Tines Keep Getting Unaligned?

[framebaer]

If a pen won't lay down a line with absolutely no pressure, then the nib is not properly tuned. Unfortunately I would guess that $6 fountain pens do NOT get any adjustment when they are ( haphazardly) made.

 

Test this by laying the fountain pen in the crook between your thumb and first finger, you can "drag" the pen across the paper with no pressure on the pen. It should lay down an even line.

 

+1--- you DO need a 10x loupe to properly see alignment.

[Paddler]

I wouldn't really know how to see if there's a gap at the tip or even how to fix it if there was.

 

You don't have to actually see the gap between the tips. You can tell it is there by the way the tips are behaving. If the tips are touching and you align them properly, they can stick there and you can be convinced that you have solved the alignment problem. If you then write with the pen, the tips can easily slip out of alignment again and stick there. To solve the sticking problem, you have to spread the tines to widen the slit slightly. There are directions for doing this in the repair forum. After the tips no longer stick together, you can align them so they will stay.

 

Be very careful when doing all this. Some nibs are very soft and a small stress can produce a permanent strain. Parker 21 nibs are like this. A small deflection will bend a tine into alignment. Most Sheaffer tines have to be sprung a terrifying amount before they will take a permanent alignment.

 

Unless your parents are eagles, you need a 15X loupe.

[Bynming]

Well my eyesight measures at 20/10 and I have a tendency to surprise people with my ability to work on small things without a magnifying glass. Notably I've soldered very tiny things, and I see the tip of the nib quite clearly when looking straight at it. Nonetheless, I'll get something to make sure.

 

As for my grip, that's not the issue. If would be less embarrassing if it were... I was actually just dumb. Like I said, my Parker Sonnet has never needed pressure at all, nor did my Nemosine singularity. I pushed on the pens that didn't write well because I didn't know better. I like to say to myself that it's their fault, they shouldn't have been so difficult. It makes me feel better.

 

Anyway I promise I won't hurt my future pens and I want to assure you all that no nice pens were harmed.

Edited June 3, 2013 by Bynming

[Lyander0012]

Hmm, on an unrelated note, looks as if I'm not the only one who can manage to stare at the tipping on a nib and confidently tell whether or not they're misaligned— I'm very much myopic in one eye (my right eye has more trouble with seeing faraway things than my left), so I've no trouble focusing on objects up close.

 

Nonetheless, it puts even more strain on my eye than usual, so I use a magnifying glass whenever I have one handy. If ever I start working on my own FPs, I'll probably get a decent loupe as well. 15x will suffice?

 

Cheers!

[jar]

Hmm, on an unrelated note, looks as if I'm not the only one who can manage to stare at the tipping on a nib and confidently tell whether or not they're misaligned— I'm very much myopic in one eye (my right eye has more trouble with seeing faraway things than my left), so I've no trouble focusing on objects up close.

 

Nonetheless, it puts even more strain on my eye than usual, so I use a magnifying glass whenever I have one handy. If ever I start working on my own FPs, I'll probably get a decent loupe as well. 15x will suffice?

 

Cheers!

 

A 15x will be fine. Remember, as magnification goes up, depth of field goes down. Eventually you will most likely end up with several loupes and as the power goes up, make sure you also get lighted ones.

[Mafia Geek]

To add to the discussion and hopefully help understand the need to have the correct spacing between the tines I'll give an example from my nib experimenting.

 

I have several Lamy nibs (quite a few more than pens) and so have used a few for tinkering with, they were the particularly scratchy extra fine ones. In trying to adjust the flow by separating and pressing the tines together I found that if the tines are actually pressing against each other with force they are prone to go one over the other and cross to release some of the pressure. If the tines are spread just slightly so that the VERY tip of the nib is just barely touch (for dryer writing) or just shy of touching (for normal) or a small gap (for wet writing) then they will stay aligned as there isn't excess pressure that the metal wants to release. If the tines are pressing against each other they want to cross each other, that's the natural resting point, and if you write with a firmer hand (yes you can apply a little pressure without springing nibs despite what some people here have said, you shouldn't have to when the nib is properly tuned, but you can apply a little more than just the weight of the pen) it is unlikely that you are applying the same force to both tines exactly, which means one will go up just a little more than the other. This will then cause the tines to cross, even just a little bit, which means the tines will prevent each other from aligning correctly.

