Testing A Dip Nib "enhancer"

[magan]

thank you very much for sharing your invention and your art. i hope you post more of your works in the future.

[indigirl]

Okay, my brain just exploded several times while reading this thread! This is totally amazing!

[jbb]

Thank you for all this info.

[lamder]

After some time waiting for the PCL, getting some nice nibs from Jill (jbb),

and overcoming more procrastination, I went ahead, using Andy's awesome

instructions, and made my first nib reservoir (NR). It was more of an excuse to

test how the PCL works. I did not expect to succeed on my first try, but wow it

worked!

 

So here it goes, I call it the too-cheap-for-masking-tape version.

 

Not having masking-tape/Vaseline around the house (shocking I know), and not

wanting to explain why I'd need a slow cooker in the study, I went with

 

- 1 piece of aluminum foil (about 40mm x 100mm)

- 2 glasses

- thermos with just-boiled water

- 15 PCL beads

- cylindrical glass rod (optional)

 

I tore out a small piece of the foil for creating a smooth wrap of my mold.

The main foil piece I cut to taper at one end, which I folded accordion-style

to approximate the mold shape Andy described. I used twice as many layers

figuring foil is thinner than tape, and did my origami by eye. After wrapping

the accordion with the small piece, I trim the ends to get a neat rectangular

shape which I bent and inserted into the nib cavity.

 

The rest of the experiment I tried to follow Andy's instructions as much as

possible. Slow-cooker-less, I dunked the beads into a cup with 1-2cm deep of

hot water poured from the thermos. The temperature is just hot enough to barely

turn all the beads transparent after about 15 seconds. After molding the carrot

and seating the carrot, I dunked the nib/mold/carrot into fresh a batch of

water. Hilarity ensued. Things started to separate; I had to regather the pieces

back in place. The wings I did by melting 8 beads in a third batch of water,

split the putty into two and shaped as described.

 

Below is the result in a nib after two uses, a water rinse and tissue soak.

 

 

Below is the mold with the glass rod I used to help smooth the small foil piece.

The rod is also just the right diameter for pushing the mold into the nib.

 

 

Here are some some writing tests, 2 without followed by 2 with the NR, and a

lame attempt to draw up the steps I did.

 

 

I picked this E J Arnold nib because it writes fairly smooth, fine (so my

writing test is not too affected by the inconsistent amount of flex). It also

consistently picks up the Noodler's black ink well.

 

Some hiccups/lessons learnt:

 

1. I make enough coffee/tea to know how to get to 170C and how long I can

keep the water near that temperature, but I'd imagine some dry form

of heating is more convenient than what I did.

 

2. My wings caught a bit of the part where the nib width narrows. This

made it hard to remove the NR through the front. I didn't think

much of it until I realized if I had to pre-insert NR from the back of the nib,

it would be next to impossible to properly attach the nib to the holder

afterward. I may be wrong, but it looks like if one cannot insert the NR from

the tip of the nib, one is pretty much screwed.

 

3. So I tried inserting the NR from the tip, and sure enough one of the wings

broke off. But fortunately running the reassembled wing+NR quickly over a

lighted match melts it enough that I can fuse the broken wing with the

other wing. (my repair attempt is reflected via the partial finger print and

some darkening by match smoke on the NR :-)). This repair appears totally

safe as it can be done without affecting the contacting surface of the NR if

one just partially melts the outer surface. A little more care is needed to

fused the other end of the broken wing to the carrot.

 

4. My crude NR is so fat near the tip end that I run the risk of it touching

the paper when I write while holding the pen my usual 30 degress from the

paper surface. In the first writing test, I consciously raise the angle to

about 45 degrees. That may have resulted in less (and more consistent?) ink

flow

 

5. In test 2, I used a pen angle closer to 30 degrees, even applied more pressure

on some letters when compared to the NR-less writings. I liked to results

I am getting in the NR-attached tests both in terms of amount of writing and

the consistent ink flow.

 

Much thanks to Andy for sharing his invention and additional pointers. You know

a piece of instructional diagram is well done when every time you think you are

missing some vital information you end up finding the cause is reader carelessness.

 

Lastly, I encourage anyone interested to give it a try! Even an extremely crude

first attempt was surprisingly effective. Besides, PCL is very user friendly and

loads of fun! (I also recently learnt is very useful for other crafts/projects too).

 

Sam

Edited March 10, 2011 by lamder

[Gobblecup]

I know I'm dragging up an older thread... but this one is very interesting to those of us who have tried but have failed to keep up with a traditional dip pen. This is such a cool innovation, I wonder if there is any chance these are available to the public (at least the FPN public :hmm1:)? I would love to try a little feed like this!

 

P.S. Shawn, Andy, and Issac are surely all related somehow!

Edited July 5, 2011 by Gobblecup

[TDolce]

Would love it if Andy would accept orders for some of these custom nib reservoirs!!I would send him some nibs and money in a heart beat!!!!!!

[mirosc]

Here is the heap of experiments:

Looks like a heap of pulled molars at the local dentist....

