Q: Eyedropper Pens: O-Rings Necessary? Source?

[duncsuss]

I've been reluctant to make an eyedropper pen so far because of the potential for leaks at the section/barrel threads.

 

Looking at the pen I got with a bottle of Noodler's ink, there's an o-ring that helps seal the joint -- but the only rings with about 8 to 9mm diameter that I've been able to find are much too thick for the purpose.

 

Do you think an o-ring is unnecessary?

 

Do you have a source for o-rings suitable for this application?

 

Thanks!

 

[GabrielleDuVent]

O-rings prevent leaking from the barrel/thread connection point. I got #5 O-rings to convert preppy into an eyedropper. They're very cheap, and stretches enough to serve its purpose (the stretching thins the ring to an appropriate thickness as well).

[mbankirer]

With "enough" silicon grease, the o-ring is 'insurance'!

Several vendors have them for sale...Goulet's, for instance.

[duncsuss]

O-rings prevent leaking from the barrel/thread connection point. I got #5 O-rings to convert preppy into an eyedropper. They're very cheap, and stretches enough to serve its purpose (the stretching thins the ring to an appropriate thickness as well).

 

 

With "enough" silicon grease, the o-ring is 'insurance'!

Several vendors have them for sale...Goulet's, for instance.

 

Thanks for the help!

[Inkling13]

The seal is dependant on how close the tolerances are on your threads, how tight they fit, if there is grease etc. The o ring serves as a backup to the grease, especially for pens that were not designed to be eye droppers. Many old ebonite eye droppers do not have any o-rings, and hold a seal pretty well without one.

[duncsuss]

The seal is dependant on how close the tolerances are on your threads, how tight they fit, if there is grease etc. The o ring serves as a backup to the grease, especially for pens that were not designed to be eye droppers. Many old ebonite eye droppers do not have any o-rings, and hold a seal pretty well without one.

Thanks; if I were just making pens for myself, I'd probably take the chance of the threads plus silicone grease holding.

 

I think it's the "many ... hold a seal pretty well" that bothers me -- it's another way of saying that some do not. That's a chance I don't want to take with pen that I'm selling.

[pajaro]

Eyedroppers bother me because of the possibility of a leak.

 

If you think about it, though, a converter can get loose or fall off of the feed nipple, making a mess.

 

With a pen with a sac, there can be a failure any day. This can result in a mess

 

A piston filler can develop a leak around seals. A minor mess might ensue.

 

A vacumatic filler can have a sac failure and get ink into the blind cap.

 

You might as well get a ballpoint .

[Bill Wood]

Almost any Edison pen (even from the production line) is eyedropper safe. The Edisons has a screw type nib. A little grease there - then liberally applied grease around the section thread - and you've got an eye dropper - and simply put, it's tough to get them to leak without unscrewing the said parts.

 

Noodlers are a bit different. You'd probably want to grease and use an O ring as extra protection. I use plumbers grease from the hardware store. Plenty thick. I'm now a BIG eye dropper fan.

[duncsuss]

Eyedroppers bother me because of the possibility of a leak.

 

If you think about it, though, a converter can get loose or fall off of the feed nipple, making a mess.

 

With a pen with a sac, there can be a failure any day. This can result in a mess

 

A piston filler can develop a leak around seals. A minor mess might ensue.

 

A vacumatic filler can have a sac failure and get ink into the blind cap.

 

You might as well get a ballpoint .

 

Don't tell that to the people who are considering buying a pen from me ...

 

Almost any Edison pen (even from the production line) is eyedropper safe. The Edisons has a screw type nib. A little grease there - then liberally applied grease around the section thread - and you've got an eye dropper - and simply put, it's tough to get them to leak without unscrewing the said parts.

 

Noodlers are a bit different. You'd probably want to grease and use an O ring as extra protection. I use plumbers grease from the hardware store. Plenty thick. I'm now a BIG eye dropper fan.

 

Bill, thanks -- but I wasn't asking about how to convert a pen for my own use. I'm making pens, and want to make the most secure ink seals possible for the folks who buy them from me.

 

It seems that adding an o-ring is better (in this respect) than going without one.

