Has Anyone Had Any Luck Getting A Leaky Ranga Eyedropper To Stop Leaking?

[CoolFool]

A couple of years ago I bought one of those big, beautiful, colorful, ebonite eyedropper pens. There is a lot to love about these pens with the exception in my case of how it writes. Within a couple of hours of filling, ink begins literally dripping out of the nib. It gets all over the place and is a mess. There is an old thread about this problem, but I was wondering if anyone has had any definitive success since then. I've made sure to carefully apply silicone grease. I've tried and tried adjusting the nib and feed. I switched them out. (Rangas come with an extra nib an feed.) I've tried reducing the amount of ink to 1 ml. (These things hold a LOT MORE than that.) I've made sure to securely tighten the connection between barrel and grip. And tried applying heat (by dipping the nib/feed into nearly boiling water and pressing them together). Nothing works.

 

Does anyone have any other suggestions before I completely give up on this pen?

[Mardi13]

I would suggest you contact Ranga Pens. They are very friendly and accommodating and want you to love their pens, I'm sure they would help you.

[Threadbear]

I have a few big Indian eyedroppers. For me they only function well when nearly full. I start getting the same problem as you - ink weeping uncontrollably from the nib - once I've used maybe a millilitre or so of ink. Only remedy I've found is to top it up once I start to notice the flow of ink getting heavier. I would think keeping only a little ink in the barrel would make it worse, if anything.

[ac12]

If you got it from Peyton Street Pens, contact Teri.

[CoolFool]

Only remedy I've found is to top it up once I start to notice the flow of ink getting heavier. I would think keeping only a little ink in the barrel would make it worse, if anything.

I'll try that. I don't think I've ever had it completely full. It makes sense that with less ink, the problem would worsen, as eyedropper pens are notorious for "burping" when they get low, but that was one of the remedies suggested in the older thread, so I thought I'd give it a try.

[terim]

If you got it from Peyton Street Pens, contact Teri.

If it came with an extra nib and feed, it didn't come from us. We've had good luck changing out the feeds, because sometimes they are not as symmetrical as they should be and air leaks back into the ink chamber. I've had a Ranga eye dropper set up with a Sheaffer Lifetime nib and a No Nonsense feed, without a single burp of ink.

[rwilsonedn]

What Teri said. Sometimes the feed does not seal properly in the section, and air gets in. This of course lets ink get out. If your pen leaks even when it is full or nearly full, the problem is likely a misshapen feed. And yes, it could be that both feeds are incorrectly shaped. The easiest solution is to get an old Sheaffer NoNonsense (the calligraphy pens are usually quite inexpensive), pull out the nib and feed, and put them in your Ranga. You can either use the original Ranga nib or the Sheaffer nib. Unless you have a crack in the barrel somewhere, that will solve the problem. If this sounds daunting, you might talk to Teri about it. In any case, good luck with your pen--you are probably one step away from having a hand-made pen you really love.

ron

[de_pen_dent]

The problem for Ranga is that he is limited by the feeds that he can get locally.

I have taken to getting all my Rangas made with a Jowo nib (which i send to him) and using a converter. I even sent him a Sheaffer Targa CI nib section i got from Teri - the end result is all kinds of awesome. That way, i get the nice custom ebonite body and dont have to deal with ink blobbing all over the place. You may be able to send him the pen back, along with your choice of nib, and have him re-make the section.

 

Teri sells the same pens with nicer/upgraded feeds as well.

[mhguda]

I think the larger Wality feeds and nibs may also work in your pen.

Also, have you tried pushing the nib & feed, held together, farther into the section? I've found that may also stop those pesky leaks.

I have not had your problem with Ranga pens, but Guiders have been finicky for me, with issues all over the spectrum. The nibs and feeds from an Airmail/Wality have, in those cases, solved my problem, both of no flow or too much ink.

[floydee1]

What Teri said. Sometimes the feed does not seal properly in the section, and air gets in. This of course lets ink get out. If your pen leaks even when it is full or nearly full, the problem is likely a misshapen feed. And yes, it could be that both feeds are incorrectly shaped. The easiest solution is to get an old Sheaffer NoNonsense (the calligraphy pens are usually quite inexpensive), pull out the nib and feed, and put them in your Ranga. You can either use the original Ranga nib or the Sheaffer nib. Unless you have a crack in the barrel somewhere, that will solve the problem. If this sounds daunting, you might talk to Teri about it. In any case, good luck with your pen--you are probably one step away from having a hand-made pen you really love.

ron

+1

I believe the issue is the feed. I've a few Ranga and Ratnam eyedropper pens with the same problem. I must try a Sheaffer NoNonsense which I've got lying around. However, how do you remove the Sheaffer feed as it seems encased in the section by a wall in the base?

[CoolFool]

M.P. Kandan of Ranga Pens was kind enough to contact me and offer to send some more feeds. I do think, of course, that this is because of a poor fit between the feed and the section, so we'll see if the new feeds work out. If not, I'll definitely give the Sheaffer and/or Wality swap-out idea a try. I really like these pens for their look and feel and size and for the fact that they're hand made, and I'd like to own more but have been hesitant to try. At least if I know that there's a solution if something goes wrong again, I might be willing to acquire more.

[j.a.j.]

However, how do you remove the Sheaffer feed as it seems encased in the section by a wall in the base?

 

With skill or good luck :-) It's a bit tricky.

 

A good idea is to soak it first a few days in water / dishwasging liquid. Then warm it a bit and try removing the nib by hand.

 

If it does not work then warming, a nib block, even a crude self made one, helps a lot. And a < 100g hammer.

 

Some people have partially filled their ED pens with beewax to make the ink container smaller. Have not tried myself but i've understood it should be easy.

Edited September 10, 2014 by j.a.j.

[floydee1]

 

With skill or good luck :-) It's a bit tricky.

 

A good idea is to soak it first a few days in water / dishwasging liquid. Then warm it a bit and try removing the nib by hand.

 

If it does not work then warming, a nib block, even a crude self made one, helps a lot. And a < 100g hammer.

 

Some people have partially filled their ED pens with beewax to make the ink container smaller. Have not tried myself but i've understood it should be easy.

 

Thanks for the advice/tip.

 

The beeswax tip I've heard of, but for me using an ED is primarily for its large ink capacity. It is a good tip though.

 

Using a nib block on a Sheaffer Nononsense section/nib is a unique problem - the feed is totally encased in the base except for a small piping hole to allow inkflow. I've tried in the past using a nail and nib block to bang it through - a few sections ruined and the feed still won't budge! The encasing is the problem. It's a tricky one, and I'm open for further tips on this!

 

I've soaked the feeds before but not with dishwashing water. I think I'll retry this...

Edited September 12, 2014 by floydee1

[JimB]

I had the same problem and considered having it fit for a CC by Mr. Kandan. He told me he could do it but I'd have to ship the pen back. This was too much bother and cost of postage for me. I have put it in a drawer. Too bad for me.

[j.a.j.]

I have, after soaking and warming, very gently tapped on Non Nonsense's feed tube with 50g hammer when it sits on the block. There must be a better way but i have two feeds separated without problems.