Fountain pen ink drying out overnight!

[Mack C.]

Hello all; Due to my health I am not able to do any turning, although I still enjoy writing notes, letters etc., especially by fountain pen.

I find it very frustrating when I pick up my pen next morning and find my nib dried out. I store my FP nib end down hoping the ink won't dry out, but invariably by morning I have to scribble or doodle some before it will write.

I am using cartridges by J. Herbin as well as Private Reserve.

Do you have any pieces of advice for me with respect to how you store your FP and not have it dry up overnight?

 

[monophoto]

Mark

I share the frustration.

Keeping the pen nib-down is helpful. If you store the pen nib-up, ink gravity will force the ink out of the section and feed, and accelerate drying.

Three questions:
1. What kind of nib are you using? I've had more trouble with fine nibs than with medium nibs. Is the nib naturally 'dry' or 'wet' (ie, when it is writing normally, does it lay down a lot of ink?). Dry nibs will dry out faster than wet nibs.
2. Does the pen have a snap cap or a screw cap. Stap cap pens dry out much faster than screw-cap pens.
3. Is this a new problem, or have you experience the same performance as long as you have used the pen? If it's a new problem, you may need to flush out the nib and feed.

I have several pens on my desk that I use somewhat interchangeably., all with converters rather than cartridges. My 'daily carry' pen is a PSI Big Boy cigar with a medium nib (snap cap). If it is full, I generally don' have a problem with it drying out from one day to the next. However, as the ink in the converter is used, the drying rate increases.

I have an ElGrande - screw cap and fine nib - that seems to start writing much easier. However, it it sits for a week or so with no use, it will also dry out.

I have a few commercial pens in the mix - some behave about the same as my shop-made pens. However, I have a couple of Hero 629 pens with the 'aerometric' fill mechanism that seem to dry out in a matter of hours.

The other factor is that some inks dry faster than others. Noodler's inks tend to not dry out quite as fast as J Herbin inks or Iroshizuku inks. I've used Private Reserve in the past, but it's been a while and I don't have any real basis for comparison today.

 

[Mack C.]

Mark

I share the frustration.

Keeping the pen nib-down is helpful. If you store the pen nib-up, ink gravity will force the ink out of the section and feed, and accelerate drying.

Three questions:
1. What kind of nib are you using? I've had more trouble with fine nibs than with medium nibs. Is the nib naturally 'dry' or 'wet' (ie, when it is writing normally, does it lay down a lot of ink?). Dry nibs will dry out faster than wet nibs.
2. Does the pen have a snap cap or a screw cap. Stap cap pens dry out much faster than screw-cap pens.
3. Is this a new problem, or have you experience the same performance as long as you have used the pen? If it's a new problem, you may need to flush out the nib and feed.

I have several pens on my desk that I use somewhat interchangeably., all with converters rather than cartridges. My 'daily carry' pen is a PSI Big Boy cigar with a medium nib (snap cap). If it is full, I generally don' have a problem with it drying out from one day to the next. However, as the ink in the converter is used, the drying rate increases.

I have an ElGrande - screw cap and fine nib - that seems to start writing much easier. However, it it sits for a week or so with no use, it will also dry out.

I have a few commercial pens in the mix - some behave about the same as my shop-made pens. However, I have a couple of Hero 629 pens with the 'aerometric' fill mechanism that seem to dry out in a matter of hours.

The other factor is that some inks dry faster than others. Noodler's inks tend to not dry out quite as fast as J Herbin inks or Iroshizuku inks. I've used Private Reserve in the past, but it's been a while and I don't have any real basis for comparison today.

Thanks for taking the time to reply, Louie!

Both of my FP's have Bock Fine nibs. I like writing with the fine nibs rather than mediums. Not certain if they are laying down a lot of ink or not. Don't seem to me they are!

Both screw caps.

One FP is very newly filled with a cartridge. The other has been sitting for a while, but the cartridge is still showing full. I have some Perfect Pen Flush I'll be using on it.

