Platinum Preppy Eyedropper

[aymr]

They were probably not sealed correctly. If air gets in through the threads rather than through the feed, Bad Things happen to the flow regulation. A capful of Heart Of Darkness is a likely and undesirable outcome.

 

I have a handful of these, purchased converted, and of the 5 I've inked 2 have had the ink leak through the area up by the feed and drip all over out around the nib. Is this the problem? If I improve the seal at the threads will the ink (theoretically) come out only through the nib and not all around it? I'd basically given them up as a lost cause.

 

Thanks,

Aym

[troglokev]

I have a handful of these, purchased converted, and of the 5 I've inked 2 have had the ink leak through the area up by the feed and drip all over out around the nib. Is this the problem? If I improve the seal at the threads will the ink (theoretically) come out only through the nib and not all around it? I'd basically given them up as a lost cause.

It's the most likely cause, yes. If you need more than a smear of silicone grease on the O-ring to prevent the ink from escaping, you don't have a good seal. Most eyedropper conversions I've seen are caked with the stuff, because the grease is providing the airtight seal, not the O-ring. The sealing surfaces should be parallel, smooth and clean, and should compress the O-ring about 20% of its diameter (between 5 and 30% is okay). Hard to acheive on a preppy, I would think: hence the gunk, and the problems.

[offbase]

They were probably not sealed correctly. If air gets in through the threads rather than through the feed, Bad Things happen to the flow regulation. A capful of Heart Of Darkness is a likely and undesirable outcome.

 

I have a handful of these, purchased converted, and of the 5 I've inked 2 have had the ink leak through the area up by the feed and drip all over out around the nib. Is this the problem? If I improve the seal at the threads will the ink (theoretically) come out only through the nib and not all around it? I'd basically given them up as a lost cause.

 

Thanks,

Aym

 

On of mine had that problem. I gave it a clockwise twist while pushing upward, which luckily sealed the leak.

[Sailor Kenshin]

All of the 4 preppy reviews here describe it as a very smooth writer. I got one yesterday and it's a rough, horrid writer. I was expecting something as good as a Varsity but no. I ordered the red and the color is a violent pink-orange-red. Hideous. I replaced the ink with Tiananmen. Didn't make it write any smoother. Maybe I'm just unlucky and got a bad sample.

 

I bought a few Preppys: a blue-black, a yellow, a pink, a red, a green--well, okay, just about every color.

 

I tried out the yellow first. Both nib and ink were horrific. But the other colors are well-behaved, nice, smooth writers.

 

They must have poor quallity control or something.

 

[offbase]

All of the 4 preppy reviews here describe it as a very smooth writer. I got one yesterday and it's a rough, horrid writer. I was expecting something as good as a Varsity but no. I ordered the red and the color is a violent pink-orange-red. Hideous. I replaced the ink with Tiananmen. Didn't make it write any smoother. Maybe I'm just unlucky and got a bad sample.

 

I bought a few Preppys: a blue-black, a yellow, a pink, a red, a green--well, okay, just about every color.

 

I tried out the yellow first. Both nib and ink were horrific. But the other colors are well-behaved, nice, smooth writers.

 

They must have poor quallity control or something.

 

+2. 5 minutes capped after use and they're hard to start, and I had to throw away the one with Noodler's permanent black, since even soak the nib couldn't unclog the feed.

[calliej]

All of the 4 preppy reviews here describe it as a very smooth writer. I got one yesterday and it's a rough, horrid writer. I was expecting something as good as a Varsity but no. I ordered the red and the color is a violent pink-orange-red. Hideous. I replaced the ink with Tiananmen. Didn't make it write any smoother. Maybe I'm just unlucky and got a bad sample.

I bought 4 preppies at the same time and o0ut of the bunch 3 were smooth and one was scratchy - looks like you got the raw deal you could

try fixing it with some rough paper

 

[dannzeman]

I got my Platinum Preppy with Noodler's The Heart of Darkness. I've never had any troubles with it starting, even on the initial fill, and haven't run into it being so wet it drips ink. In fact, I would say its really all the wet of a writer. Its definitely not dry, but not what I would consider wet either.

 

I writes so nice that I find myself reaching for it more than my Retro 51 Scriptmaster, Faber Castell Ambition, AND my VP w/ its fine and medium nibs. Its crazy!

[Sailor Kenshin]

After replacing the horrible ink in my yellow Preppy with a mix of Rotring Red, Skrip Gold and a touch of Diamine Golden Brown, it writes MUCH, much better.

 

My other Preppys have all been smooth, care-free writers. The yellow Platinum ink, at least the ink that came in the cart inside the pen, was the problem.

 

I can see how these pens would make nice eyedropper fillers.

[gcashley]

My comment regarding this pen is that it's the only pen I've got that can digest Noodlers Baystate Blue without fault. I wish I could find a higher quality pen that did that!

