Trick to cleaning esty nibs?

[withoutink]

Ive been trying to get one of my Estys clean so I can reink with a new color. But it seems the darn nib doesnt seem to want to get clean... I took the nib off any suggestions to getting this thing clean? I soaked it for a bit, did about 30 fills and flushes. Still seems soaked.

 

What is the magical answer -- oh wise FPN members?

[OcalaFlGuy]

Still seems soaked?

 

What are you talking about? You post isn't making sense to me.

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL

[withoutink]

Ive had a big headache all day, so I apologize.

 

Im trying to clean my etsys so I can reink them. But Im having a terrible time getting the nib clean. After soaking in water for a few hours. Then reinstalling the nib and fluching like 30+ times the nib is still releasing ink. When you take the nib off you can see the nib looks to be green still. If you wipe it on a wet rag it still leaves a little green imprint.

 

The barrel is also releasing red/pink ink.

 

I also sat the pens filled with clean water in a glass with paper towels on the bottom to pull the ink out. Still seems to be releasing green and red/pink ink...

[Enai]

The nib itself is easy to clean when removed from the section. Just put it under running water until the water looks clear--shouldn't take more than a few seconds.

 

The ink you see is coming from the ink sac and not from the nib. Don't replace the nib, i.e. clean the sac without the nib on the section. Just fill the sac with clean water like you are filling it with ink. Turn the barrel right-side-up so the water goes down to the bottom of the sac (you might have to flick the barrel for the water to go down). Expel the water. Repeat until the water expelled is clear. This does not take me 30 flushes, and I use evil Noodler's ink.

 

You can skip this step, but after the sac is clean, I also dry the sac with the use of a thin, rolled-up, tiny piece of kitchen napkin.

[withoutink]

I hear you, but the nib is still releasing green ink. and the sac is releasing red/pink..

 

Maybe the moon isn't aligned tonight. Ill give it a try tomorrow.

[dizzypen]

sometimes I have to soak my nibs overnight in a bit of detergent and water (that means a drop of dish soap in a glass of water) followed by another soak in plain water for another 8 hours or so.

[withoutink]

Thanks, ill try that today.

[Rabbit]

I don't think this is something exclusive to Esterbrook. It's almost impossible to get 100% of the ink out of any nib/feed unless you go to extreme measures. (This is why a "mint" condition pen is no longer "mint" if you've dipped it in ink to test it and then wash it off.) Even a very very small amount still left in the feed can add color to the water which will be visible on a white paper towel. As long as it's remarkably less saturated, you should be fine. Inks such as Noodler's and Private reserve will have more pigment than something like Shaefer Skipt and may require slightly more than average flushing. Like Enai said, you can ensure you're not adding more ink to the nib by removing the nib unit and rinsing the sac itself out before using the sac as a means of flushing water through the nib. Keep in mind that Esterbrook are one of the few pens where removing the nib and feed is easy to do; most level fill pens don't have this capability so this step is obviously not a requirement, just a convenience.

 

--Stephen

Edited November 23, 2009 by Rabbit

[dobro]

I tend to soak nibs for a day or two in plain water when I want to *really* get everything out. I'm sure there's still a bit of pigment left at that though, but it shouldn't be much. Don't forget to rinse out and dry the cap well also.

 

Last night I changed from Eclat de Saphir to Visconti Blue and basically just flushed a few times until the water coming out was clear. I pulled the nib and rinsed it and the pen well separately and then re-assembled and flushed a couple more times. The "paper towel test" still had a very faint residual blue left, but because I was just going from one blue to a slightly darker one, I didn't worry about it.

 

Because of the removable nibs, Esties are among the easiest pens to clean.

Edited November 24, 2009 by dobro

[withoutink]

mine is still running pink... ugh.

