Fountain Pen Inked during assembly

[rmoralesjr]

Hello all, this is my first post and am looking forward to contributing to this site. My problem is this, I inserted the ink cartridge in some fountain pens I made a few weeks ago. Guess I got lost in the moment and wasn't aware the ink could dry in the nib. Well, before taking them to sell at a craft show, I tried them and the ink had dried. I carefully induced the flow of ink by wiping with a damp cloth. I know it's probably not good to do that and hope none of you are falling off your chairs reading this but is it possible to remove the cartridges and clean the nib? I've purchased new cartridges to include with each pen so this won't happen again. I also just read here that it is best to let the customer ink the pen, which I'll do from now on. Your comments/suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
Refugio "Reef" Morales

 

[JimB]

I can't help since I haven't make any Fountain Pens but welcome to the forum. I'm sure one of the FP folks will help you out.

 

[el_d]

Cleaning it isnt a really big deal. There is an article in the library about taking it apart to replace the nib. I have made a few and had to adjust the nib a bit on one that wasnt centered. Depending what FP you have the gents and statesman cartridges are a "press/Snap" fit. Ther is alot of info in the FP section and in the library.........

Welcome Refugio......

 

[Daniel]

I was told to use a wat paper towel to get the ink flowing if it was having problems. I have also ran nibs under warm (not hot) water to clean the ink from them.

 

[wdcav1952]

Jim,

Take off the cartridge and discard it. At this point, you will have the nib removed from the pen. Put the nib(s) in a mug and fill it with warm water. Decant off the ink-stained water and continue to do so until the water remains clear. Dry the nib(s) with a soft cloth or paper towel. Leave out to air dry completely.

Fountain pens are special to many of us. Most true fountain pen people wish to buy an uninked pen. As mentioned above, check the library and do some reading on fountain pens so you can converse with potential buyers.

BTW, if that is the worst thing you do this week, you will be fine.

 

[rmoralesjr]

Thanks all for the replies. I'll checkout the FP section and get more info on these pens. I've had real good feedback on them from people so far.

 

[jeff]

Check out some of these articles:
http://www.penturners.org/forum/showthread.php?t=3828

 

[DCBluesman]

If the nib doesn't write after you clean it, it may need a deeper cleaning. Use 1/2 cup of room temperature water (70-degrees F or 21-degrees C) with 1 tablespoon of household, non-sudsing ammonia. Soak overnight, then rinse thoroughly with room temperature water.