Flushing C/c Vs Piston Fillers

[BillZ]

I keep a list of when I flush a pen. Always when I change ink colour and also when a pen starts to act like the ink is getting gummy. Is the flushing rountine for C/C and piston fillers about the same for a given owner? I'm sure different people have a different schedule but is it the same for both types of pens. Since most of my piston fillers are pricey(to me) I tend to not want to work the piston mechanism any more than necessary!

[graystranger]

One thing you can do with piston pens that have a removable grip section is to remove the grip section. Then flush out the grip with a bulb syringe. Then you can flush out the piston reservoir easily as it is now open. On my Lamy 2000 pens I will then use a cotton swab to smear a little silicone grease on the wall of the reservoir to maintain some lubricant for the piston. This has worked well for me. Note that I have only used the silicone once in the 18 months since I bought the Lamy.

 

If the opening to the reservoir is not very large, you can inject rinse water into the reservoir with an ink syringe like Goulet Pens sells, then shake the rinse water out and repeat until it is clean. Doing these should flush your pens out well without operating the piston at all.

[Bo Bo Olson]

I use a rubber baby syringe, to clean out the barrel of a Pelikan piston pen after I remove the nib...that is very, very much faster than twisting the piston up and down, and much less stress on the pen.

They were not designed to always clean up, just to fill with the same ink as normal. So one wants to go easy on them, especially older ones. The instruction sheets of both a '50's Pelikan and MB say...clean your pen every three months......not every three days!

But that was not in The Golden Age of Inks, we now live in .

 

I have a second rubber baby syringe, cut deeper into the spout, so I can shove the nib/feed section's back into the bulb....after I did the simple swishing in the sink of water to get most ink out that holding under the faucet didn't get. That gives me a clean nib and feed.

 

Then of course one uses a paper towel to wick out the rest....there seems always to be a rest.

[Sasha Royale]

Very simply, YES ! The "converter" converts the cartridge filling system into a piston filling system.

[BillZ]

Thanks for the info. I feel safer now.

[Sasha Royale]

Thanks for the info. I feel safer now.

 

Don't ! Keep sharp. Keep your doors locked and your powder dry. The Boogieman is still out there.

[Sandy1]

Hi,

 

I appreciate your making a record of pen maintenance.

 

My personal practice is to keep my on-duty daily writers full of fresh ink. For personal writing I choose the ink+pen+paper on a per document basis, so rarely does an ink linger in a pen for more than a few days.

 

To me, time alone (a schedule) is not enough: it doesn't address the type of ink or the pen.

> We have very high maintenance inks, such as the admirable Noodler's 54M which requires a full-on chemical clean-up, and inks, such as Aurora Blue, that fully evacuate after a few plain water flushes.

> As for pens, kindly refer to this Topic https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/244152-easiesthardest-pen-in-your-collection-to-clean-for-ink-changing/?p=2658017

> And then there's this Topic 'Limit to Soaking?' http://www.fountainp...ost__p__2453755

 

In concert with Member Sasha Royale, I do what I can do avoid sending a pen to the esteemed Mr Zorn for repair - I'd rather his time & expertise be spent on restoring pens AND keeping his beloved wife happy.

 

Bye,

S1

Edited August 16, 2016 by Sandy1