Would Aluminum Foil Work For Flossing?

[alexzxz]

Right now I'm flat broke, cause I spent my last dollars on ink. Would aluminum foil work for flossing as a alternative to brass shim, for the moment?

 

This is for an inexpensive pen.

Edited December 11, 2011 by alexzxz

[OcalaFlGuy]

Not even close. (Try a piece of 35mm negative dipped in bleach first, or a .001 <I think> auto spark plug feeler guage blade.)

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL

[torstar]

Not to floss your pen or your teeth.

[Gerry]

Right now I'm flat broke, cause I spent my last dollars on ink. Would aluminum foil work for flossing as a alternative to brass shim, for the moment?

 

This is for an inexpensive pen.

 

 

No, I don't think so.

 

Brass is good as it's softer than the nib steel, aluminum foil is too soft I would suspect.

 

The suggestion to use a feeler gauge is correct rfe the thickness, but the steel might damage the nib tines as it's pretty tough.

 

If you send me your address, I'll send you a bit of brass floss that's of the right thickness - 0.002, no charge.

 

Gerry - einargk@rogers.com

[alexzxz]

Thanks!

 

I was originally going with the feeler gauges that I borrowed from a neighbor, but I read that they may scratch the nib; thought aluminum foil would be softer.

Guess it'll take me a while to understand the basics of pen maintenance.

[USMCMom]

I had been told about using a piece of guitar string, but I don't remember what size. I wasn't able to locate any guitar strings in my area, so I was never able to try it out. I'm sure our more knowledgeable members will either give this idea a thumbs up or down.

[OcalaFlGuy]

There was a qualifier that it was an inexpensive pen. That translates to me to mean stainless steel nib. There's less chance of marring the nib with the floss made from nearly the same hardness (feeler guages aren't stainless I don't think). You'd want to take extra care of course, with the steel feeler gauge and a Gold nib.

 

Mom, I think the guitar string is used to "roto-root" an Esterbrook nib's feed from the closed (rear) end Vs flossing the nib Tines.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

Edited December 11, 2011 by OcalaFlGuy

[falika]

Apologies if this is a silly question, but will flossing the nib with a brass shim increase the ink flow a wee bit? If I'm wishing to increase my ink flow just a tad, is this a way to go?

 

Thanks,

Adam

[alexzxz]

@falika, the flossing cleans the gunk, etc, according to what I've read, so in most cases, you get better flow, I presume.

 

Here's an explanation I found:

Nib flossing is done usually trying to fix a toothy writing pen when many of the other common causes have been ruled out (not enough flow, out of alignment tines, wrong ink paper combo, etc.) When "flossing", you are spreading the tines and running something through the slit in hopes of removing foreign matter that may be interfering with normal writing; usually paper fibres.

 

PRAG

 

 

 

I don't have a guitar (nor string), but it'd love to learn how to play one some day... maybe in college.

 

Funny thing about the nib , my pen is really inexpensive, but it looks gold plated. (thin gold plated, of course)

I couldn't take any closeups of the nib with my camera, but here's what it looks like from an ebay listing.

http://i376.photobucket.com/albums/oo202/Bu115hit/KGrHqNnkE63UfTzBO5CJOQYzw60_12.jpg

costed $3.25

 

It was really smooth, when i got it, but after wiping off excess ink from it with... bear with me... toilet paper (only thing on hand atm), I think I made it a bit less free-flowing.

Also, I tend to use cheap notebook paper, so there will likely be gunk, etc in it.

Edited December 11, 2011 by alexzxz

[tanalasta]

Oh dear...

 

I've never had to floss a nib to increase ink flow and certainly don't really advise it.

 

I imagine you've flushed the pen to ensure there are no clogs etc... You could also try placing both thumbs on the breather hole, your middle fingers on the middle of the feed and then gently pulling on the shoulder/wings of the nib to spread the tines apart a little. I suspect that poor flow may be an idiosyncracy of a poorly designed or inconsistent feed/nib combination at that price point. Switching to a free flowing ink (e.g. Noodler's eel series or Aurora black) may also help.

[alexzxz]

Something just struck me, after reading a little more about flossing, I found out that overhead projector film works as floss, in a pinch.

I sure don't have any overhead projectors, so no film, but it got me thinking, thin plastic which isn't too soft. Hmmm..

 

first thought-saran wrap, nah too soft

then-what about the plastic windows? you know, the plastic windows on mail envelopes or paper CD envelopes? that looks thin and strong enough.

So I just went ahead and got an old envelope lying around, and ripped out the plastic window. Then I trimmed away all the edges, because they were rough and had glue on them. I didn't dare floss my new Jinhao with it, in case it jammed.

I tried it with my first pen, a platinum preppy that had worsened.

 

Quick floss, it slid in very easily. I wiped it, and flossed again.

The flow DID improve quite alot, but sadly the pen's problem wasn't flow, but most likely tine misalignment. (or maybe it needed to be grinded)

 

I'm not sure how safe it was for the pen, but the plastic window was quite strong, could be washed easily, and is readily available to anyone who receives mail.

 

Million dollar idea? Darn, the plastic window costs 0 cents.

 

Would like to hear anyone's input on the soundness of the idea.

 

-------------edit

@ tanalasta

 

I flushed it several times beforehand, and it was really smooth. I've read many posts from FPN'ers that Jinhao's have great nibs, and my experience was similar, I use Noodlers OMB ink. Not sure, but I read somewhere that it might be a dry ink. It is likely gunk since I use REALLY cheap notebook paper.

Edited December 11, 2011 by alexzxz

[filedog]

Total pen newb here, but I have been fixing things for many years.

I read where a bit of plastic used to make the disposable water

bottles is a bout right.

[ANM]

I have been using fountain pens since the '60's. I have been 'collecting' fountain pens since Pelikan stopped making the 120 ( read around early 70's). I have handled hundreds of pens and many many have needed some attention to the nib to work at it's best but I have never flossed a nib. OK ok, maybe twice I have run something between the tines but it really wasn't necessary, IM Humble O.

Edited January 24, 2012 by ANM

[pajaro]

I have been using fountain pens since the '60's. I have been 'collecting' fountain pens since Pelikan stopped making the 120 ( read around early 70's). I have handled hundreds of pens and many many have needed some attention to the nib to work at it's best but I have never flossed a nib. OK ok, maybe twice I have run something between the tines but it really wasn't necessary, IM Humble O.

+1. I have been using fountpens since the late 1950s and never heard of flossing a nib until running into this home for aged children. I have had a lot of pens but never messed with the tines until trying varous advices found in these threads. Most have resulted in ruined pens. Better off going about things using water pressure as before, instead of metalic substances.

[OcalaFlGuy]

As each year passes from the heyday of fountain pens, FP friendly paper passes from being less common to hard to find.

 

Most papers a FP will contact in day to day use now are much more likely to shed fibers than papers of the past.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl