GregMuller
Member
I am hopeing Anthony (Penworks)sees this question. I made a Baron from AZ and something called a pump converter was included. Can anyone tell me what this is for.
Pump Converter
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Dario
Member
It is used so you can use bottled ink instead of the cartridge ones.
GregMuller
Member
So you use the converter to suck the ink from the bottle and then the converter goes where the cartriage goes?
Dario
Member
The converter goes where the cartridge is supposed to be...then you use it to suck ink in it (through the nib).
Fangar
Member
Greg,
Like Dario said...
I would also recommend getting the Schmitt pump. Only around 4 bucks or so. They seem to make a difference in flow. Penworks sells them too. I highly recommend the Private Reserve ink too!
Fangar
Like Dario said...
I would also recommend getting the Schmitt pump. Only around 4 bucks or so. They seem to make a difference in flow. Penworks sells them too. I highly recommend the Private Reserve ink too!
Fangar
PenWorks
Member
Yep.....I concur with all the above [
]
Fill er up and start writing. !!
]Fill er up and start writing. !!
huntersilver
Member
When are we going to get converters with our CSUSA kits?
Dario
Member
This question is for Nils [
].I do believe that all high end FP kits should have this included already.
huntersilver
Member
Exactly, you get a converter with an $8 El Grande FP, (upgraded converter with the silver El Grande) but not with
a $50 Emperor[:0]
a $50 Emperor[:0]
nilsatcraft
Member
I've got a meeting this morning so I'll bring the converter issue up again and see what I can find out about it. I'll post again later today with any info I find out.
tnilmerl
Member
Well, since Greg didn't know what the pump was, I'll assume he doesn't know how to use it as well, so I'll go ahead and add the a little howto on loading the converter.
First, only use fountain pen ink, never calligraphy (dip) or artist's ink. The formulations are different. Calligraphy ink is thicker and will clog your nib. Fountain ink is thinner and formulated to flow smoothly and evenly through the nib capillaries and nib mechanism. There aree numerous supplies of fine and acceptable fountain pen inks. You can get the major players (Waterman, Pelikan, Montblanc) at Office Max or Office Depot or fine stationary supply houses. Some of the larger independent's, such as Farney's, have a larger selection. Other supplies can custom blend your own colors.
Now to load the pump, mount the pump the in the same manner as you would an ink cartridge. Don't force it, but do insure that it is properly and completely seated in the feeder tube assembly. Now, twist the piston mechanism until the plunger is completely lowered into the pump assembly. Now, take the nib assembly (with the lowered piston) and invert it into an opened bottle of ink such that the lower end of the nib itself is in the ink. Just low enough so that the nib can draw the ink up into the pump. Too deep and you'll have to clean wet ink off the assembly.
Now slowly twist the plunger mechanism and draw ink up into the pump. IF you completely raise the plunger and no ink is drawn up, repeat the process, but lower the nib a little more into the ink. Repeat until you start drawing ink.
Draw up ink into plunger. Don't worry if you don't fill the reservoir. You don't need a lot of ink, just enough to make thru the day. Now, before closing the ink bottle, hold the nib assembly inverted of the bottle of ink and slowly rotate the plunger assembly again. Slowly force out three drops of ink back into the bottle. This will 'prime' your nib. Not absolutely required, but if you don't, you be frustrated by poor ink flow. The air bubble in the nib will prevent smooth, even, and consistent ink flow.
Now, go have a good day and impress your friends and acquantances with our pen.
Last, at the end of the day, unless you are going to use the same pen again the next day, unload any and all remaining ink back into your bottle. You should never store your fountain pen with ink in the reservior. The ink will slowly dry over time, and will clog your nib and it is a bear to clean out.
Now, to clean. You should clean your nib assembly ever so often. I have always used three drops of liquid ammonia in one cup of cold water. Siphon the water into the pump assembly, in and out, a few times until the water runs clear. Wipe down with a soft, lint free clothe and store your pen as usual.
There you go. The short version of the care and feeding of a fountian pen.
First, only use fountain pen ink, never calligraphy (dip) or artist's ink. The formulations are different. Calligraphy ink is thicker and will clog your nib. Fountain ink is thinner and formulated to flow smoothly and evenly through the nib capillaries and nib mechanism. There aree numerous supplies of fine and acceptable fountain pen inks. You can get the major players (Waterman, Pelikan, Montblanc) at Office Max or Office Depot or fine stationary supply houses. Some of the larger independent's, such as Farney's, have a larger selection. Other supplies can custom blend your own colors.
