Pen Flusher Tool - Diy

[THRobinson]

Hey guys, not sure if best in this forum or maybe maintenance/repair... but if it needs moved I'm sure it'll be moved.

 

I'm sure many people probably have done this but, earlier this year I started getting into fountain pens beyond that of my Pilot V-Pen disposable. I like to keep my stuff clean so a couple of months ago I made my own flush using a 'recipe' found on here and YouTube.

 

In addition to using the flush (which is rare and only when changing colours completely in a pen) I wanted a better way to flush so came up with this.

 

I took one of a few syringes that I have. All plastic syringe with the curved end, I think maybe 3 for $5 off eBay, commonly used for wood glue. I cut the end off and left about 1cm / 3/8". I then took a Lamy cartridge and I think a Kaweco cartridge, and cut the very end off (not where the opening is). Cutting is very easy, syringe/cartridges are a soft plastic so I basically took an exact-o utility knife and rolled the piece back and forth beneath it and is sliced right through... don't use scissors, it'll pinch/buckle the tubes. Now, I can interchange between the two and they slide on and fit snugly onto the syringe. I can pop them into the section and slowly/carefully push water in/out. Usually I fill up a small bucket with warm water with a few drops of soap for the initial flushing pushing water in/out, then dump the water and switch to warm water without soap and flush water out only.

 

Works quite well... the Kaweco fits most of my pens, the Lamy fits my Lamy and Parker pens.

 

Just thought I'd share... cheap/easy DIY pen flusher tool.

 

And, if anyone is wondering... the flush I use is a 1:10 ratio of Pure Ammonia (not scented) and Distilled Water, with a few drops of Dawn dish soap.

 

http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a611/THRobinson/Fountain%20Pens/20151127_225632_zpsk0phgqxo.jpg

 

http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a611/THRobinson/Fountain%20Pens/20151127_225744_zpsuiaswrap.jpg

Edited November 28, 2015 by THRobinson

[mmg122]

Thanks for the tip, THRobinson! That's a pretty neat little tool you have there. I've been making my own flush (same recipe as yours) for a couple years without incident. Thanks to you, I have a neat little flusher to help me with this.

[Ink Stained Wretch]

For fountain pens that use international cartridges and Sheaffer cartridges I use an ear syringe that I fit into the back of a cut down cartridge. I get a full ounce of water I can blast through the ink channel that way.

 

I've just gotten some Platinum fountain pens that take their proprietary cartridges. I'll have to cut down one of those cartridges when I empty one and make it into a pen flusher too.

 

For Pilot cartridges the ear syringe doesn't fit well at all, so I've had to use a 10 Ml syringe on the back of a cartridge. The fit isn't great, but I can get water through the pen forcefully.

 

I'm trying to figure out how to swage the polyethylene of the Pilot cartridges so I can get the tip of the ear syringe into it better and push three times more water though the pen.

[Intellidepth]

Clever for cart pens. Like.

 

Also topical as I needed a recipe for pen flush for a couple of pigmented inks and hadn't gotten around to searching for it again yet. Thanks!

[Chrissy]

I also use an ear bulb syringe, as it holds more liquid.

[THRobinson]

@ MMG122 and INTELLIDEPTH - You're welcome.

 

 

I debated the ear bulb syringe, but already had the glue syringe(s)... plus I can plunger in/out/in/out over and over faster and with more force for really gunk... ie. that J.Herbin Pouiserre de Lune... absolutely LOVE the colour/shading, my favourite ink so far... absolutely hate the ink itself. Drips out of half my pens. My Parker Urban, I left it for the past week unused, and yesterday all around the feed was a big red/violet clumpy mess... it's a love/hate ink.

[Tyrosh22]

Clever construction! Thanks for sharing

[Forsooth]

Very nice idea, which I will use. Thanks.

[deepak23]

Great idea...

[PaperQueen]

Dang...wish I'd thought of that! Thanks for the share.

[THRobinson]

@ PaperQueen... ha, saw your signature, and right below my monitor is a row of 10 blue-black ink samples because I still haven't found the right shade either.

[PaperQueen]

@ PaperQueen... ha, saw your signature, and right below my monitor is a row of 10 blue-black ink samples because I still haven't found the right shade either.

Oh, how I appreciate that in a person.

 

Of course, now I'm also seeking the perfect black red. I need a life. :::sigh:::

[Ink Stained Wretch]

Oh, how I appreciate that in a person.

 

Of course, now I'm also seeking the perfect black red. I need a life. :::sigh:::

 

Have you tried Noodler's Red/Black ink? I've been using it in one of my "outdoor" pens for years. Nice ink.

[alexander_k]

Very clever. Thanks for sharing.

[PaperQueen]

Have you tried Noodler's Red/Black ink? I've been using it in one of my "outdoor" pens for years. Nice ink.

 

Hmmm...might need to revisit that one. From onscreen swatches (Anderson, Goulet), I thought it looked a bit brownish. Might just be the monitor, though, sooooooooooooo time to order a sample.

 

Thanks for the suggestion.

[THRobinson]

It's hard to tell... I know they say they calibrate the colour samples, but, never looks quite the same when I get it. I understand, different papers, pens, etc are a factor but sometimes it's way off.

 

My screen is calibrated, I do freelance design work and some photography so, my display is pretty accurate.

 

Usually when I scan/photo something I need to show colour accurately, I also photo/scan a neutral 18% grey card and use to set as the white balance. Not sure what method they use.

 

... red/black wise I have no suggestions. I had about 8 reds on my desk trying to find one I liked that was a good, clean, deep red... no luck. I have a bottle of Eel Rattler Red that has grown on me and use it. Bit darker than what I was after, wanted more contrast between the red and black but, still looks good with nice shading.

[cptdean]

Excellent contraption, and I already have everything I need! Thanks!

[amberleadavis]

Great idea!

[the_gasman]

I use a similar set-up except that I have put a small piece of silicon tubing onto the conical end of the syringe. The advantage of that is that the diameter of the tubing is both small enough to accommodate my range of cut-off cartridges (Platinum, Parker, Lamy, and Diamine standard international) and also stretchable enough to go around the section of most of my vintage pens. For the latter I neither glue the sacs onto the section nor shellac the section onto the barrel. So regular flushing of the oldies (mostly lever-fillers) is as convenient as rinsing the cartridge/converter youngsters. The washing interval for the geriatric crowd is in months, whereas the bairns get doused every few weeks. It's a similar to the differential ablution timetables in residential nursing homes and homes with young growing families I suppose.

 

Cheers,

David.

[thott]

I use the following for my MB Boheme:

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/5096-montblanc-cleaning-cartridge/?p=2839209

 

Greetings

Thomas