Crazy Idea For Preventing The Lid From Drying On The Inkjar

[thesmellofdustafterrain]

This might be a crazy idea brought on by lack of sleep.

 

One of the biggest problems I have with ink is getting the lid off. I need the lid tight enough the ink stays inside the jar, but I also don't have much hand strength. Quite often, the ink leaks into the threads of the cap and dries like glue.

 

Would using silicone grease on the threads of an ink bottle prevent these problems?

[azbobcat]

This might be a crazy idea brought on by lack of sleep.

 

One of the biggest problems I have with ink is getting the lid off. I need the lid tight enough the ink stays inside the jar, but I also don't have much hand strength. Quite often, the ink leaks into the threads of the cap and dries like glue.

 

Would using silicone grease on the threads of an ink bottle prevent these problems?

Silicone grease while a great idea for somethings is NOT a great idea for ink because you can bet at some point it will make its way into the ink itself, that will result in ink clogs in pens etc. Here are a few ideas that will solve your problem:

 

1. Before you open the jar turn on some HOT water and run the jar lid under the HOT water stream, this will do two things (a) it will expand the plastic or metal cap (b it will dissolve the ink in the threads. These two things will make it much easier to remove the cap.

 

2. Before you but away a bottle of open ink do this: (a) rinse and wipe the inside of the cap and cap liner and squeeze out any water that may accumlate UNDER the cap liner (b wipe the threads of the jar itself with a damp paper towel until you no longer see any ink being wiped off. This will help seal the jar and evaporation of the water in the ink itself.

 

3. Down at ACE they have jar grippers designed to help the elderly open jars.

 

4. If the ink is one that is rarely used except on special occasions see 2 above and then get some paraffin wax and seal the junction between the cap and the jar so evaporation become a problem. A cheaper solution that has been suggested is to wrap the jar / cap interface with a couple of turns of Saran Wrap and then for good measure place the jar in a ZipLoc Bag

Edited March 17, 2019 by azbobcat

[Tweel]

I've used a very sparing application of silicone grease on the threads of a couple of old Skrip bottles. It cured the jamming effect, and didn't cause any problems.

[carlos.q]

I've used a very sparing application of silicone grease on the threads of a couple of old Skrip bottles. It cured the jamming effect, and didn't cause any problems.

Me too...

[wallylynn]

The key is sparingly. After all, we all lube our pistons with silicone grease.

[DrDebG]

I use just a bit of Stretch tite plastic wrap over the top and sides of the ink bottle. It keeps the ink from drying against the lid and making it hard to open. It also provides a seal against evaporation.

[WolvertonMountain]

I use just a bit of Stretch tite plastic wrap over the top and sides of the ink bottle. It keeps the ink from drying against the lid and making it hard to open. It also provides a seal against evaporation.

 

Thank you for that tip, Deborah. That should help keep our Reno summer temps from evaporating my inks as I allow our home to reach 80+ before the AC kicks in.

As for caps sticking closed on bottles, it's not just bottles of ink. Some of the problematic bottles for me have been Lea & Perrins, Colavita Balsamic Vinegar, Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar, and maple syrup, among others.

I find it easy to keep these bottles from causing a problem just by giving the caps a quick rinse under a faucet whenever they begin to feel sticky.

For bottles of ink, I just wipe the bottles' threads with a piece of damp paper towel, then wipe the inside of the cap with the same piece of damp paper towel.

There are, however, times when I come across a jar or bottle I cannot open. For those occurrences, I just drape a nitrile industrial glove over the cap to get grip I need to remove the cap. A small box of these gloves is available from Harbor Freight OR you can purchase a case of them from Costco which will most likely last your lifetime as well as that of you children.

Clifton

[amberleadavis]

I use just a bit of Stretch tite plastic wrap over the top and sides of the ink bottle. It keeps the ink from drying against the lid and making it hard to open. It also provides a seal against evaporation.

 

I've used Saran Wrap and I've suggested (and successfully used) cut outs from foam plates instead of the washers/toppers in bottles. Both have really worked well.

