Diluting Water-resistant black inks

[Spinningchester]

I have been preparing to work on art projects with my Noodler's Inks, and two morning's ago found my glass rinse jar with flat, flexible black particles laying on the bottom of the jar. I had been working on some flow problems in my Noodler's Ahab filled with Noodler's Bulletproof Black Ink the night before, and had rinsed the pen nib and feed in this jar.  The discovery or particles started a round of experiments, with a result being that Noodler's Bulletproof Black Ink reacts with my tap water forming black particles large enough to clog a pen or brush pen.  While undiluted Noodler's Bulletproof Black ink is functioning fine in two other fountain pens right now,  I won't be diluting Noodler's Bulletproof Black ink with my tap water in the future -w hich is unfortunate because I am preparing to do some art projects with fountain pens, and dilutions of the black ink are part of my plan.  Sure - I can use distilled water for the dilutions, but that can also be inconvenient and increasingly expensive.  So before I commit to my art projects or purchase more Noodler's Bulletproof Black ink, I thought I would ask this community if they have other water-resistant black inks that dilute without forming particles in tap water to recommend.

 

Which water-resistant black inks do you recommend for dilutions with tap water?  I have some Platinum Carbon Black in my stash that I use in for eye-dropper pens.  Have other Noodler's Ahab users found Platinum Carbon Black to be clog their Ahab's? Does Platinum Carbon Black dilute without particles in your tap water? What about DeAtramentis Document Black? Does it dilute well?  Any other inks that dilute well in tap water?

 

Your thoughts on these questions are welcomed.

[InesF]

Precipitates formed from tap water minerals (especially calcium ions) and components of inks are not so rare. It isn't limited to waterproof inks. It may (or may not) happen with any ink, especially if their pH-value is at neutral or slightly alkaline.

 

Indeed, use distilled (or de-ionised) water to dilute your inks. One litre of water may cost you 1 buck - what is the price for a bottle of ink?

[LizEF]

As mentioned in my other comment on the Noodler's Black thread...  What @InesF said.   (...though in the US, it'll cost you $1.37 per gallon at Walmart¹...  Aka $0.36 per liter (not including sales tax). )

 

And since I imagine someone will ask, distilled is what you want for this use, not "purified" (which appears to be made via reverse osmosis and doesn't remove all mineral content).

 

¹Where I live.  Offer not valid in New Jersey.  (No offers are ever valid in New Jersey.  I wonder if people get arrested in New Jersey for making offers, like, "Can I help you carry that?" "Are you crazy?  Why I oughta call the cops!")

[Arkanabar]

A number of retailers will offer distilled water in with the baby food, if not by itself for loading up electric irons.  It's also possible to get distilled water for mixing half and half with green ethylene glycol antifreeze engine coolant.

[yazeh]

@Spinningchester you can use Noodler's Lexington Gray. That's my go to ink for art projects  

[Sailor Kenshin]

6 hours ago, LizEF said:

As mentioned in my other comment on the Noodler's Black thread...  What @InesF said.   (...though in the US, it'll cost you $1.37 per gallon at Walmart¹...  Aka $0.36 per liter (not including sales tax). )

 

And since I imagine someone will ask, distilled is what you want for this use, not "purified" (which appears to be made via reverse osmosis and doesn't remove all mineral content).

 

¹Where I live.  Offer not valid in New Jersey.  (No offers are ever valid in New Jersey.  I wonder if people get arrested in New Jersey for making offers, like, "Can I help you carry that?" "Are you crazy?  Why I oughta call the cops!")

R. O. F. L.  😹

[inkstainedruth]

@Spinningchester -- Not sure where you live but here in the Pittsburgh area I can get distilled water by the gallon at the local grocery store (and often can buy 3 gallon jugs by the case).  

The water here is very hard (i.e., has a high mineral content) and I don't want to clog up the nib and feed on ANY of my pens.  So for flushing or for ink dilution I do NOT use tap water -- EVER!

