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Systematic Staining Test?


majolo

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Has anyone ever done a survey of inks with a uniform test of their staining properties? (I have a clear Pilot CH 92 and it would be nice to not get its chamber all stained...)

 

The simplest idea that comes to mind would be to get a bunch of samples and just store them upside down for a period, maybe a month, and then see how well you could clean the ink off the inside of the white cap. But I don't know if the plastic of those caps is going to behave similar to the plastic in a pen/ink window/converter.

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Exactly.

 

I see references to staining frequently here, but I don't recall anyone posting a systematic review of staining properties. This is like a lot of medical studies that will never be done--who's going to offer up large quantities of demonstrators to be sacrificed to the Stain God? And what if an ink stains one brand of pen, but not another? Or stains plastic, but not celluloid, or ebonite, or a Precious Resin ink window? Too many variables.

 

What do you all think of this hypothesis?

 

A pen material (resin, celluloid, ebonite, etc.) that is scrupulously clean and smooth (i.e., polished, free of microscratches or roughness) is less likely to stain than one that is not.

 

I have no idea, but it sounds like a great idea for an unsuccessful grant proposal.

Rationalizing pen and ink purchases since 1967.

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Hi,

 

I agree that the vast number of inks and pen materials makes a definitive answer nigh on impractical.

 

I agree with Member jmccarty3 proposition; especially don't scrub a pen with a brush. I would rather use a narrow stream of pressurized water.

(Replies to Post No. 6 may be of interest https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/233669-adhesion-noodlers-benevolent-badger-blue-on-mylar-aluminium-foil/?p=2529023

 

For my part, when I do an Ink Review I evaluate both clean-up and staining, quite often across six pens. Clean-up is done in an escalating manner: from plain water, then to a DIY 0.5% ammonia + surfactant solution (some Members use up to 2% ammonia concentration), to a stock solution of Rapido-Eze (some Members use 50% concentration), then sometimes on to an ultrasonic bath. Keeping that in context of routine maintenance - not restoration / trouble-shooting.

 

A limitation of my sampling is that I use a mere three-day time limit, and of course the sample is a mere six pens, so in optimistic terms what I might be able to detect is potential / risk for staining.

 

From a personal standpoint, I am not very concerned about temporary staining of converters and ink windows, so long as I reckon that it will not become a persistent build-up / plating. (After many years of using iron-gall inks in my MB149, and using only plain water for clean-up, the ink window is fine.)

 

That said I most certainly am concerned about staining my Pelikan M400 White+Tortoise, so choose inks with care, even though that pen uses modern materials which should be quite resistant to inks and rather aggressive chemical clean-up treatment.

 

Should a stain develop, this Topic provides some insight into the use of cleansing inks: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/251595-best-ink-to-use-in-between-high-maintenance-inks-something-lubricating/

 

Bye,

S1

Edited by Sandy1

The only time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire.

 

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Thanks for the comments, and the link to your testing on mylar and aluminum, S1. I agree that there are too many variables to allow generalizing to every pen... but it would still be worth more (to me anyway) than the occasional anecdotal mention of staining. For my purposes I'm mainly interested on behalf of my demonstrator piston fillers, TWSBI Eco and Pilot CH92. (I also have a light colored section on my Sailor Sapporo that would be nice to keep unstained.)

 

The sort of procedure I'm toying with in my head is something like: Get a cheap sheet of some plastic material (looking at foot square acrylic, pretty affordable) as a stand-in for pen body plastic. (This would be better than the sample caps, can get a smooth polished surface like pen bodies.) Then put drops of the inks down and cover them with glass cover slips for microscope slides to try to keep them from drying out (not sure how well that would work though, might still dry out too quickly from the edges?). Wait a few weeks, remove slips, then clean as one would a pen, photograph any remaining discoloration. (I'm inclined to go with an opaque white acrylic for ease of photography.)

 

Any thoughts?

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Hi,

 

As I do not keep up-to-date with the specific materials used for those pens, I suggest contacting the manufacturer/s.

 

For example, back in late 2014 TWSBI mentioned, "We actually use polycarbonate with a protective coating heat treated onto the pen." http://www.twsbi.com/blogs/news

 

I have no idea what plastic they currently use or how its treated, nor how any such variations influence the risk exposure to staining.

e.g. Is the coating only on the outside of the barrel? If so, the inside of the barrel exposed to ink may be untreated/uncoated polycarbonate, hence the protective coating may not come into play, but the heat treatment might.

 

Rather than use a sheet of 'cheap acrylic' for your sampling, I suggest using a known / specified material as close to that used in the pens as you might readily acquire; and that the material be in tube rather than sheet; and that after degreasing/cleaning the tube be partially filled with ink; then sealed for whatever duration seems a good idea - likely longer than my three-day samples.

(I used Mylar for my NBBBl samples simply because it is readily available and the tech specs are known.)

 

I admire your enthusiasm to sally forth and see what's what. :thumbup:

 

Bye,

S1

Edited by Sandy1

The only time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire.

 

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