Edited April 24, 2012 by mirosc

[andybiotic]

Would love it if Andy would accept orders for some of these custom nib reservoirs!!I would send him some nibs and money in a heart beat!!!!!!

 

 

Who? Me? I am an Andy! hahaha :roflmho:

 

Anyway, I love having a reservoir on my dip nibs too, it easily triple the ink capacity!

 

I use a brass/steel one that slips on top of dip nibs. It fits most of the dip nibs I use... Gillotts 303, 404, Spencerian no.1, Hunt 101, the G nibs, Rose, it even fits onto the tiny Gillotts 170...

 

How much ink can the plastic ones hold?

 

 

Edited April 24, 2012 by andybiotic

[DanF]

Andy (biotic) --- Who makes that reservoir and what's it called? Thanks.

 

Dan

Edited April 24, 2012 by DanF

[andybiotic]

Andy (biotic) --- Who makes that reservoir and what's it called? Thanks.

 

Dan

 

 

Just Andy is good!

 

If you are interested, here is where I got it from, a set of Platignum calligraphy pens (including 6 wooden holders and 6 sizes of italic nibs and each with a reservoir). I guess then they are also made by Platignum... there is no specific markings on it except for the word "TAPE", don't even know what it means. I love them as they fit on many sizes of dip nibs.

 

Also, thanks to you, I have to dig this calligraphy set out from the bottom of the drawer to take some pictures and thanks again to you I found my long lost 303 nib! I am about to run out of 303 (and my new shipment hasn't come yet) and here is an extra, relatively new one to save the day! YAH! :roflmho:

 

Once again proving good things happen to good people... me! :roflmho:

Edited April 25, 2012 by andybiotic

[DanF]

Dang, that must be an old set, the only thing I can find from them on EBay are fountain calligraphy sets. I've been meaning to try making something like that out of sheet brass.

 

Dan

[TDolce]

<IMg src="http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b325/azavalia/photo-1.jpg">

 

<img src="http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b325/azavalia/photo.jpg">

OK,..I'm going to re veal my ignorance here. That plastic reservoir looks great, but after examining the photo, it just doesn't make sense to me on how it could work. You barely leave a hair thin gap between the plastic and the inside (underside) of the nib, so how much more ink are you really getting? I would think that logically you would need to have a bigger gap that tapers down toward the direction of the tines rather than just a uniform snug fit. What am I obviously missing? I mean,...it obviously works, so where is the logic?

 

The bent metal piece underneath makes logical sense to me because you can see the tapering gap where a bunch of ink would settle until fully spent by the tines.

 

I'm intrigued with the plastic version though.

Same goes for the Beeswax....it also seems weird that you would have the vents on the outside of the wax and not on the inside where you would want the ink to settle after a dip in the inkwell.

[TDolce]

Would love it if Andy would accept orders for some of these custom nib reservoirs!!I would send him some nibs and money in a heart beat!!!!!!

 

 

Who? Me? I am an Andy! hahaha :roflmho:

 

Anyway, I love having a reservoir on my dip nibs too, it easily triple the ink capacity!

 

I use a brass/steel one that slips on top of dip nibs. It fits most of the dip nibs I use... Gillotts 303, 404, Spencerian no.1, Hunt 101, the G nibs, Rose, it even fits onto the tiny Gillotts 170...

 

How much ink can the plastic ones hold?

 

 

 

Those are outstanding!!!!! I wonder if I can make one? Does the tip of the TAPE reservoir go beyond your nib's breather hole or is it stopping just before it? I need to make one for my 048 Esterbrook Falcon nibs...and they are a bit longer. I love the clip design on those that you have. My God, they sure came from an old set....I'll never find them.

[TDolce]

Andy (biotic) --- Who makes that reservoir and what's it called? Thanks.

 

Dan

 

 

Just Andy is good!

 

If you are interested, here is where I got it from, a set of Platignum calligraphy pens (including 6 wooden holders and 6 sizes of italic nibs and each with a reservoir). I guess then they are also made by Platignum... there is no specific markings on it except for the word "TAPE", don't even know what it means. I love them as they fit on many sizes of dip nibs.

 

Also, thanks to you, I have to dig this calligraphy set out from the bottom of the drawer to take some pictures and thanks again to you I found my long lost 303 nib! I am about to run out of 303 (and my new shipment hasn't come yet) and here is an extra, relatively new one to save the day! YAH! :roflmho:

 

Once again proving good things happen to good people... me! :roflmho:

 

I found them!!! Thanks Andy,...I figured I would order some of those TAPE reservoirs just to see if I can adjust them to fit my nibs as well. They are pretty cheap, so it was worth a shot! I ordered 4. If they don't work out,..I well simply use them as a template for a DIY project.

 

PS: Glad you found your 303! Christmas time all over again!

[dipper]

That plastic reservoir ... how it could work.... a hair thin gap between the plastic and the inside (underside) of the nib ...... What am I obviously missing?

 

Check details at lower right of the diagram in my post of 3 Feb 2011 above.