[ehebert]

both preppy's I've gotten (with HOD and Nikita) have dropped ink on the page. They were super wet too. Pretty useless because you never know when a big drop of ink will come out. I think if the pen that comes with it sucks, don't put it in there and make the ink cheaper.

 

I just turned an ED Preppy back into a cartridge filler. It blobbed ink on the page as an ED filler and leaked out the threads. Apparently the little rubber o-ring was too loose and snagged in the cap repeatedly when I capped the pen. Anyway, I have a bunch of Platinum red cartridges I wanted to use, and where better to use them than in a pink Preppy?

 

 

If you have leaks or drips with an ED preppy, read the slip of paper that Noodler’s sends along w/ the free pen. It says:

 

“When you notice the ink level reaching 1/3 full, it is a good idea to refill the pen as the air in the barrel will expand due to the heat of your hand and may cause excessive flow.”

 

This has happened to me, and refilling the pen fixed the gushing/dripping at the nib. As for the o-ring, I found that it’s not needed. If you get some silicone grease at the hardware store (I spent less than $5 for a small tube), you can cover the threads with a even layer every time you refill the pen. A decent amount of silicone will make a tight seal without an o-ring, and keep the ink from leaking.

 

 

[Joe in Seattle]

Thanks for your review. You've filled a need.

 

I tried the same ink/pen/seller combination.

 

The pen was a smooth wet writer for me, too. However, after taking notes in class for 10 minutes my hands looked like I had been shovelling coal for hours. Neither the silicone grease nor the "O" ring kept the ink inside the little beast. It ended the day in the wastebin.

 

Love the ink, though.

[Sailor Kenshin]

Thanks for your review. You've filled a need.

 

I tried the same ink/pen/seller combination.

 

The pen was a smooth wet writer for me, too. However, after taking notes in class for 10 minutes my hands looked like I had been shovelling coal for hours. Neither the silicone grease nor the "O" ring kept the ink inside the little beast. It ended the day in the wastebin.

 

Love the ink, though.

 

O noes!

 

You could have put the 'body' in a plastic bag and sent it to CSI.

 

I find the carts in the Preppys work well enough and are quite refillable.

 

[Inka]

I have 3 of the "freebies" that came with 4.5oz bottles of Noodlers' Polar Blue & Borealis Black [my favorite black ink to date, a nice deep black that is water-resistant but not "bulletproof"].

I've even tried some PR Tanzanite and not once did I get dribbles, write finer lines than Noodlers' inks do and not once had it skipped.

The pens even write, for me at least, with just a few drops of ink in them, never have had to top them off once levels dropped below 1/3rd as suggested in the instructions.

I did notice one of them feels a bit "scratchy" but not too bad and getting smoother with use, lays down a fine line of ink and none have ever skipped on me.

 

One thing I did notice, while cleaning one out, is that the nib and a thin black rod attached to it does come out of the feed almost too easily.

If for some reason the nib falls out, there's a large enough hole in the gray feed system that would allow ink to literally dump out of the barrel, something I'm concerned about.

Other than that, for a free pen they do write very well and I've been having a blast playing with mine.

 

Since they're clear I can see when the fins on the nib feed get loaded, then I just lightly touch the nib tip on a multi-folded over paper towel until a drop gets absorbed.

Once I see that first drop on the PT, I have not had a single problem with ink flow, not even after letting the pen sit in a pen cup [nib up] for days without use.

As I type this I'm certain that if I were to grab one of them that now has about 1/4 tube of Polar Blue inside it will start writing with the first touch to paper, not leak and not skip.

 

For those that had or have problems with theirs, that's pretty sad and I truly feel for you, especially since I'm usually the one that has Murphy putting his hands on my new toys.

I like them because I can place just a few drops of ink in them to try out new inks and colors but that feed system holds quite a bit of ink and keeps writing long after the barrel is empty.

I just wash them with cold tap water, blow them out and repeat the rinse cycle a few times until feed looks clear, press a folded over PT against the nib until it dries, then try a different ink.

[de.vice]

Can someone tell me what size rubber washer is suitable?

[DavidHandmade]

Hello. I hope that my comments will enhance this discussion:

 

After reading various comments on the Net about Preppy pens, I decided to give them a try.

 

I hope this does not violate any FPN rules, but Preppys are $3.00US at Jet Pens (I have NO affiliation with this Retailer!); I grabbed a few, added some ink, built a $25. order, and got free shipping - a pretty good deal, to me.

 

Anyway: I purchased a few of the 05 Nibs and converted them to EDs this way:

 

- used Teflon Tape / Plumbers Tape on the section; 6 turns - clockwise - were enough; 4 turns felt like the barrel screwed on a little too "easily." Clockwise direction is important so that the Tape doesn't unravel as you screw on the barrel. I was careful not to use "too much" of the Tape, to ensure that its extra thickness didn't crack the barrel.

 

- tested both a 9mm ID o-ring and a 3/8 inch ID o-ring purchased at my local hardware store; more as a "belt and suspenders" approach to guard against leaks. (My "Big Box" DIY center doesn't carry such "random" kinds of "detail" items - props to those Mom & Pop Shops!)