[Bruce Markwardt]

I have recently made a couple of eyedroppers, one using a Osmiroid calligraphy nib and feed and other using an Esterbrook stub nib. I didn't have any o-rings or grease but both are working fine and so far I have not seen any leaks. Just to be cautious I am storing them with the cap up.

 

I want to make another eyedropper calligraphy pen using an old Osmiroid nib as a gift for my wife's aunt. I also need to make sure the seal is secure before I am comfortable giving it to her. I will likely use an o-ring. A pen that leaks isn't going to be much of a gift!

[Ted A]

Go to a real hardware store, the ones with all the little boxes with all of the tine little things for less than a buck an go through their o- rings to find what would work best for you. Since you're turning the pens I would think you could make some modifications that would make those really fit well. Like a little groove for the o-ring to fit snuggly into

[duncsuss]

I have recently made a couple of eyedroppers, one using a Osmiroid calligraphy nib and feed and other using an Esterbrook stub nib. I didn't have any o-rings or grease but both are working fine and so far I have not seen any leaks. Just to be cautious I am storing them with the cap up.

 

I want to make another eyedropper calligraphy pen using an old Osmiroid nib as a gift for my wife's aunt. I also need to make sure the seal is secure before I am comfortable giving it to her. I will likely use an o-ring. A pen that leaks isn't going to be much of a gift!

 

Thanks; I have fond memories of the Osmiroid calligraphy set that I had years ago. I've been thinking of buying some of the nib units now that I have the tap that matches them (some are identical to the Esterbrook Renew-points.)

 

Go to a real hardware store, the ones with all the little boxes with all of the tine little things for less than a buck an go through their o- rings to find what would work best for you. Since you're turning the pens I would think you could make some modifications that would make those really fit well. Like a little groove for the o-ring to fit snuggly into

 

Thanks Ted, I can certainly make a groove for a ring, but the only ones I saw were way too fat for the purpose. I'll try a other hardware stores till I find one with the right profile.

[Bruce Markwardt]

 

Thanks; I have fond memories of the Osmiroid calligraphy set that I had years ago. I've been thinking of buying some of the nib units now that I have the tap that matches them (some are identical to the Esterbrook Renew-points.)

 

 

 

I also remember an old Osmiroid set that I had. Like many things in my life, it somehow disappeared!

 

The older Osmiroid nibs/feeds are interchangeable with the Esterbrook renew points. Lots of both on ebay. The calligraphy nibs are fun.

[Ted A]

Goulet Pens has 3 o-rings; for the Ahab, the Nib Creeper and the Preppy. Those might work for you.

[duncsuss]

Thanks

[Bill Wood]

The pen you got with the Noodlers ink requires an O ring. Look up the O ring that the Preppie uses. It fits the Noodler pens.

[a_m]

In India majority of the FPs are ED. None of them contain the o-ring. Never seen any of them leak from the joints.

 

O rings required for pens not designed as ED the ones whose threading is a bit thicker or hardly two twist threading.

Edited January 27, 2014 by a_m

[duncsuss]

In India majority of the FPs are ED. None of them contain the o-ring. Never seen any of them leak from the joints.

 

Thanks for this information.

 

It occurs to me that different sized screw threads -- and the number of turns -- will have a significant impact on the security of the joint. Do you know what specification threads they use for the screw joints? And how many turns of thread?

 

Thanks again!

[a_m]

I dont know the technicalities of this - but uploading image of threading of the slimmest and the fattest EDs that I have

 

The green one is ebonite, and the black one is plastic

 

 

Edited January 27, 2014 by a_m

[duncsuss]

I dont know the technicalities of this - but uploading image of threading of the slimmest and the fattest EDs that I have

 

The green one is ebonite, and the black one is plastic

 

Thanks, Anup

 

I count 10 threads on the section of the slimmer pen, and 12 (maybe 13) on the section of the green & black ebonite pen. Maybe that's the secret to making the joint non-leaking -- lots of turns on the thread.

 

(Also, I find it interesting that the slimmer pen has coarser threads. Maybe it's molded, where the other pen has threads that are cut?)