Rotring Pen Leaking?

[magicuddle]

I've been using several different fountain pens for a few years but this is the first time this happened...

 

I just uncapped my Rotring Art Pen (extra fine nib) and a bunch of ink just poured out of it. Not like a little leak... it splashed. All over both my hands the paper I was using as well--and thank goodness I was using it over a pad of paper! So what's going on? I found a partially used long standard cartridge at my mom's and after cleaning it out I refilled it with bottled ink and put it in the pen. Could that be the problem? This is its first run. I haven't had any problems with this pen in the ~2 years I've been using it, and I didn't have any problems while the cartridge was mostly full.

 

I store it upright mostly, sometimes it will be on its side for a few hours. I don't take it with me anywhere, so it doesn't get jostled. Does anyone know what's going on?

Edited August 12, 2015 by magicuddle

[ac12]

Leaking from the cap has many possible reasons.

• How was the pen stored between the last time you used it and when you opened it and the ink came out of the cap?
• When you store it upright, is it nib up, or nib down?
• Did the temp rise? Heat will cause air to expand, pushing out ink if the pen is flat or nib down.
• How do you open the pen, pulling with 2 hands; one on cap other on body? And how forcefully? By your description, it sounds like you open the pen rather forcefully.
  • I hold the pen with 2 hand, with the thumb and index finger of the hand holding the body are on the bottom of the cap
  • the thumb and index finger of the hand holding the body push the cap off the body about 1/4 to 1/2 inch.
  • only after the cap has been pushed off, will the hand holding the cap lift the cap off the pen.
• Was the cartridge seated completely into the section?
• It may be a bad cartridge with a poor seal or a hole/crack/leak in it.
  • Used cartridges could be a problem, depending on what pen it was used on. The prior pen could have a wider nipple and stretched the seal to of the cartridge to the degree that it won't seal on your pen. That could let air in, and the ink in the feed would leak out.

[ac12]

BTW, where in Calif are you located?

 

If northern Calif, the San Francisco Pen Posse meets in Millbrae.

Just check the clubs section for meeting announcements.

 

Also the SF Pen Show will be at the end of Aug. Aug 28-30 in Redwood City.

[magicuddle]

 

Leaking from the cap has many possible reasons.

• How was the pen stored between the last time you used it and when you opened it and the ink came out of the cap?
• When you store it upright, is it nib up, or nib down?
• Did the temp rise? Heat will cause air to expand, pushing out ink if the pen is flat or nib down.
• How do you open the pen, pulling with 2 hands; one on cap other on body? And how forcefully? By your description, it sounds like you open the pen rather forcefully.
  • I hold the pen with 2 hand, with the thumb and index finger of the hand holding the body are on the bottom of the cap
  • the thumb and index finger of the hand holding the body push the cap off the body about 1/4 to 1/2 inch.
  • only after the cap has been pushed off, will the hand holding the cap lift the cap off the pen.
• Was the cartridge seated completely into the section?
• It may be a bad cartridge with a poor seal or a hole/crack/leak in it.
  • Used cartridges could be a problem, depending on what pen it was used on. The prior pen could have a wider nipple and stretched the seal to of the cartridge to the degree that it won't seal on your pen. That could let air in, and the ink in the feed would leak out.

 

Thanks for the response!

 

I always store the pens nib up. But I do leave the pen lying on the desk sometimes in between uses, and that was how it was when I picked it up to use it in this incident. I don't think the temperature rose significantly in between uses but then again someone in the house may have set down something hot next to it (it was in the kitchen). You're right that I don't take a ton of care in uncapping the pen gently (although I don't think I'm super forceful either), and in this case I also uncapped the pen when it was already nib down over the paper. I think the cartridge was completely seated but I took it out and reseated it. It hasn't done it again (I've uncapped the pen maybe ~7 times since the ink spill), yet. I have no idea what pen the cartridge was used on before...I think I removed it from a pen but that was over a year ago and I don't remember which, though it could have been several. At this point I think that might be the culprit... I'll keep an eye on it. Thanks again for your repsonse!