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[LizEF]

1 hour ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

R. O. F. L.  😹

[InesF]

17 hours ago, LizEF said:

¹Where I live.  Offer not valid in New Jersey.  (No offers are ever valid in New Jersey.  I wonder if people get arrested in New Jersey for making offers, like, "Can I help you carry that?" "Are you crazy?  Why I oughta call the cops!")

OMG 

[LizEF]

7 hours ago, InesF said:

OMG 

For our international friends, in the US, you often see companies using things like "sweepstakes" or "mail in rebates" (where you send in the receipt and UPC symbol off the package of what you bought, and then send you back some amount of money - yes, this is now done digitally rather than via snail mail, if it's done at all), or some other sales gimmick.  Almost without fail, in the fine print detailing the rules of the "game", you will find, "Offer not valid in New Jersey".  I don't know what laws they have in New Jersey (a US State on the east coast, well known for having lots of casinos, but not as many as Nevada), but obviously, they have outlawed offers.  So if you come to America and visit New Jersey, be very careful not to make any offers in New Jersey!   (I'm not sure why you'd go to New Jersey anyway, but you might need to drive through it. Bring a car - we drive in America. )

[I-am-not-really-here]

1 hour ago, LizEF said:

For our international friends, in the US, you often see companies using things like "sweepstakes" or "mail in rebates" (where you send in the receipt and UPC symbol off the package of what you bought, and then send you back some amount of money - yes, this is now done digitally rather than via snail mail, if it's done at all), or some other sales gimmick.  Almost without fail, in the fine print detailing the rules of the "game", you will find, "Offer not valid in New Jersey".  I don't know what laws they have in New Jersey (a US State on the east coast, well known for having lots of casinos, but not as many as Nevada), but obviously, they have outlawed offers.  So if you come to America and visit New Jersey, be very careful not to make any offers in New Jersey!   (I'm not sure why you'd go to New Jersey anyway, but you might need to drive through it. Bring a car - we drive in America. )

Tennessee is often excluded as well due to its consumer protection laws.  Easier for out-of-state sponsors to exclude outright rather than jump through added layers of liability.  

[LizEF]

1 hour ago, I-am-not-really-here said:

Tennessee is often excluded as well due to its consumer protection laws.  Easier for out-of-state sponsors to exclude outright rather than jump through added layers of liability.  

Interesting.  Apparently when these things were more common, New Jersey led the way, because I can't really remember "Offer not valid in Tennessee" but boy do I remember "Offer not valid in New Jersey" - that was everywhere all the time!

[Spinningchester]

On 1/2/2025 at 5:56 AM, InesF said:

Precipitates formed from tap water minerals (especially calcium ions) and components of inks are not so rare. It isn't limited to waterproof inks. It may (or may not) happen with any ink, especially if their pH-value is at neutral or slightly alkaline.

 

Indeed, use distilled (or de-ionised) water to dilute your inks. One litre of water may cost you 1 buck - what is the price for a bottle of ink?

InesF - Thank you for your reply - it is helpful.  About the cost of distilled water - I just priced a gallon at about $4.00USD at my local grocery store, which about double to cost your quoted.  I remember when it was around $1.00 - $2.00/gallon, and was expecting to see a price closer to that.  And sure - it's only $4 on the shelf, but it's also the time driving and shopping and checking that I have enough to work.... the cost to me adds up, and I live on a tight financial budget while searching for quality art materials.  I get your point about "You can't fight the chemistry - we all do it.", and I probably will.  Please understand why I would ask others about alternatives before spending my time driving and shopping and spending $4.00.

[Spinningchester]

On 1/2/2025 at 7:00 AM, LizEF said:

As mentioned in my other comment on the Noodler's Black thread...  What @InesF said.   (...though in the US, it'll cost you $1.37 per gallon at Walmart¹...  Aka $0.36 per liter (not including sales tax). )

 

And since I imagine someone will ask, distilled is what you want for this use, not "purified" (which appears to be made via reverse osmosis and doesn't remove all mineral content).

 

¹Where I live.  Offer not valid in New Jersey.  (No offers are ever valid in New Jersey.  I wonder if people get arrested in New Jersey for making offers, like, "Can I help you carry that?" "Are you crazy?  Why I oughta call the cops!")