[Karmachanic]

Here's my crazy idea. Use the ink more often

[thesmellofdustafterrain]

Here's my crazy idea. Use the ink more often

 

That's crazy.

 

When I'm editing, I'm only doing one or two fills a week. But writing, I'm usually filling a few times a day. Filling more often doesn't seem to have any influence on how the ink glues the threads and glues the bottle shut. Wiping the threads with a paper towel means paper towel bits on the jar. Maybe a cloth will work better?

 

But I do stick to one ink per project because that helps me keep the same writing voice throughout.

[TSherbs]

....But I do stick to one ink per project because that helps me keep the same writing voice throughout.

That's really interesting. I may try this. Did you find that changing colors influenced your voice, tone, or point of view?

Edited March 21, 2019 by TSherbs

[thesmellofdustafterrain]

That's really interesting. I may try this. Did you find that changing colors influenced your voice, tone, or point of view?

 

I find it useful to stick to the same tools (paper, pen/typewriter, ink colour) for the whole project. It tells my mind "okay mind, stop thinking about everything else, this is the moment to work on project ZYX.

 

Although this is the first time I'm going to be writing by hand a year long project. Usually I stick to the typewriter for anything that looks like it might take more than a few months. The challenge I'm having with handwriting is that I don't have a specific place that is for writing. It's almost too portable.

[TSherbs]

Do you think you'll write on looseleaf, or in something bound? Committing for the year means a lot of hand cramps (at least for me it would mean this)

[thesmellofdustafterrain]

Do you think you'll write on looseleaf, or in something bound? Committing for the year means a lot of hand cramps (at least for me it would mean this)

 

Usually I write on the back of scrap paper, or failing that blank printer paper. File it into the sections as I go along.

 

This project I'm trying something different. I got a binder and some cheep three-hole lined paper. I don't want to lug a huge amount of writing around with me - especially if it isn't typed onto the computer yet, so I have a separate folder in my bag for 'today's writing' - sort the pages into their sections in the evening.

 

Right now I have other projects winding down, so I'm starting with shorter writing sessions. Maybe an hour or two a day. Finding the pen and ink combo that works well with this paper and gets me in the right mindset. I love the way that Black Swan in English Rose behaves. That might be the ink for this project. But I would really like a sepia one with shading as that colour matches better my mood and the topic I'm writing about. The red ink makes me want to start writing next year's book but the research and experimentation isn't complete on that yet.

 

All these little rituals to trick my brain into behaving how I want. They are silly, I know. Like rewarding myself with a cuppa tea when I need to do computer work. Tea makes me forget that I don't want to be inside typing on such a beautiful day. Taking the time to set up the rituals and build up endurance before the big project starts is a trick that leads to success, at least for my brain.

[TSherbs]

Very cool! Sounds great. Good luck with all of it!

[lgsoltek]

Silicone grease while a great idea for somethings is NOT a great idea for ink because you can bet at some point it will make its way into the ink itself, that will result in ink clogs in pens etc. Here are a few ideas that will solve your problem:

[...]

 

 

Ink being water-based, I don't think silicon grease will ever mix with ink. But there does exist the possibility that you might accidentally let the nib touch the silicon grease while you're filling, for example...

[thesmellofdustafterrain]

I wondered about that too. If silicone grease interacts with ink, should I not be using it on my eyedropper pen?

[Tweel]

Silicone grease is chemically inert, so it doesn't interact with ink in that way. The problem is when one uses more than is needed -- which is very little, just a thin film -- and it gets pushed by mechanical action, or otherwise migrates, into the feed for example. Then the water-repellent grease "interacts" with the ink, so to speak, by physically blocking its flow. Use just enough so you can see the shine of its film, basically. Also, in the case of an eyedropper try applying it just to the male threads. That way when you screw the two parts together it will tend to be pushed toward the outside of the pen, rather than the inside.

[carlos.q]

Silicone grease is used to lubricate the inside of piston fillers with no problems. The trick is using a very small amount (use the tip of a toothpick) and making sure you don't get any on the feed or nib.

 

So a wee bit of silicone grease on the threads of an ink bottle will cause no problems.