Onoto Magna Classic Feeds Running Dry

[MiniMaupassant]

Hi - does anyone have any ideas to help me?

 

I have two Onoto Magna Classics which I use daily. I am finding the feeds run dry after a few paragraphs of writing. It has only started happening over the past six months or so.

 

I have been cleaning them with warm water and a mild soap to ensure there are no blockages and the converters are kept filled with ink.

 

While it isn't too much of a problem to unscrew the barrel and twist the converter, the feed shouldn't really be running dry.

 

Has anyone else experienced this? Can you give me any tips?

 

Thanks - Leonie

[Michael McNeil]

You might try mixing up some water and a bit of liquid dish soap. Then take the converter out of the pen fill it about half way with the soapy water, put your finger over the open end of the converter and shake it vigorously for a few seconds. Then flush the soapy water out of the converter. Sometimes the converters can have stuff left over from the manufacturing process that will prevent the ink from moving out of the converter.

 

The next time the pen stops flowing ink, take a look at the converter and see if there are bubbles piling up in the lower part preventing the ink from flowing as it should.

 

If this does not help, I would contact the manufacturer. They need to know about quality control issues.

 

Michael

[MiniMaupassant]

You might try mixing up some water and a bit of liquid dish soap. Then take the converter out of the pen fill it about half way with the soapy water, put your finger over the open end of the converter and shake it vigorously for a few seconds. Then flush the soapy water out of the converter. Sometimes the converters can have stuff left over from the manufacturing process that will prevent the ink from moving out of the converter.

 

The next time the pen stops flowing ink, take a look at the converter and see if there are bubbles piling up in the lower part preventing the ink from flowing as it should.

 

If this does not help, I would contact the manufacturer. They need to know about quality control issues.

 

Michael

 

 

Thanks Michael. I have had both pens for around three years now, so would have expected any residue from manufacture to have been washed through by now. I will check regarding the bubbles in the convertor and will also wash through again with soap.

 

Failing that, I will speak to Onoto. Does anyone know whether they keep an eye on comments on this board?

[jar]

Use detergent not soap. Soap would only make things worse.

[Michael McNeil]

It could be ink buildup in the ink channel in the feed. I am not familiar with the modern Onotos, but many modern pens have ink channels in the feeds that are very narrow, just a slit in them actually.

 

Yes! Detergent! Whatever you call it!

 

Michael

[MiniMaupassant]

Use detergent not soap. Soap would only make things worse.

 

Thanks for the tip. I had to consult Dr Google to find out the difference...

[View from the Loft]

I have a couple of modern Onotos, which are in regular use and haven't noticed this as an issue. If this has only started happening recently, have you changed the inks that you are using? If not, what happens if you use a cartridge instead of the convertor? If all is well with a cartridge installed, then it may be that the plastic of the convertor is giving rise to surface tension issues. If this is the case, try to find a convertor with a ball bearing, or find a small ball bearing or bead and pop it in the covertor. This should prevent any further surface tension issues.

[rvthof]

Same issue was discussed in the Conway Stewart forum.

Possible cause of the problem seems to be static in the plastic converter. Especially the hard, transparent plastic.

 

Possible solution is to use another converter (Faber Castell) that's made of a softer, grey-ish plastic,

somewhat like the plastic of inkcartridges.

[MiniMaupassant]

Same issue was discussed in the Conway Stewart forum.

Possible cause of the problem seems to be static in the plastic converter. Especially the hard, transparent plastic.

 

Possible solution is to use another converter (Faber Castell) that's made of a softer, grey-ish plastic,

somewhat like the plastic of inkcartridges.

 

 

Thank you... that's pretty interesting.

Both of the pens have this issue and they both have the hard, transparent converters.

I will source some FBs should the rinse throughs not work.

 

Leonie

[adyf]

Same issue was discussed in the Conway Stewart forum.

Possible cause of the problem seems to be static in the plastic converter. Especially the hard, transparent plastic.

 

Possible solution is to use another converter (Faber Castell) that's made of a softer, grey-ish plastic,

somewhat like the plastic of inkcartridges.

Had this issue with a CS100 and the hard transparent converter. Purchased a pelikan converter from the writing desk and that cured the issue.

[View from the Loft]

Had this issue with a CS100 and the hard transparent converter. Purchased a pelikan converter from the writing desk and that cured the issue.

 

Just out of curiosity, I believe that the Pelikan convertors aren't threaded. Did this not cause any issues given that the CS100 takes threaded convertors?

[arran]

Had this issue with some CS pens too.

The use of a cartridge is a good begin to evaluate.

What you could also is put a small bullet in the converter so that the ink in the cartridge is always running.

I recovered some bullets from a cartridge of platinum or others.

This is now standard procedure for a new pen , always a good clean first , ammonia solution seems to work better as far as I experienced.

What surprised is that never had this issue with onoto , but indeed with CS pens

[Matlock]

Had this issue with a CS100 and the hard transparent converter. Purchased a pelikan converter from the writing desk and that cured the issue.

 

Interesting as both converters are made by Schmidt and are identical (I have both in front of me) aside from the logo on the Pelikan converter. Also the nipple is the same size with both threaded and unthreaded converters.

[jhataway]

It is probably the converter. The problem is surface tension. Some inks affected more than others. If the plastic used in the converter has polar molecules, the problem is attraction of the water to these polar molecules. the cartridges are probably made using a non-polar polyolefin, and thus don't have a problem with surface tension. If a cartridge works fine, then you know it is the converter that is the problem.

[arran]

My wife has the same problem now with her new exel which takes a schmidt unthreaded converter

Diamine bilberry is inked ip now

Will try with other ink and converter

I am getting more and more sick of this kind if issues

Ps de nib has been ground to a small italic

In how far can Onoto cover this with QC

[richardandtracy]

I'm wondering if it's the ink.

 

I have had problems with a number of pens with Diamine Bilberry in it for longer than a month, or Ancient Copper for longer than 6 months. Then it doesn't matter what else goes in the pen after those inks, it feels dry. Fortunately haven't seen similar effects with Imp Purple, Woodland or Sherwood Green. Merlot, well, that doesn't seem to agree with many of my pens and they are very dry with it.

 

Just a thought, and it may not be the same for you.

 

Regards,

 

Richard