Now to load the pump, mount the pump the in the same manner as you would an ink cartridge. Don't force it, but do insure that it is properly and completely seated in the feeder tube assembly. Now, twist the piston mechanism until the plunger is completely lowered into the pump assembly. Now, take the nib assembly (with the lowered piston) and invert it into an opened bottle of ink such that the lower end of the nib itself is in the ink. Just low enough so that the nib can draw the ink up into the pump. Too deep and you'll have to clean wet ink off the assembly.
Now slowly twist the plunger mechanism and draw ink up into the pump. IF you completely raise the plunger and no ink is drawn up, repeat the process, but lower the nib a little more into the ink. Repeat until you start drawing ink.
Draw up ink into plunger. Don't worry if you don't fill the reservoir. You don't need a lot of ink, just enough to make thru the day. Now, before closing the ink bottle, hold the nib assembly inverted of the bottle of ink and slowly rotate the plunger assembly again. Slowly force out three drops of ink back into the bottle. This will 'prime' your nib. Not absolutely required, but if you don't, you be frustrated by poor ink flow. The air bubble in the nib will prevent smooth, even, and consistent ink flow.
Now, go have a good day and impress your friends and acquantances with our pen.
Last, at the end of the day, unless you are going to use the same pen again the next day, unload any and all remaining ink back into your bottle. You should never store your fountain pen with ink in the reservior. The ink will slowly dry over time, and will clog your nib and it is a bear to clean out.
Now, to clean. You should clean your nib assembly ever so often. I have always used three drops of liquid ammonia in one cup of cold water. Siphon the water into the pump assembly, in and out, a few times until the water runs clear. Wipe down with a soft, lint free clothe and store your pen as usual.
There you go. The short version of the care and feeding of a fountian pen.
Dario
Member
Thanks Travis, I too learned a thing or two from your post [][^]
][^]bjackman
Member
Travis,
Might I respectfully note a couple "nits" with the info you gave.
While I don't disagree with the practice of pushing a drop or a few drops of ink from the nib, I'm not sure I agree with the fact that this action is what "primes the nib", nor is it really as necessary with c/c (cartridge/converter) filling pens as it used to be, (or still is) with other filling systems such as rubber or silicone sacs.
When you dip the nib down into the bottle of ink, really, you just "primed the nib". A single dip into the ink will probably load the nib, feed and combs with enough ink to write a half page or more worth of text with no additional ink sucked up into the converter.
With sac filling pens the warmth from your hand or body if the pen is in a pocket, once it warms through the pen, can be enough to warm the ink inside, expanding it out of the sac, feed, nib, and onto your paper or shirt. By pushing a few drops out of a sac filler FP you create a small but usually sufficient air space in the sac for the warmed ink to expand into instead of going in unwanted places out the nib.
I don't think that converters are imune to this phenomenon. The same thing can happen with them, but their design makes it a little harder for the average FP user to make it happen.
Screw the converter plunger all wth way to the bottom...what do you see...it really doesn't go all the way to the bottom. So even if the ink begins sucking up immediately, you will have a small amount of air pre loaded into the converter from that gap between the bottom of the converter and the plunger. It is possible to completely fill a converter with absolutely no air gaps, but it takes a conscious effort and usually several tries to do it successfully, (trust me, I'v tried, and you don't come out of the experience with clean hands. [] ) If one manages to accomplish this you will probably end up with the same result as a completely full sac. I did anyway, seeping and dripping when the pen warmed up in my hand until enough of the ink had been used to create an air cavity in the converter.
As to emptying for storage, with a reasonably good fitting cap, I'm not sure I'd worry about it unless the pen would sit unused for several months or more. It certainly wouldn't hurt anything to empty the ink more often, but unless you rinse and flush the nib, feed and reservoir you still have ink sitting there that could dry just the same.
YMMV, contrasting opinions welcomed, etc, etc.... []
Might I respectfully note a couple "nits" with the info you gave.
While I don't disagree with the practice of pushing a drop or a few drops of ink from the nib, I'm not sure I agree with the fact that this action is what "primes the nib", nor is it really as necessary with c/c (cartridge/converter) filling pens as it used to be, (or still is) with other filling systems such as rubber or silicone sacs.
