Perfect Travelling Ink Bottle?

[stefanv]

(Not sure whether this belongs in "Paper and Pen Paraphernalia" or "Inky Thoughts".)

 

In my search for the perfect bottle to use when taking ink on trips (mostly by air), I remembered the Testors Plastic Model Paints that I used so often when I used to build plastic models. These oil-based enamel paints have been around forever, and come in a 7mL (1/4oz) glass bottle. When I first started buying them, they cost me $0.19 each. These days, they're $2.49 at Michaels.

 

Now the problem with an oil-based paint would be to get it all out of the bottle. However, in addition to paint, Testors also sells thinner/cleaner in the same size bottle? Now that is something I've only ever bought once, since a 7mL bottle of thinner is useless. You can barely clean one tiny brush before it's too contaminated to use. You can buy a 1L (32oz) bottle of thinner at Home Depot for not much more money.

 

So, I've just purchased my second 7mL bottle of Testors thinner, for the sole purpose of obtaining the bottle. As soon as I got it home, I poured the thinner into my 1L bottle, and then washed out the tiny bottle with warm soapy water. After drying it and letting it air, there's no trace of the thinner (mineral spirits) left. What is left is a small, robust, and virtually leak proof 7mL glass bottle.

 

 

Capped, the bottle is about 4.5cm high and 2.5cm square (1-3/4" by 1").

 

I haven't actually tried filling from it yet, but I think it's an ideal shape for filling a pen, since it is very narrow and deep inside for the amount of liquid it can hold. The opening is about 15mm (9/16") in diameter, so should accomodate most pens. My Pelikan M605 fits in with lots of room to spare.

[CatBookMom]

Love the idea! Very clever, too.

[Shangas]

Cute little bottle! I love it!

[waterman1924]

Nice idea...

[asiwalkhome]

I'd forgotten about these bottles! What a great idea. I've been using one of those tiny vintage Sanfords Penit bottles that used to sell for 10 cents, but it's on its last legs.....

[Marek Badzynski]

Nice idea for a glass bottle

 

Should you consider plastic for your air travels, have a look at the nalgene line of bottles/containers, cheap and ready to go.

Guaranteed leakproof - and shatterproof too.. you can get them at mec.ca, and various camping stores

[Blade Runner]

+1 on the Nalgene. Carry it trekking. Indestructible.

[Cynomys]

A while back, I too got one of those Testor's bottles and cleaned it out. I have yet to fill it with ink because I was worried enough about the little sealing material inside the bottle top that I took it out and have yet to replace it. My intent is to replace it with styrofoam cut from an egg carton next time I buy eggs. My concern is that the former contents of the Testor's bottle which were absorbed by the bottle cap seal would contaminate the ink.

[stefanv]

I'm not too worried about the former contents, so long as the bottle contained only thinner. Mineral spirits evaporate and leave nothing behind. Just leave the cap off for a week or so to really air it out. If the bottle had contained paint, then I would indeed replace the cap liner.

Edited April 11, 2011 by stefanv

[Cynomys]

I'm not too worried about the former contents, so long as the bottle contained only thinner. Mineral spirits evaporate and leave nothing behind. Just leave the cap off for a week or so to really air it out. If the bottle had contained paint, then I would indeed replace the cap liner.

 

That's the problem. I didn't get the thinner. After pouring off the bulk of the paint into a gallon can of matching paint which I used for painting the fence, there was still quite a process to clean up the bottle. And the cap liner, in that case, does need to be replaced. Lesson: get the Testor's bottle which contains the thinner!

[Cedric T]

Obligatory mention of the Visconti Traveling Ink Pot - I use one myself and the cap is nice and tight (that doesn't stop me from putting it in a ziplock bag though).

 

 

[stefanv]

I've heard of the Visconti TIP, and even seen a picture, but can someone explain if there's more to it than just a leak-proof bottle?

[inquisicorp]

+1 on the Nalgene. Carry it trekking. Indestructible.

+2 on Nalgene, and "guaranteed leakproof"

 

Jan

[hudsong]

This is great, thanks for the suggestion. I'm about to go on a monthlong trip and I was looking around for a solution.

[fuchsiaprincess]

I've heard of the Visconti TIP, and even seen a picture, but can someone explain if there's more to it than just a leak-proof bottle?

 

I like it a lot because the filling process is relatively clean. Due to the silicone seal around the nib section, the ink only comes into contact with the nib, as opposed to needing to submerge the nib section into the ink, if using a glass or Nalgene bottle. The downside, is the cost.

[Cedric T]

The Visconti TIP is different from an ordinary bottle, depending on what type of pen you are using it to fill.

 

For converter/piston type, you can fill the pen with the TIP inverted (nib facing up): the TIP's rubber seal prevents any ink spillage while at the same time you can be sure that the entire nib is submerged in ink, leading to a fuller fill.

 

For vacuum or power fillers, by plunging the nib into the TIP and sealing it first before pumping out the air from the barrel you will be creating pressure inside the TIP. Once the pen starts to draw in ink, the air pressure within the TIP will force the ink into the pen, letting you fill up the pen almost fully, compared to drawing the ink directly from a container.

 

[stefanv]

For converter/piston type, you can fill the pen with the TIP inverted (nib facing up): the TIP's rubber seal prevents any ink spillage while at the same time you can be sure that the entire nib is submerged in ink, leading to a fuller fill.

 

Kind of like a physician filling a syringe, with the needle piercing a rubber seal in an inverted bottle?

 

Does the opening in the Visconti pot only fit a certain section diameter?

Edited April 12, 2011 by stefanv

[Cedric T]

For converter/piston type, you can fill the pen with the TIP inverted (nib facing up): the TIP's rubber seal prevents any ink spillage while at the same time you can be sure that the entire nib is submerged in ink, leading to a fuller fill.

 

Kind of like a physician filling a syringe, with the needle piercing a rubber seal in an inverted bottle?

 

Does the opening in the Visconti pot only fit a certain section diameter?

 

Yes, that looks exactly like it.

 

The TIP's opening is pretty big: it fits both my Lamy Brilliant Accent and Pilot Custom 823 pens. I think some other folks here on the forum have tried it with their MBs as well.

[fuchsiaprincess]

For converter/piston type, you can fill the pen with the TIP inverted (nib facing up): the TIP's rubber seal prevents any ink spillage while at the same time you can be sure that the entire nib is submerged in ink, leading to a fuller fill.

 

Kind of like a physician filling a syringe, with the needle piercing a rubber seal in an inverted bottle?

 

Does the opening in the Visconti pot only fit a certain section diameter?

 

Yes and no. The rubber (silicone) seal is tapered, so it fits a variety of pens with different section girths.

[FredRydr]

For traveling, I use and refill Visconti 50ml plastic bottles. Beg for empties in the wanted classifieds, though the black ink in those bottles was so cheap last year that I bought and emptied them. Five will fit in a row in a quart zip-lock bag; I double-bag for flying. The depth is right for immersing even large nibs. Just be careful; they tip easily. Small address labels from my label printer fit on the side of each bottle to better identify decanted inks.

 

Fred

 

http://www.pentime.com/admin/wp-content/files_mf/1270978563ViscontiPlasticInkBottle.JPG

Photo courtesy of Bryant, Pentime Inc. Great photo, too! And look, he sells those unbreakable bottles pre-loaded with ink.

Edited April 15, 2011 by FredRydr