Removing ink from the cartridges!?

[edstreet]

Never thought I would be saying this but I find myself in situations where I need ink cartridges with no ink in them!

The real issue is when I photograph a pen many times the tip is touching various material and starts bleeding out. It gets to be a royal pain to see, and remove, ink from what materials like paper, towels, sheets and the like. I figured the best way would be to make a set of ink cartridges with no ink in them. The problem is I would need no wear or damage on the tip but the back would be fair game.

So any good ideas on how to do this?

 

[monophoto]

So the problem is that you don't want the pen to bleed out onto whatever the tip is touching when you photograph it.

So just take the cartridge out of the pen, and then write with it until no more ink comes out.

If you want to empty a cartridge, the best way is to use a syringe, but that's a certain amount of work, and can waste ink. Simply removing the cartridge while you are photographing the pen accomplishes the same thing.

 

[panamag8or]

If you don't mind sacrificing a cartridge (which is what you are doing if you empty one), you can just cut off the tip, rinse it out, and use it as a dummy tip for the pics. find a way to secure it in the nib with a paper towel or something.

 

[edstreet]

Want the nib showing so using the ink up via writing is out. Have no problem wasting ink cartridges.

 

[joefyffe]

Rubber gloves, outside, remove cartridge from feed, insert needle syringe into the cartridge, pointed up, push plunger, air pressure will force the ink out onto the rubber gloves and ground, and your pants legs if you are not careful! :biggrin:

 

[Ed McDonnell]

The OP wasn't very specific, but I suspect that he is talking about rollerball cartridges and not fountain pen cartridges. He also didn't specify, but I suspect that he isn't taking pictures of the internals. He just wants the rollerball tip sticking out for the picture (without ink wicking).

The hard way:

Cut off a cartridge close to the nib end where the diameter is reduced, leaving a small section of large diameter. This will reduce the clean out effort. Use a small diameter wire with tissue / solvent and get most of the ink out of the cartridge remnant. You will still need to "write out" a little bit at the end. But nowhere near as much writing as needed to empty a cartridge. Cut a length of dowel to make up for the length of cartridge you cut off to keep the nib out for pictures.

Easier ways:

(A) Post an offer to buy / trade for empty cartridge of the type you want in the deals / trades forum.

(B) Dip the tip of a cartridge in thin CA (or other thinned glue). It will seal in the ink. If you are careful it shouldn't be visible in the pictures.

Ed

 

[GrahamColwell]

I like the idea of just touching the tip in CA... seal it up.

 

[panamag8or]

The hard way:

Cut off a cartridge close to the nib end where the diameter is reduced, leaving a small section of large diameter. This will reduce the clean out effort. Use a small diameter wire with tissue / solvent and get most of the ink out of the cartridge remnant. You will still need to "write out" a little bit at the end. But nowhere near as much writing as needed to empty a cartridge. Cut a length of dowel to make up for the length of cartridge you cut off to keep the nib out for pictures.


Ed

That's pretty much where I was going, but I like the dowel idea.

 

[ashaw]

put the tip into hot wax. That way the refill can be used again.

 

[edstreet]

put the tip into hot wax. That way the refill can be used again.

Can't, wax will show in the photo.

 

[airborne_r6]

I would cut a bunch of slots about half way through the barrel of the cartridge and then run it under water. If you alternated the slots from side to side it wouldn't affect the cartridge quite as much and multiple slots will make it easier to rinse the ink out. You may still have to write with it to get the last ink out of the nib. Once this is all done just let it dry out.