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Stained Sac - How To Clean

Eclectica

By Eclectica
in Fountain & Dip Pens - First Stop

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Eclectica Mint

Eclectica

Posted
Posted

Hi there,

 

I have a number of pens with clear silicone type sacs which initially makes it really easy to check the level of ink remaining (unlike the black sacs where I don't have clue!).

 

However, I use a lot of Diamine inks: purple, imperial blue, sapphire blue, dragons blood, orange, and (yes I know) Onyx Black :rolleyes: !

 

Unfortunately the normal process of soaking for several days hardly cleans the ink stains on the clear sacs. The situation gets progressively worse, as if dye is invading the silicone's deeper layers - thus it becomes much harder to see where the ink level is.

 

Has anyone come across a decent method of cleaning this type of ink sac which doesn't involve chlorine bleach (which I don't like because of the residual stench)? :huh:

 

Would be interesting to know. B) Have a nice day.

 

Cheers,

E.

 

 

 

I

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
'Perfection may be transient, but then so is everything.', MC

'All that a great power has to do to destroy itself is persist in trying to do the impossible.', Stephen Vizinczey

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FarmBoy Museum Piece

FarmBoy

Posted
Posted

Replace the sac, they cost a dollar.

San Francisco International Pen Show - The next “Funnest Pen Show” is on schedule for August 23-24-25, 2024.  Watch the show website for registration details. 
 

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Eclectica Mint

Eclectica

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No way dude ;) - there's got to be some way to do this without throwing stuff away?! :o

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
'Perfection may be transient, but then so is everything.', MC

'All that a great power has to do to destroy itself is persist in trying to do the impossible.', Stephen Vizinczey

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jar Ancient Artifact

jar

Posted
Posted

No way dude ;) - there's got to be some way to do this without throwing stuff away?! :o

 

Why? Just because you want it to be true?

 

 

 

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Eclectica Mint

Eclectica

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Naa, just seems wasteful ? :blush:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
'Perfection may be transient, but then so is everything.', MC

'All that a great power has to do to destroy itself is persist in trying to do the impossible.', Stephen Vizinczey

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TeaHive Vintage

TeaHive

Posted
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If these are shellacked onto a pen nipple, it should be relatively easy to take them off, clean the inside of the sac with a wet pipe-cleaner folded in half (the crafty ones that are soft, and folded in half so you don't poke holes in the sac with the sharp ends), let it all dry, and replace the sac with new shellac. So long as you aren't too rough on it, this eliminates wasting the sac. And it's good practice for repairs!

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Eclectica Mint

Eclectica

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There must be some way -

 

I might try some Amodex. :rolleyes:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
'Perfection may be transient, but then so is everything.', MC

'All that a great power has to do to destroy itself is persist in trying to do the impossible.', Stephen Vizinczey

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FarmBoy Museum Piece

FarmBoy

Posted
Posted

I suspect you do not have a silicone sac but rather you have a PVC sac. The staining will be so far into the material that it will not be removed.

 

Not wasteful if you consider the host of chemicals and water and sewage you will expense in attempting to clean it.

San Francisco International Pen Show - The next “Funnest Pen Show” is on schedule for August 23-24-25, 2024.  Watch the show website for registration details. 
 

My PM box is usually full. Just email me: my last name at the google mail address.

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Bo Bo Olson Ancient Artifact

Bo Bo Olson

Posted
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As long as it don't stain the next ink, why worry about it?

In reference to P. T. Barnum; to advise for free is foolish, ........busybodies are ill liked by both factions.

 

 

The cheapest lessons are from those who learned expensive lessons. Ignorance is best for learning expensive lessons.

 

 

 

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SteveE Extremely Rare

SteveE

Posted
Posted

What pens are these?

Curious minds would like to know - what pens are sac-fillers that can be readily opened up to view ink level without undue wear on the section to barrel joint?

 

Sure, some old DuoFolds are threaded, but many pens are friction-fit and shellacked together.

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Ron Z Museum Piece

Ron Z

Posted
Posted

If these are shellacked onto a pen nipple, it should be relatively easy to take them off, clean the inside of the sac with a wet pipe-cleaner folded in half (the crafty ones that are soft, and folded in half so you don't poke holes in the sac with the sharp ends), let it all dry, and replace the sac with new shellac. So long as you aren't too rough on it, this eliminates wasting the sac. And it's good practice for repairs!

 

You can't use shellac to secure a silicone sac (as in true silicone, not the "silicone" from Woodbin, which are PVC) The only thing that sticks to silicone is silicone, so you have to use silicone cement for the sac to stick.

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Bo Bo Olson Ancient Artifact

Bo Bo Olson

Posted
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Why even think about opening up a lever pen to see how much ink is in it???? :o :yikes:

Just fill it. A lever pen is as fast as a Piston to fill.

 

Of course back when comics were a big 10 cents or a silver dime, I started in 4th grade with a lever pen. So I'd never even dream of trying to twist open a pen to see how much ink is in it.

Well way back then......the P-51 was for adults with a nice job....not kids....Even then, if worried just fill it.

 

As soon as it starts to feel dry....refill it. Never ever even thought about it....in window pens were not made in the US back then......

The Wearever had a clear feed to tell you to plunk it in an ink bottle.

 

Fill it before going to bed. Should get you through the day.....

If worried, refill and get on with it..

Edited by Bo Bo Olson

In reference to P. T. Barnum; to advise for free is foolish, ........busybodies are ill liked by both factions.

 

 

The cheapest lessons are from those who learned expensive lessons. Ignorance is best for learning expensive lessons.

 

 

 

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TeaHive Vintage

TeaHive

Posted
Posted

 

You can't use shellac to secure a silicone sac (as in true silicone, not the "silicone" from Woodbin, which are PVC) The only thing that sticks to silicone is silicone, so you have to use silicone cement for the sac to stick.

 

I was thinking of the PVC sacs, then, but good to know about pure silicone.

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SteveE Extremely Rare

SteveE

Posted
Posted

Why even think about opening up a lever pen to see how much ink is in it???? :o :yikes:

Just fill it. A lever pen is as fast as a Piston to fill.

 

Of course back when comics were a big 10 cents or a silver dime, I started in 4th grade with a lever pen. So I'd never even dream of trying to twist open a pen to see how much ink is in it.

Well way back then......the P-51 was for adults with a nice job....not kids....Even then, if worried just fill it.

 

As soon as it starts to feel dry....refill it. Never ever even thought about it....in window pens were not made in the US back then......

The Wearever had a clear feed to tell you to plunk it in an ink bottle.

 

Fill it before going to bed. Should get you through the day.....

If worried, refill and get on with it..

 

 

This is close to how I grew up with FP's. When using them as everyday tools in school or business, we were taught to fill our pens every morning. Hardly anyone would use more than one fill of ink in a day, and if the pen was filled each day it was always ready to go. Of course, many schools and businesses had inkwells or bottles of ink handy for a visitor or student to fill their pen if needed, too.

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Ernst Bitterman Donor Pen

Ernst Bitterman

Posted
Posted

This edges towards mysticism, but I've found that once you've used a pen long enough, you get an interior sense of when it's about to run dry. There's some unconscious monitor who watches the amount of writing you've done and says at the appropriate time, "That's the last page for this one."

 

It's really cool when it works for several windowless pens of radically different point size and capacity.

 

Also, I deny the existence of Midichlorians. :thumbup:

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It's mainly pens, just now....

Oh, good heavens. He's got a blog now, too.

 

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