 

The other thing you should do to adress having to apply pressure when writing (particularly with the Pilot as I know those nibs and feeds are quite good) is make sure that the feed channel (the small slit in the feed that the ink travels down) aligns with the gap in the tines. You can do this by, under good light, simply looking closely at the tines/feed from the top of the nib. You should be able to see the feed channel in the breather hole of the nib. That should align straight with the gap in the tines. If it doesn't you won't get proper capillary action and the tip of the nib won't have ink running to it until you apply pressure and the tines separate making the gap align with the feed channel again.

 

Hopefully that makes some sense and that me saying you can apply SOME pressure (by no means anything close to what most oil based ballpoints but maybe some fibre tipped pens) when writing without screwing up the nib. It does take some practice to write with no pressure, I'm willing to bet your handwriting might suffer until you get used to it, but you will get there. An inexpensive chinese fountain pen is a perfect pen to experiment with. Play around with it and save the Parker for very light pressure writing.

[Bynming]

Thanks for the tips Mafia Geek. I want to say that my handwriting is already horrible so I don't mind trying to re-educate myself a little.

 

Now how do I fix this:

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d113/DJZapZ/Broken/2013-06-03154805_zps22a835c2.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d113/DJZapZ/Broken/2013-06-03155104_zpsbe8d00bf.jpg

 

sigh

[TLab3000]

I know exactly what you are talking about - I've just wrote about this nib in another thread.

Okay, well, most nibs offer a bit of line variation and those that don't... I guess you wouldn't push them.

The Baoer 388's nib as well as some Yiren/Bookworm nibs that look similar are exceptions. They offer very little resistance so that you would think you can squeeze out quite a bit of line variation. But you can't, well, at least not without springing the nib. A bit of line variation is okay, but you better not risk it. Once you've pushed the nib too far, there are only two things you can do:

1. Align the nibs and never, ever try to get some line variation again. Those nibs can be very, very smooth. Just don't push them.

2. Get another nib. Earlier today, I've ordered some Knox nibs (which is ridiculous, ordering German nibs in the USA) because I think they might fit. I have a Kaweco nib that fits, but I need it for another pen.

 

I've already asked some sellers whether they could offer me the original nibs without the pen, but I had no luck so far. So, the two sprung nibs I have will have to be replaced by different nibs...

 

About Stephen Brown's videos:

- Some line variation is normal. There are only very few pens that don't have any at all and you usually feel how far you can go.

- The loupe he uses... I didn't think his eyes are that good... I have the same 10x loupe and it's not a powerful enough magnification for me. The 20x is okay, 30x is good.

[GabrielleDuVent]

Thanks for the tips Mafia Geek. I want to say that my handwriting is already horrible so I don't mind trying to re-educate myself a little.

 

Now how do I fix this:

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d113/DJZapZ/Broken/2013-06-03154805_zps22a835c2.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d113/DJZapZ/Broken/2013-06-03155104_zpsbe8d00bf.jpg

 

sigh

 

You fix it by writing a very angry e-mail to the supplier and demanding a replacement, shipped asap, in next day delivery. I'd say angry letter, but that'd take too long to arrive.

 

I didn't realise that was ink, btw. I thought that was a salad or a sandwich and avocado spilling everywhere. I thought you ate the sandwich, took a picture, then was asking for a fix...

[Bynming]

Hehe, one sick sandwich.

[Mafia Geek]

 

You fix it by writing a very angry e-mail to the supplier and demanding a replacement, shipped asap, in next day delivery. I'd say angry letter, but that'd take too long to arrive.

 

I didn't realise that was ink, btw. I thought that was a salad or a sandwich and avocado spilling everywhere. I thought you ate the sandwich, took a picture, then was asking for a fix...

 

 

I completely agree, especially for an ink that expensive. The supplier can fight it out with the courier service, that's not your fight. The supplier should send another bottle to you at no cost and package it more securely or use a different courier and take up getting a refund with the courier service.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Line variation is not what you get from a normal flex or nail nib....with out having stubbed or making it cursive italic.

 

Modern nibs are not designed to flex. You can not bend any line variation out of them for long...then they bend for ever.

A fountain pen floats on a small puddle of ink, if held like a fountain pen and not like a ball point.

 

Try an Ahab...it will give line variation under 'semi-flex' pressure, which is a lot of pressure really, for a pen that has tine spread...the flex is less than wished, but as a beginner's "flex" pen, adequate.

 

 

Vintage.

Semi-flex will give you some line variation. Can be used by the ham fisted=you. Not you...you are jack hammering your nib,still.

You got to lighten up your pressure until you are only ham fisted.

 

'flexi/maxi-semi-flex will give more line variation but needs a light Hand.

 

I suggest going to dip pens to see what flex is all about...dip pen nibs come in many flexes...and are cheap.