[OcalaFlGuy]

The classic answer is to use an ear flusher bulb to flush them out with from the non-pointy end. That isn't as easy as it sounds. I looked around this one horse town and all I could find were little wimpy bulbs that would not provide much oomph at all. I ordered a "proper" one from Tryphon and it has a vent hole on the non-flusher end which greatly reduces IT'S oomph. Sooo, that leaves what I was originally using. Use your mouth to blow water thru the nib from the section end til it runs clear. Preferably NOT just after eating crackers or popcorn. For the section, the easier way is to use a syringe sans needle and power flush the sac out from the open end. It shouldn't take more than 3-4 syringe flushes to get it totally clear. You can get the sac clean that way (though that is really overkill unless you are changing ink colors). The nib you may never get totally clear of ALL ink without a sonicator. But you will get almost all of it out, too little will remain to affect the coloring of the new ink.

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL

[Rabbit]

Bruce, if I ever get one of your pens through a sale or trade, remind me to run it through a sterilizer.

 

--Stephen

[OcalaFlGuy]

Don't worry, I have a sonicator now.

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL

[FarmBoy]

Don't worry, I have a sonicator now.

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL

No one is safe now.

[withoutink]

The classic answer is to use an ear flusher bulb to flush them out with from the non-pointy end. That isn't as easy as it sounds. I looked around this one horse town and all I could find were little wimpy bulbs that would not provide much oomph at all. I ordered a "proper" one from Tryphon and it has a vent hole on the non-flusher end which greatly reduces IT'S oomph. Sooo, that leaves what I was originally using. Use your mouth to blow water thru the nib from the section end til it runs clear. Preferably NOT just after eating crackers or popcorn. For the section, the easier way is to use a syringe sans needle and power flush the sac out from the open end. It shouldn't take more than 3-4 syringe flushes to get it totally clear. You can get the sac clean that way (though that is really overkill unless you are changing ink colors). The nib you may never get totally clear of ALL ink without a sonicator. But you will get almost all of it out, too little will remain to affect the coloring of the new ink.

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL

 

Thanks Bruce, Im going to leave it be for a day. I don't have any sort of blub to use other than my Giottos Rocket Air Blower (which is for my camera lenses... So, Ill pick one up this weekend, if I dare fight any crowds. Its odd because the pink color isnt really fading much, its extremely vibrant still. I filled the pen a few times and dropped it in a cup with paper towels in it. At the place where the nib touched the paper its very pink with a lot of bleed through.

 

 

Don't worry, I have a sonicator now.

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL

 

Is that like Dr. Whos Sonic Screwdriver (inner geek showing his head)... I always wanted one of them

 

But seriously, is a sonicator just a ultrasonic jewelry cleaner? I might have to hunt a used one down....

[OcalaFlGuy]

 

But seriously, is a sonicator just a ultrasonic jewelry cleaner? I might have to hunt a used one down....

 

Yes. Here is the one I have. You won't likely find as good of one any cheaper.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Haier-Professional-Ultrasonic-Cleaner-Eyeglasses/dp/B002ABCDEI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=miscellaneous&qid=1259063564&sr=8-1

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL

[rpj]

Does anyone have major concerns about soaking the nib in water with a drop or two of ammonia? I know it cuts old ink, but some people are not comfortable with using ammonia. Others have recommended a couple of drops of Windex in water (Windex contains ammonia). I don't recommend trying this just on my recommendation, but there are more knowledgeable repair people out there.

[antoniosz]

I use a fine guitar string which I push down the ink channel to loosen up any solidified ink. Usually this accelerates things.

 

AZ

[ZeissIkon]

Does anyone have major concerns about soaking the nib in water with a drop or two of ammonia? I know it cuts old ink, but some people are not comfortable with using ammonia. Others have recommended a couple of drops of Windex in water (Windex contains ammonia). I don't recommend trying this just on my recommendation, but there are more knowledgeable repair people out there.

 

I'd use the 10% ammonia solution to soak a nib unit, but not Windex -- the problem is what they don't tell you about what else is in it (stuff to prevent streaks might not be welcome in a nib slit, or might damage pen materials). In general, I'd expect a solution of one part household clear ammonia to nine parts water to be safe for any part of the pen that would normally contact ink, though I wouldn't leave it in a sac longer than a normal flush-and-rinse cycle requires.

[NORTON]

For really stubborn ink I soak the nib in Windex diluted with water, about 50/50 mix.