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Twsbi Mini Behaving Empty But Not Empty - Ink Flow?

Just I

By Just I
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Just I

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Hello! I love writing with my TWSBI mini but am running into a problem with ink flow. After sketching for an hour or so it will seem like it runs dry. Nothing comes out of the nib, just like when one of my cartridge-converter fills is empty. The first time it happened I was sure I was out of ink (I have the black one so I can't see the ink.) I was out of town so it stayed in my bag the rest of the trip. When I got home I was really surprised to find ink still in it and I used it for another couple of weeks before running dry. I thought maybe I just hadn't been paying close attention. I filled the same pen again recently, and the same problem, it will behave like it is completely empty but there is ink in it. I am pretty sure it is not clogged because it will run dry in the middle of writing, not after sitting for awhile. I was wondering if there was trick with the piston fill mechanism, am I supposed to adjust that every now and then so a vacuum does not form? If ink matters, it has happened with a diamine ink coral ink, noodlers heart of darkness and pilot yu-yake.

I love the pen, but need it to be more reliable.

http://edmontonfountainpenclub.wordpress.com

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KBeezie Donor Pen

KBeezie

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Out of curiousity do you do any kind of flexing with the nib or applying a bit of pressure ? IF the nib becomes sprung over time, the connection between the feed and the nib can create a gap and it won't get flowing again until the connection is made again.

 

Next time it happens try this:

 

Turn the pen over so that the nib is facing the paper, and just touch the back of the tip to the paper, then turn it back over. If it immediately starts writing again, you sprung your nib, or need to re-seat your nib because it's too far from the feed (or too loose, and gets loose over time during the writing/sketching).

Edited by KBeezie
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Just I Mint

Just I

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Out of curiousity do you do any kind of flexing with the nib or applying a bit of pressure ? IF the nib becomes sprung over time, the connection between the feed and the nib can create a gap and it won't get flowing again until the connection is made again.

 

Next time it happens try this:

 

Turn the pen over so that the nib is facing the paper, and just touch the back of the tip to the paper, then turn it back over. If it immediately starts writing again, you sprung your nib, or need to re-seat your nib because it's too far from the feed (or too loose, and gets loose over time during the writing/sketching).

 

Thank you for the suggestion - I will check that next time it happens in the way you described but I think I kind of did the same thing when I ran the top of the nib over the back of my hand. (I thought that might dislodge anything that was stuck between the tines, using my hands to check stuff like that is a really bad habit I picked up in art school). I don't have had a heavy hand and the pen is only 7 months old. No one else has used the pen.

http://edmontonfountainpenclub.wordpress.com

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KBeezie Donor Pen

KBeezie

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The other possibility is paper fibers being stuck between the tines, as that'll stop flow easy. You can usually floss those out with a sheet of brass (GouletPens and other sell em).

 

If you haven't cleaned it in a while, you can always unscrew the nib unit, and give it a good flush and floss. But I imagine you cleaned it plenty if you were switching between completely different inks (which requires a real good cleaning as not to risk mixing the inks which could do something like... eat the feed).

Edited by KBeezie
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richardandtracy Museum Piece

richardandtracy

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I have a number of pens that behave this way. So long as there is ink in the fins of the feed, it'll work OK, when that dries up the feed channel can't keep up and the pen runs dry.

I have this with my Lamy Vista, Parker Duofold International and TWSBI 530. All have broad italic nibs.

 

It's infuriating, and can probably be cured with a knife cut to the feed channel, but instead I just wind down the plunger on them all (with 2 it's the c/c plunger, on the other it's the main plunger) and keep writing.

 

Regards,

 

Richard

<a href="http://www.chestnutpens.co.uk">Chestnut Pens</a>

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