 

I'm very, very, very near sighted. I bet I can see things close up your jet pilot eyes can not. Your focal plane is not short enough.

I need a loupe to align nib tips.

You can buy a cheap one...then another cheap one, and another cheap one...if you are rich enough to buy cheap goods (which goes for anything) or buy one with good glass, good coatings for @ $35 for a once in a life time buy...can look at hall marks on jewelry (the rest of your and your wife's life),stamps, coins and nib tips.

 

I just used a loupe on an EF nib; I couldn't quite tell how much it was out of alignment with out a loupe, or if it was in perfect alignment when I tweaked it once.....it was.

IE how much of a second or one, or even two seconds of tweaking was needed. All I needed was a one second tweak as I expected from the very little it was out of alignment. ...good-by scratchy....

[Lyander0012]

*referring to the pic of a broken Iroshizuku bottle— don't want to waste others' bandwidth by quoting the pic*

 

Madre de Dios! Of all the inks this could have happened to, did it absolutely have to be that? Bynming, I wholeheartedly agree with GabrielleDuVent that the supplier deserves a very angry letter demanding new ink. Go for frothing-at-the-mouth peeved, if you can.

 

Joking aside, jeez, whom did you buy this ink from, and how'd they ship it to you? Did they slingshot it across the Atlantic, or did they drop it from a plane to save time? D:

 

P.S.

I just noticed that FPN has a very subtle auto-censoring system. I was a bit surprised re-reading this. Ah well, it's for the best XD

Edited June 4, 2013 by Lyander0012

[Bynming]

I always start off with a nice e-mail explaining the situation, I have found that the seller is then more cooperative. This is especially true since the guy I bought it from is a new ebayer who's always been very polite and nice. If that fails, then I get angry. Mistakes are human, eh... Unfortunately, the seller is new at sending stuff overseas, and the packaging was extremely light. Also, the origin and destination addresses were inverted, which shows his lack of experience. Japan post put a sticker on the package so it wouldn't get lost.

 

Anywho, the guy offered to re-ship or refund. I told him that if he has another bottle of the same ink, I would like it, but to put a few layers of bubblewrap around it. Otherwise I'd take the refund. Hopefully I won't have to handle this through paypal, but the guy is cooperative.

 

It's truly a shame that this happened to Iroshizuku ink, I agree.

Edited June 5, 2013 by Bynming

[circlepattern]

I always start off with a nice e-mail explaining the situation, I have found that the seller is then more cooperative. This is especially true since the guy I bought it from is a new ebayer who's always been very polite and nice. If that fails, then I get angry. Mistakes are human, eh... Unfortunately, the seller is new at sending stuff overseas, and the packaging was extremely light. Also, the origin and destination addresses were inverted, which shoes his lack of experience. Japan post put a sticker on the package so it wouldn't get lost.

 

Anywho, the guy offered to re-ship or refund. I told him that if he has another bottle of the same ink, I would like it, but to put a few layers of bubblewrap around it. Otherwise I'd take the refund. Hopefully I won't have to handle this through paypal, but the guy is cooperative.

 

It's truly a shame that this happened to Iroshizuku ink, I agree.

Sounds like it happened to you many times before, I has yet to face this situation.

[Lyander0012]

Seconded. I really hope this doesn't mean that you've gone through all this before. Bah, this is why I'm afraid to order inks online XP

[Bynming]

It's unfortunate but I have gone through this a few times, but usually the packages are insured and come from Canada. It had never happened to me with other inks or stationery of any kind, though.

 

I've had a UPS package that was literally punctured, as if someone had stabbed with a lance. The content of the box did not make it, and it took months for UPS to pay me back.

 

 

Edit: For those of you who may be curious, the seller refunded me for the broken bottle, in fact he refunded more more than the price of the bottle for my troubles. Being nice sometimes pays off!

Edited June 5, 2013 by Bynming

[Lyander0012]

It's unfortunate but I have gone through this a few times, but usually the packages are insured and come from Canada. It had never happened to me with other inks or stationery of any kind, though.

 

I've had a UPS package that was literally punctured, as if someone had stabbed with a lance. The content of the box did not make it, and it took months for UPS to pay me back.

 

 

Edit: For those of you who may be curious, the seller refunded me for the broken bottle, in fact he refunded more more than the price of the bottle for my troubles. Being nice sometimes pays off!

 

By being "nice", I'm assuming you mean that you didn't send an insanely mad message at the seller? Haha, but yeah, hope all goes well, and that the bottle arrives in one piece. Enjoy the ink!