I may consider trying the converter for a time.

Thanks again for your reply!

 

[jeff]

I usually keep 4 pens inked. Among others, I mostly use Diamine, Noodlers, Private Reserve, and Aurora. The only one I can depend on to never dry out is Aurora. Regardless of nib, storage position, snap or screw cap - it just never dries out on me. I don't write much on the weekends so they just sit on my desk. I use bottled ink, but it does come in cartridges. The down side is that it only comes in blue and black. Both very thick, dark, and rich. I don't care for the bottle - it's too tall. Guess I need an inkwell.

 

[TonyL]

Hi Mack! Good to hear from you; sorry about your FP experience. The last few months, I started to write exclusively with FPs - nothing fancy (Atrax, Jr, Antony, and Virage). All but one has a stock nib and I replaced that (the Atrax) with a $6 one. To date, I have had none dry-out; I rotate among the three. I do, however, hold the caps in my non-writing hand and immediately return in to the cap when not in use. I do the same for RBs, but I hardly use them anymore.

I was storing my FP in all different positions as some of the advanced FPs site recommended, but I have not found it to make a difference with my pens (remember, they are nothing expensive, vintage, etc.). I had the same positive experience, so far, with a cartridge or a piston-type reservoir.

This has been my limited experience. Good to hear from you.

 

[Mack C.]

Thanks everyone for your replies. I guess it's just a problem to be lived with!

Such is life!

 

[LanceD]

Take a look at this video. This may help you out. Scroll gown to the bottom for the video. But there's good reading before.

Goulet Brass Sheets

 

[frank123]

Assuming the nib is properly tuned (or somewhat close to it) and the contact with the feeder is correct I usually find it is the feeder or the nib contact with it that is causing the problem of dry starts.

This video may give some insight: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdJGGS6l504

How tight the nib is set against the feeder and how deeply that assembly is set into the section can make a big difference, even a few millimeters makes a difference sometimes for me (try moving it in or out a little bit to see if it makes a difference). Ink can also be a factor.

Probably the best starting pen I've ever owned is the little, cheap disposable Varsity pen (and those things have an open hole in the end of the cap). I've left them sitting for as long as a year and still had a perfect and instant start when I used them. Wish I knew what their magic is, I would like to apply it to my own pens.

FWIW, Ebonite feeds seem to flow the ink much better than the almost universal plastic ones we usually see today in affordable lower priced pen parts and kits.

 

[bmachin]

One other problem might be that the space between the tines is too tight. I had a Bock nib that drove me crazy with hard starting, stoppages, etc. After trying everything else that I could think of, I watched the ink flow down the slit with a 10x loupe. After spreading the tines a little the nib became a great writer.

There are instructions for doing this online. Just don't get overly exuberant. i suspect its easier to open the tines a bit than it is to close them.

One other possibility is that there is some mold-release left on the feed which is preventing the ink from wetting out properly. Try flushing everything out with a 10% solution of household ammonia. Flossing with brass sheet or photographic film couldn't hurt either.

I would try the last two suggestions before I tried the first.

Finally (Maybe; it seems like this just keeps going) If you aren't sure that your nib is well tuned, take a look at it under magnification and find online what it should look like. The grind on the nib may be a problem as well. A condition called baby bottom can make a pen really hard starting although really smooth writing.

My two cents,

Bill

 

[Mr Vic]

Mack,

What style of pen is it. If the cap doesn't seal well it doesn't matter if the nib is in tune or what ink you use. If you can find an o-ring that will fit in the cap it could help or use black silicone between the start of the threads and the cap opening to create a seal.

There's an article somewhere but I can't find it yet.

 

[Sub Vet 10]

I have a Presimo that is not putting out. Screw on cap, iridium nib with a 1 on the bottom.
There is ink halfway down the tines but it wont feed all the way. Replaced the cartridge & spread the tines a good bit but didnt help. I assume it is a med nib because it lays a fair amount of ink normally.