Searching For A Proper Detergent And Lubricant.

[Flaxmoore]

I've been working on what I consider the perfect shade, an honest, iron ferrocyanide/Prussian blue. Problem is, while I can get the pigment easily enough- it's what the bluing is in Mrs. Stewart's laundry bluing- I can't get the carrier liquid and balance of detergent and lubricant right.

 

So far I've been starting simple for the color- a gram of the pigment in enough water to dilute down to the right color- but the rest is the problem. I've been using glycerin, medical grade, and it seems as if I nearly need a microliter pipette to get the balance right. None, it's extremely dry and dries out in the pen in a matter of about 12 hours to dust in the cartridge. A toothpick-point full, it's not much better. A small drop, say the size of a non-pareil off a chocolate, and it won't dry for days. Yet, it's still dry on the pen in terms of writing.

 

What's the solution here? I understand Photo-flo or something similar would smooth it out, but how do I keep it from drying out like I've been writing in the Sahara while also allowing it to dry before the Sun goes red giant and consumes us all?

[Inkvisible]

Since it's such a small quantity, could you dilute it one to ten and then measure?

[Flaxmoore]

Since it's such a small quantity, could you dilute it one to ten and then measure?

Possible. The color would be weak as hell, but that's irrelevant. I'm basically trying to make water writable. I just love the color, and can't find a match for it.

[Inkvisible]

I meant dilute the glycerine. Then you could measure with a syringe and add it to your color. Glycerine is water soluble, I think. One milliliter glycerine to 9 milliliters water. Mix well. Fill a syringe and use the smallest possible amount. Increase by tiny increments if necessary.

 

Unfortunately, it is usually easy to find an insulin syringe to measure very small quantities.

 

I use this method to measure very small amounts of dye chemicals to dye wool. It does involve a little math.

 

Inkvisibly yours,

Margaret

[mmg122]

Agree with inkvisible, that if you just work with larger quantities of dye and water (or dilute the glycerin) the pipette you already have should enable you to add the flow stimulator in manageable/measurable quantities (if that makes sense). In my very limited experience I find Kodak PhotoFlo and Organic Studios FloPlus easier to work with than vegetable glycerine or liquid detergent. The advantage of the OS FloPlus is that it also contains a biocide.

 

Good luck with your project. Hope this was helpful.

 

Mary

Edited April 19, 2017 by mmg122

[mmg122]

A question, flaxmoore...are you using both glycerine and detergent? If you are, I think that may be overkill. I would suggest one or the other, not both...or preferably OS FloPlus with biocide.

 

Mary

[Flaxmoore]

A question, flaxmoore...are you using both glycerine and detergent? If you are, I think that may be overkill. I would suggest one or the other, not both...or preferably OS FloPlus with biocide.

 

Mary

Just glycerin at the moment, from one Detroiter to another. It's a beautiful color, just not behaving. It acts like chicken- drydrydrydrydryperfectoverlywetuseless.

 

The sweet spot appears about as thick as a razor blade.

 

I'm just trying to find a balance. Ink is just color and water, why is this being such a pain?

[DavidCampen]

What is the point of using glycerine? It is not very effective as a wetting agent.

 

You are using Prussian Blue pigment? That you obtain as a powder? How are you preparing the necessary colloidial suspension?

[DavidCampen]

... Ink is just color and water, why is this being such a pain?

Ink contains a number of ingredients other than pigment and water.

 

Reductio ad absurdum, I think that I will build a jet aircraft; an aircraft is just metal and plastic, how hard can it be.

[Flaxmoore]

What is the point of using glycerine? It is not very effective as a wetting agent.

 

You are using Prussian Blue pigment? That you obtain as a powder? How are you preparing the necessary colloidial suspension?

Actually, oxalic acid is sufficient to maintain a suspension. Mrs Stewart's, which I've also used via reduction, is simply prussian blue, oxalic acid and water. It's a dry ink on its own and a bit pale, but a very nice ink that didn't bother my Lamy Al-Star for over a year. I'm just trying to concentrate it down.

[DavidCampen]

I've been working on what I consider the perfect shade, an honest, iron ferrocyanide/Prussian blue. Problem is, ... - I can't get the carrier liquid and balance of detergent and lubricant right.

 

...

 

it's extremely dry and dries out in the pen in a matter of about 12 hours to dust in the cartridge.

...

 

It seems that your fountain pen is the problem here, not the composition of the ink; a properly functioning fountain pen should not allow water to evaporate from a cartridge this quickly.

Edited April 22, 2017 by DavidCampen

[Flaxmoore]

The only problem with saying that it's the pen is that I have don't have any other inks that act that way in that pen. It's a Lamy alstar that I use for testing, and it's never had problems with anything else.

[DavidCampen]

Then that is a most unusual ink you have made. You say that a cartridge of this ink placed in your pen, unlike any other ink, will have all its water evaporate overnight. I doubt that there has ever been another ink with this property; it seems rather magical. Would you tell us exactly how you make this ink?

[Flaxmoore]

Then that is a most unusual ink you have made. You say that a cartridge of this ink placed in your pen, unlike any other ink, will have all its water evaporate overnight. I doubt that there has ever been another ink with this property; it seems rather magical. Would you tell us exactly how you make this ink?

I've tried two ways. Straight reduction of the bluing to the right darkness, about 1 ounce from eight, gives an ink so dry that it dries out in the pen overnight. Drying it all the way to pure pigment, suspending it in 2 ounces of water with a gram of oxalic acid and one-tenth milliliter of glycerin makes it simply not dry- it'll write great, but will smear even after a full day.