Cartridge Refill Using A Small Needle-Less Syringe

[Kella]

This question may seem rather strange but can you refill a cartridge (Lamy specifically) with one of those tiny syringes you get from the vet or doctor to give liquid meds to small children/pets. Kinda like this one (image from Google) : it is the one on the right.

[Kella]

The tip is quite a lot smaller than this but it was a very quick search for a picture

[Randal6393]

Yes, if the tip fits in the pierced hole in the cartridge. I've never had a great lot of luck with that but others say it can be done.

 

On the other hand, a syringe with a needle -- either blunt or sharp -- not only fills cartridges easily, it makes extracting ink and power-washing out a cartridge feasible.

 

Best of luck to you,

[Kella]

I am asking because while waiting ,for the replacement from Mary, i borrowed one from a friend and we wondered if cartridges could be refilled. once we found out that yes you could we wonder if you seriously had to have the syringe that fits a needle on the end. now we know we will try and post about our possible misadventures!!

[SallyLyn]

Only problem if the end of syringe fits but fills the opening of the cartridge you can get ... what's the correct term back splash? Ink often forms a bubble over the end of the opening and unless there is a way for the air in the cartridge to get out as the ink comes in there will be a burp and no fill. I've had the bubble form even when using a needle and have to wiggle things around to pop the bubble.

[Kella]

the syringe is slightly too big. Wish there was a way to fill the cartridge without a needle equipped syringe. Would dipping the feed do anything to put ink into the cartridge or no?

[JonSzanto]

the syringe is slightly too big. Wish there was a way to fill the cartridge without a needle equipped syringe. Would dipping the feed do anything to put ink into the cartridge or no?

 

No. The capillary action of the nib and feed will only bring ink in that far, it won't transport it into the cartridge. A number of vendors sell these, but I'll just link to the Goulet Pens video, as they sell them, and Brian Goulet does an excellent job of showing how to fill the cart with ink, as well as some other tricks.

 

[Kella]

Thanks. Brian did a great job in that video and in one of the suggested videos it showed how to use a tapered pipette as well. the other syringe did nothing but splash water on us as we tried to clean out the pen. lesson learned!

[Kella]

I just found my curved motoject syringe from my wisdom tooth surgery and after a thorough cleaning I filled it full of the Hero workers ink for students-blue and it worked like a dream! Now back to the ever mounting piles of paperwork!

[mhguda]

You could also use the needle from the syringe of a printer cartridge refill kit (the syringe itself is very large for refilling a FP cartridge). Or you could ask at your pharmacy or vet to give you a blunt needle small syringe...

[KBeezie]

You could also use the needle from the syringe of a printer cartridge refill kit (the syringe itself is very large for refilling a FP cartridge). Or you could ask at your pharmacy or vet to give you a blunt needle small syringe...

 

Yea there's too much problems if you can't get input down into the cartridge, trying to do it with an eye dropper once basically caused the air inside to push back on the ink letting it spill over the opening, where as with an actual needle (blunt) syringe, the ink fill, the air expels out the top, not vice versa.

 

They're not that expensive.

[wvbeetlebug]

I use one of those with a modified Lamy cartridge to flush out my Safari's. The way the feed is you can't get a regular bulb syringe down in there and once I about broke one of the "flaps" off.

 

I would think that the end of the syringe you show here would make it difficult to get ink from syringe to cartridge without ink spilling out, as the previous poster mentioned.

[Vgimlet]

I tried it without the needle, and it was a horrific mess. Then I tried a skinnier syringe with a smaller opening, and it was still a mess.

 

My husband is a diabetic, so I just use a clean syringe until the needle bends. It's MUCH easier.

[Leftytoo]

Just get a syringe from your doctor - with a really big needle. For safety, cut off the sharp tip - I used a dremel cutoff tool.

Bob

[Sasha Royale]

The baby med syringe cost $2.78 at the Wal-Mart pharmacy. It works poorly. Though I prefer a large capacity syringe with a

large gauge needle, an fp buddy pays $0.08 each for his insulin syringes.

 

I won't "cash-in" on his medical condition. I told him to bring a clean syringe, and fill his cartridges form my ink bottle, anytime.

[craigs63]

I just refilled a (Platinum) Preppy cartridge from the remains of an ink sample vial that was no longer full enough for a converter or piston pen to draw from.

I got a few of these plastic pipettes from the local American Science and Surplus, about a dime each and no sharp end to cause involuntary tattoos!

 

http://www.sciplus.com/p/PIPET_44907

[Sailor Kenshin]

I just refilled a (Platinum) Preppy cartridge from the remains of an ink sample vial that was no longer full enough for a converter or piston pen to draw from.

I got a few of these plastic pipettes from the local American Science and Surplus, about a dime each and no sharp end to cause involuntary tattoos!

 

http://www.sciplus.com/p/PIPET_44907

 

That's what I normally use. One-handed operation, easy squeezy, and I have a few teeny ones as well for filling standard internationals.

 

I still have one or two craft syringes, with short blunt needles, that you used to be able to buy anywhere they sold glue.