. The reason is that one can produce LSD from the pure chemical, hence the restriction to get this chemical in pure form. Therefore I offer this ink for those interested at cost price + shipping cost (note: depending on the area this can be considerable, so be warned).

[fiberdrunk]

 

I cannot, since these products are from my own pharmacy. The problem is that pure gallic acid, which is essential for the ink, is difficult to get for none scientists. Depending on the local laws, you will need a special license to get it. The reason is that one can produce LSD from the pure chemical, hence the restriction to get this chemical in pure form. Therefore I offer this ink for those interested at cost price + shipping cost (note: depending on the area this can be considerable, so be warned).

 

Oh, I had no idea! I'll PM you. I'd be interested in the ink. Thanks.

[fiberdrunk]

I've been hunting around for oak galls, to try to make homemade iron gall ink... have only found some small galls on the leaves of pin oaks so far. I have an abundance of sweet gums on my property and have been trying to find out if they contain enough tannic acid to make an iron gall ink or not. In my research, I came across this in a U.S. Army Field Manual (of all places!) about how to obtain tannic acid from plants. Thought I'd share in case there are others in pursuit of iron gall ink ingredients!

 

 

Tannic acid. Because tannic acid is used for so many treatments (burns, antihemorrhagics, antihelminthics, antiseptics, antidiarrheals, antifungals, bronchitis, skin inflammation, lice), a note as to its preparation is in order. All thready plants, especially trees, contain tannic acid. Hardwood trees generally contain more than softwood trees. Of the hardwoods, oak—especially red and chestnut—contain the highest amount. The warty looking knots in oak trees can contain as much as 28 percent tannic acid. This knot, the inner bark of trees, and pine needles (cut into 2-centimeter [1-inch] strips), can all be boiled down to extract tannic acid. Boiling can be done in as little as 15 minutes (very weak), to 2 hours (moderate), through 12 hours to 3 days (very strong). The stronger concoctions will have a dark color that will vary depending on the type of tree. All will have an increasingly vile taste in relation to their concentration.

 

--U.S. Army Field Manual FM 3-05.70 - Survival Use of Plants Ch. 9

[pharmacist]

Note all tannic acid are equal. The best are made from Aleppo galls and depending on the source the quality of your ink can be very good or horribly bad (mostly because the concentration is too low, so the ratio to ferrous sulphate is not optimal, making the writing instable and cause ink corrosion). The best way is to obtain the pharmaceutical degree Tannic acid (USP or Ph. Eur quality).

 

You might ferment the tannic acid by adding some sugar and yeast, so it can be consumed to become free gallic acid, which will make the ink blacker. This can take a few weeks and a thick supernatant mould is formed on the surface, which must be removed and the solution must be filtered and thoroughly heated to kill the yeast/germs before making the ink.

[fiberdrunk]

Note all tannic acid are equal. The best are made from Aleppo galls and depending on the source the quality of your ink can be very good or horribly bad (mostly because the concentration is too low, so the ratio to ferrous sulphate is not optimal, making the writing instable and cause ink corrosion). The best way is to obtain the pharmaceutical degree Tannic acid (USP or Ph. Eur quality).

 

You might ferment the tannic acid by adding some sugar and yeast, so it can be consumed to become free gallic acid, which will make the ink blacker. This can take a few weeks and a thick supernatant mould is formed on the surface, which must be removed and the solution must be filtered and thoroughly heated to kill the yeast/germs before making the ink.

 

 

Thank you for the information! How fascinating! I never thought chemistry could be so fun!

[fiberdrunk]

Just thought I'd share a page from my ink-making notebook. I've made pokeberry, fermented pokeberry, black walnut and two different iron gall inks. None of these inks are safe for fountain pens, however, but it has been a joy learning how to do this. I love making inks from plants. I got my hands on some aleppo galls, and that will be my next ink-making project (so far I've made iron gall ink from oak apples and oak leaf galls.

 

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5124/5357615970_1982dc18bb_b.jpg

 

 

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5001/5357001501_d12852037a_b.jpg

Edited January 16, 2011 by fiberdrunk

[amyx231]

so.. about the tea ink. can the acid be neutralized by bicarbonate? or would the na-tannate salt ppt out?