 

On 1/2/2025 at 7:00 AM, LizEF said:

As mentioned in my other comment on the Noodler's Black thread...  What @InesF said.   (...though in the US, it'll cost you $1.37 per gallon at Walmart¹...  Aka $0.36 per liter (not including sales tax). )

 

And since I imagine someone will ask, distilled is what you want for this use, not "purified" (which appears to be made via reverse osmosis and doesn't remove all mineral content).

 

¹Where I live.  Offer not valid in New Jersey.  (No offers are ever valid in New Jersey.  I wonder if people get arrested in New Jersey for making offers, like, "Can I help you carry that?" "Are you crazy?  Why I oughta call the cops!")

Thank you, LizEF.  Your comments are appreciated!  I get the distinction between distilled and purified, and will be careful about my selection.

[Spinningchester]

On 1/2/2025 at 10:33 AM, yazeh said:

@Spinningchester you can use Noodler's Lexington Gray. That's my go to ink for art projects  

Yazeh - I can do that!  I love Lexington Grey, have a pen already loaded with some 100% and that is one of the alternatives I was contemplating instead of Noodler's Bulletproof Black.  You have noticed by now that Lexington Grey has a cool/blue undertone and Noodler's Black has a warm tone.  As we are inky artists together, you might understand me when I say I could swear Lexington Grey has a phthalo of some kind in it's mix and Noodler's Black is a very charry carbon black.  I have been wondering if any dilutions of both would show the differences in undertone more.

 

I have two groups of questions about your experiences with Lexington Grey:

 

1) Does Lexington Grey also require the use of distilled water, like Noodler's Bulletproof Black?; and

 

2) How do you use Lexington Grey in your art, or how are you thinking that I might use it?  As the lighter tone with a black ink for the darkest values (and celebrating the synergy of both warm and cool tones together?  Or instead of using a black ink, only use the Lexington Grey and dilute the Lexington Grey to get the lighter tones (and keeping all the tones a cool blue)?

 

I await any reply with anticipation...

[Spinningchester]

On 1/2/2025 at 8:08 AM, Arkanabar said:

A number of retailers will offer distilled water in with the baby food, if not by itself for loading up electric irons.  It's also possible to get distilled water for mixing half and half with green ethylene glycol antifreeze engine coolant.

Arkanabar -   Let me check on your message here.  Others are saying I need distilled water to dilute Noodler's Black, and you share that it's possible to make distilled water from tap water and antifreeze in a 1:1 solution.  Is that how you dilute your Noodler's Bulletproof Black to go in fountain pens - 1 part tap water, 1 part antifreeze, and some part Noodler's Bulletproof Black?

[Spinningchester]

22 hours ago, inkstainedruth said:

@Spinningchester -- Not sure where you live but here in the Pittsburgh area I can get distilled water by the gallon at the local grocery store (and often can buy 3 gallon jugs by the case).  

The water here is very hard (i.e., has a high mineral content) and I don't want to clog up the nib and feed on ANY of my pens.  So for flushing or for ink dilution I do NOT use tap water -- EVER!

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

Inkstainedruth, Yes- my water is hard here, too.  Thank you for the advice!  It's appreciated!

[LizEF]

23 minutes ago, Spinningchester said:

you share that it's possible to make distilled water from tap water and antifreeze in a 1:1 solution. 

No. @Arkanabar is saying that automotive places will sell distilled water for the purpose of diluting antifreeze.  In other words - listing some of the other places where you can find distilled water, should you not wish to go to a MalWart or not have one nearby.

 

(WalMart, MalWart, what's the difference?)

[yazeh]

@Spinningchester I can aspire at being an artist but I'm no pro

I learned a lot from ink work from Marc Kompaneyets. Here is his video on Lexington Gray. 

 

 

He also has a video on how to use other inks. 

 

I have one water brush 1:1 (hard)tap water and Lexington Gray. I'm still learning. Controlling some inks on paper is very difficult, especially when I don't use the appropriate paper.  

[Carrau]

Make distilled water at home-skip to about 2:02 on the video.