 

- did not use any "grease", etc. on the section's threads.

 

- Filled two pens 3/4 full with Noodlers Polar Green and Gruene Cactus, and headed off to work.

 

- Results: After a gentle "shake" of each pen to start the ink flow (as recommended by one Blogger), I obtained nice, smooth writing with little pressure (great for carpel-tunnel concerns); a smooth, "wet" ink flow with no scratching or skipping, and some mild "ink creep", which doesn't bother me.

 

- No issues with blobs, blotches, etc. But, as others here have mentioned, nibs did dry out after approx. 3-4 minutes when laid flat & uncapped on my desk. A simple re-cap and rest in a nib-down position for a minute re-started the ink flow.

 

- And, of course, a very long-lasting writing experience without the need to replace a pen with another "plastic" one.

 

Final Comments: I found that, for both pens, even though ink appeared to creep along the threads despite the "tight" feel of the barrel and section with 6 turns of Teflon Tape, no ink reached the joint between the barrel and section that would have resulted in a leak.

 

Was an o-ring necessary? Without realizing it, on the pen with the 3/8 inch o-ring, I had screwed the barrel so far onto the section that the barrel's edge slid underneath the o-ring; thereby making the o-ring ineffective / unnecessary - the Teflon Tape was doing all the work. Perhaps a "thinner" 3/8 inch o-ring may have worked better, but my local hardware store did not have a thinner version in stock.

 

The 9mm o-ring - a "thin" one - 1mm, perhaps, was a much better fit where the edge of the barrel meets the section.

 

But, again, the o-ring appeared to be unnecessary because the Teflon Tape performed perfectly.

 

Next Steps: I will try 2 Preppys outfitted exclusively with Teflon Tape and an o-ring, respectively, and test their performance.

 

I hope that there are FPNers who find this info helpful.

 

Thank you.

[dfbldwn]

Hello. I hope that my comments will enhance this discussion:

 

- used Teflon Tape / Plumbers Tape on the section; 6 turns - clockwise - were enough; 4 turns felt like the barrel screwed on a little too "easily." Clockwise direction is important so that the Tape doesn't unravel as you screw on the barrel. I was careful not to use "too much" of the Tape, to ensure that its extra thickness didn't crack the barrel.

 

Ur a genius. This explains my waterfall of ink straight through the section, feed and nib, then onto paper. I only did two wraps, probably counterclockwise at that. Will try your solution at home. Thanks also for specifying how much ink you put into the barrels, viz.

3/4 full

[Denver]

I've done several Platinum Preppy Eyedropper conversions starting with a 7mm ID X 1mm CS o-ring in the usual location. I like a 7mm ID X 1.5mm CS o-ring off the tip of the threaded nib section at the deep end of the internal threaded section in the body even better. The body seems to have a bit of a shoulder there, so the o-ring has something to rest against. This latter position allows the body and nib section to be threaded more tightly, and the o-ring doesn't get squeezed above the level of the grip. I've never had a problem with either arrangement, but I always worry about leaks. Either arrangement requires wiping ink and messing with silicone grease to refill. I've come up with an entirely new approach that is my preferred method, and it involves using 5 minute two-stage epoxy to permanently bond the body to the nib section. This pen has a nib and feed that are very easy to remove leaving a 1mm hole straight into the ink cavity. I use a 3cc syringe with a 21GA needle to fill the pen then reinsert the nib and feed. It's really very easy, and it circumvents any need for cleaning and reapplying silicone grease. It's more convenient, and I worry less about the possibility of leaks.

[goatgolfer]

Intriguing. How do you propose cleaning the body/cavity for ink color changing?

[Dickkooty2]

Just as a sidebar to this conversation on conversion (please, nothing to do with religion).

 

A neat way without the ED! Our intrepid Pelikan Hub leader fireant suggested buying Dollar Pens from Pakistan ... ten for $10 plus $10 shipping.

 

 

Perfect for eight Pelikan ink samples ... one a day for the NYT xword plus one for special occasions. Plus two left over. I just threw the pens on the scanner quickly, but you get the picture!

 

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[Denver]

Intriguing. How do you propose cleaning the body/cavity for ink color changing?

I haven't actually changed the color yet, but I anticipate cleaning the same way I clean long cartridges. I fill a syringe with water, insert a needle through the hole in the collector and squirt. Repeat until clear. You could do a little shaking too, and the water can be fully aspirated with the same needle and syringe. As you probably know, the collector on this pen isn't easy to clean so many will accept a transitional period with mild color blending. I don't change colors often, so at this price I'll probably keep several separate pens dedicated to colors similar to the caps (i.e., blue, black, other). Perhaps the nib feed will loosen in the collector after a number of removals and reinsertions, but with 5cc ink per fill, it should be a long time until I have to spend another $3 on a replacement Preppy.