 

i make a new thread, since this one seems very cluttered....and mines more a theory, never tried it; will soon. too bad i dont have any pH strips.

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/183757-sodium-bicarbonate-tea/page__pid__1852585#entry1852585

[amyx231]

After experimenting with several recipes I have found the optimal formula for a very nice iron gall ink which freely flows from my cheap papermate fountain pen. For those having access to these chemicals and the apropriate instruments, this is the recipe:

 

-Lamy Black fountain pen ink 30 ml (diluted to 500 ml, the shade becomes a dark blue)

-3.85 gram gallic acid monohydrate Ph. Eur.

-11.70 gram tannic acid Ph. Eur.

-15.00 gram ferrous sulphate crystals (Fe(II)SO₄.7H₂O)

-1.00 gram salicylic acid (a safe substitute to the dangerous preservative phenol, which gives that typical smell to vintage inks)

-5.00 ml hydrochloric acid 25 %

-25 ml glycerol (water free glycerine)

-boiled destilled water up to 500 ml

 

I tried with anilin blue before as described in the orignal "Urkundetinte" recipe by the german government, but the anilin blue was not pure enough which causes a formation of sediment in a few days time in the bottle. If you can purchase the purest anilin blue W.S (water soluble) version, which is completely sulfonated then you will not experience a formation of sediment. I discovered Lamy black ink contains a dye that does not cause a sediment with the ink formule and in the aforementioned concentration the shade is a nice deep blue (similar to the MB midnight blue). According to the original formula if one uses the right quality anilin blue W.S., the ink can be kept for years without depositing any sediment in the bottle. So the type of dye is very important. Good iron gall ink will not deposit any sediment in a well closed container for at least many years. A good alternative to anilin blue W.S. is indigocarmine (2.50 grams per 500 ml).

 

Do not try the cheaper methylene blue, which is very water soluble and has a very nice colour, but it will cause a rapid formation of sediment in a few days time with the tannic acid. The glycerol is added to modify the ink flow, as gum arabic is beneficial for dip pens, not for fountain pens.

 

This ink flows freely from my test fountain pen with a nice greyish blue teint and turns into a nice completely waterproof black.

 

I am still testing the ink and after a few days intensive usage it behaves remarkedly well in my cheap papermate fountain pen. I wil report back how the ink behaves in the future.

 

 

wow. chemical city. safe for u to touch? or u wearing rubber gloves the whole way?

[pharmacist]

Actually those chemicals are quite safe to handle. accept the concentrated hydrochloric acid. But after dilution it is not more dangerous than lemon juice.

 

If you want to neutralize the acid of the IG ink, than you will encounter big prolems: the ink must retain its acidic nature to stay stabile. As soon as you will neutralize the ink, precipitation is eminent and will cause the ink become unusable.

 

Acidity is the nature of IG ink and any attempt to neutralize it, will cause the rapid precipitation of the ink and will render it unusable.

A good FP will not be affected by this ink and actually I have two very cheap school FP's (papermate) with a steel nib and after half a year being dipped in this acid ink, no corrosion, no attack on the metal has been noticable, but maybe the formula of the ink was already been optimized to be FP compatible.

[fiberdrunk]

Here is a scan, test-driving my homemade inks to see how they fare on Oxford Stone Paper (a paper made out of limestone and polypropylene). These were all written with a J. Herbin glass pen and they are all acidic, so I'm not sure if a paper with an alkaline buffer would assist the longevity of documents written with these inks and paper:

 

• 
   
  
• Homemade pomegranate (iron gall) ink -- very smooth and the ink stayed black
  

• 
   
   
  
• Homemade Jane Austen iron gall ink -- smooth writing, but the ink was brown (usually it is dark black)
  
  • 
     
    
  • Homemade black walnut ink -- not quite as free-flowing as the iron gall inks
    
  • 
     
    
  • Homemade pokeberry ink -- not quite as free-flowing as the iron gall inks
    

   

   

  http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5140/5468933779_417a36202a_z.jpg