When you dip the nib down into the bottle of ink, really, you just "primed the nib". A single dip into the ink will probably load the nib, feed and combs with enough ink to write a half page or more worth of text with no additional ink sucked up into the converter.
With sac filling pens the warmth from your hand or body if the pen is in a pocket, once it warms through the pen, can be enough to warm the ink inside, expanding it out of the sac, feed, nib, and onto your paper or shirt. By pushing a few drops out of a sac filler FP you create a small but usually sufficient air space in the sac for the warmed ink to expand into instead of going in unwanted places out the nib.
I don't think that converters are imune to this phenomenon. The same thing can happen with them, but their design makes it a little harder for the average FP user to make it happen.
Screw the converter plunger all wth way to the bottom...what do you see...it really doesn't go all the way to the bottom. So even if the ink begins sucking up immediately, you will have a small amount of air pre loaded into the converter from that gap between the bottom of the converter and the plunger. It is possible to completely fill a converter with absolutely no air gaps, but it takes a conscious effort and usually several tries to do it successfully, (trust me, I'v tried, and you don't come out of the experience with clean hands. [
] ) If one manages to accomplish this you will probably end up with the same result as a completely full sac. I did anyway, seeping and dripping when the pen warmed up in my hand until enough of the ink had been used to create an air cavity in the converter.As to emptying for storage, with a reasonably good fitting cap, I'm not sure I'd worry about it unless the pen would sit unused for several months or more. It certainly wouldn't hurt anything to empty the ink more often, but unless you rinse and flush the nib, feed and reservoir you still have ink sitting there that could dry just the same.
YMMV, contrasting opinions welcomed, etc, etc.... [
]tnilmerl
Member
Thanks for the feedback. I don't use my sac reservior pens on a daily basis or enough to warrant solid advice. My sac pens are early 1900 thru pre-WWII era and I usually only use them for the day or two before storing them again. Explains my pickiness on ink removal for storage. I try to cycle thru my pens to keep them in working order. Can be a challenge keeping the classics in fit condition, while still showcasing my own handiwork.
I do not disagree with your observations. Overall, I do not believe your have the same granularity of control with a sac system, as compared to the piston pump. But as I stated, the 'priming' is not absolutely necessary. Modern nib design is such that capillary action helps keep the nib primed and ready. That's why proper ink selection is so critical. The 'priming' is more of a preventive action to equalize any fluid pressures within the nib/pump assembly so that you don't have any ink skipping problems when you start writing.
Once you start writing and the ink flows, gravity and ink fluid weight factors in to continuing the flow. The overall nib engineering plays into this. That's why some nib selection can make or break a great pen. I have pens that are exquisite pieces of craftsmanship and beaty, but absolutely horrid to execute any semblace of reasonable and acceptable penmanship. At the other extreme, my 1904 Waterman, with all its scratches, discoloration and teeth mark encrustations writes smoothly and has a marvelous 'feel'. The nib is tuned and still favor it over the pens I purchased for big bucks.
So, YMMV based on nib and ink selection, temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, the solar-lunar tide cycle, and ancient Mayan dance rituals. Try what works for you, and run with it.
I do not disagree with your observations. Overall, I do not believe your have the same granularity of control with a sac system, as compared to the piston pump. But as I stated, the 'priming' is not absolutely necessary. Modern nib design is such that capillary action helps keep the nib primed and ready. That's why proper ink selection is so critical. The 'priming' is more of a preventive action to equalize any fluid pressures within the nib/pump assembly so that you don't have any ink skipping problems when you start writing.
Once you start writing and the ink flows, gravity and ink fluid weight factors in to continuing the flow. The overall nib engineering plays into this. That's why some nib selection can make or break a great pen. I have pens that are exquisite pieces of craftsmanship and beaty, but absolutely horrid to execute any semblace of reasonable and acceptable penmanship. At the other extreme, my 1904 Waterman, with all its scratches, discoloration and teeth mark encrustations writes smoothly and has a marvelous 'feel'. The nib is tuned and still favor it over the pens I purchased for big bucks.
So, YMMV based on nib and ink selection, temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, the solar-lunar tide cycle, and ancient Mayan dance rituals. Try what works for you, and run with it.
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