On the diagram the figures 500, 600, 700 give the ink reservoir gap size in microns. The peculiar "u" with a long tail is the greek letter "mu". One mu or one micron is one thousandth of a millimetre.

 

I find that one layer of masking tape is about 100micron or 0.1mm thick. (Your roll may differ - adjust number of layers as needed!)

So - Five tape layers stacked together make the gap under the tine area of about 500microns or 0.5mm.

Seven layers make 700microns or 0.7mm

 

A plastic gap profile tapering from 0.5mm to 0.7mm gives ink wettness and flow stability that suits my drawing and writing style.

 

Clip on metal reservoirs work on the same principle but will have a different characteristic in ink flow due to the steeper reservoir taper and deeper overall gap.

 

The photographs above of a metal reservoir are also a good aid to understanding how the plastic reservoir works. Same process overall, but it's much easier to see what's happening in the metal clip-on version.

The processes if ink pick-up and retention and flow are the same in both cases. Some differences are: 1) the plastic reservoir is shaped to form a reservoir against the internal concave nib surface, 2) the reservoir taper is shallower in the plastic design, 3) the narrowest part of the plastic reservoir gap (0.5mm) may actually be deeper than the gap at the metal reservoir tip.

[andybiotic]

I don't think the platinum calligraphy set are very old.. anyway I also just found those reservoir for sale as well if anyone is interested.

 

 

For the reservoir only:

http://www.dippennibs.co.uk/proddetail.php?prod=Tape1%2F2DP70A&cat=5

 

And the hiro tape nib from johnnealbooks.com also inclue the reservoir!

 

Darn I should have bought some more, I just ordered a shippment nd I didn't know they have them... All I have are the five included in the set (broke one) and have been using using the rest very carefully...

 

Cheers

Edited April 25, 2012 by andybiotic

[DanF]

Yup, found them on John Neal's website. Thanks.

 

Dan

[andybiotic]

One note guys...

 

I made a mistake on one of my posts, this particular "TAPE" reservoir will NOT fit the G nibs, that goes to the Nikko and the Zebra Gs. It WILL fit very well on 303 and 404, and will fit (slightly tight) on the Hunt and Leonadt Principal nibs!

 

Sorry about that if you use ONLY the G nibs...

 

Btw, I fit it so that the tip of the reservoir is pressed on the tines so the main space is placed over the vent hole.

Edited April 26, 2012 by andybiotic

[TDolce]

I spent some time this morning just messing around with some scrap metal and found a good fit for the Falcon 048 nib after some trial and error and my grinder and metal snips of course. I have attached a photo. The first iteration is by no means a masterpiece and it needs the sanding and beautification,...but it allows me to fine tune before I start reproducing them in a nicer metal and cleaner finish. I will also need to cut the wings a bit thinner so that I have more room for the nib to seat into the pen holder. It's almost perfect!

 

I just tried my aluminum version and really narrowed down the wings. It allowed for the tip of the reservoir to shift down closer to the tines. It worked flawlessly! I could draw an entire strip with one dip! Wow!

 

Now I need to try this in a thicker metal as I'm not sure how long the aluminum will hold up being so thin from a cheap soda can.

 

The pics show my first attempt with some sheet metal (almost perfect). I switched to aluminum to be able to fine tune it better with simple scissors and narrow the wings to bring the whole reservoir forward (as you can see in the metal version,..the reservoir was not close enough to the tip of the tines).

 

It's now ready for the sheet metal. Beeswax model coming up.

Additional question,...what are you folks using to clean the nibs after a writing / drawing session? I bought some JB Pen cleanser rinse and as silly as this sounds,..I'm not sure if I should dip the pen nib right in the bottle or what? I wish there was a way to simply soak the pens (with reservoir still attached)into a tub of cleanser and then pull it out to dry after a minute or two.

 

If I'm supposed to dunk the pen nib in the JB's,...won't it dirty the solution to the point where I can't use it but once? That seems like a waste of $$.

 

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dByrqgWgOfI/T5lbCWnoQ7I/AAAAAAAAAbA/YMBIwqlPnbI/s1600/IMG_0756.JPG

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F-4zVeePjds/T5lbaECLkfI/AAAAAAAAAbI/4H8EZ9G8rS0/s1600/IMG_0754.JPG

Edited April 26, 2012 by TDolce

[andybiotic]

Nice looking reservoirs! Just a bit of advice (like I said in my PM to you). First, remember to leave room at the tail for the holder, because it looks like it is almost at the end there. Second, don't get greedy on how much ink it will hold. Too much ink in the reservoir will be too heavy and will easily drip or worse yet, dump the entire contain with the slightest movement. I see yours was designed for quite a lot of ink so just be careful there!

 

I just rinse nibs with water briefly and dry immediately (leaving them soak is not going to help here), many of these nibs are very prone to rust. Leave a well used vintage 303 with ink stuck to it and it will start rusting in a matter of hours. I would recommend you to disassemble the reservoir at least after rinsing so that all the contacting points will dry properly other wise all the bits where the metals are touching will have water residue remained and will be the bits that rust first!

 

Have fun!

 

Cheers!