Plastic Ink?

[dcwaites]

Thanks a lot for the encouraging words, Sandy. I didn't give up on the idea yet. I found out that they sell recycled plastic powder for plastic coatings. That powder is much finer than I ground. It might work with the proper binding agent.

 

I just couldn't find the right agent yet.

 

Sumi ink is carbon (soot) with a little glue, pressed into a block. The glue here is animal glue made from cow hide or other animal skin. A similar glue can be made using fish bones and skin. Isinglass is a glue made from the swim bladder of the sturgeon.

 

If you want a glue that will stay in solution with your plastic ink particles until it dries, perhaps diluted PVC glue might work.

[bgordebak]

If you want a glue that will stay in solution with your plastic ink particles until it dries, perhaps diluted PVC glue might work.

Thanks, that's the kind of answer I expected. I have some PVC based wood glue, I think I will try it first.

 

And PVC is kinda hard when dry, it might also work in a plastic pencil. Not sure though.

 

I'll report back when I tried it.

 

Edit: And ironically, a waterproof glue might be better for the nature, so the plastic dust remains in one piece.

Edited June 4, 2017 by bgordebak

[bgordebak]

My wood glue was PVA based, I just tried it, and it works. It's much better than my other experiment.

 

I'm not sending a sample, because you wouldn't see much. I just tried with very little dust.

 

But apparently PVA or PVC is the way to go.

 

Now I need a lot of finely ground plastic powder to make experiments.

 

Edit: dcwaites, you're awesome. Thanks!

 

Edit: further experiments might prove me wrong, so I need to make experiments until I have a clear writing in plastic color.

 

Edit: and I just had the idea of clear acrylic paint. It's density is about water's. If I can suspend the plastic in clear acrylic, it might work also. I might be trying to make paint instead of ink. And now I think, my first experiment might be a good paint. It was a bit dense for an ink, but just good for a paint. Hmm...

Edited June 4, 2017 by bgordebak

[Astronymus]

 

Not to be frosty, but if the iron-gall ink in all the archives presented a bio-hazard, would they be disposed of?

Hi, probably not. As such hazard wouldn't have been known when the ink was in use and the documents are already historical artefacts. Yet precautions would be made. Like artifacts containing asbestos or radioactive isotopes are nowadays stored under special conditions.

[Astronymus]

Edit: and I just had the idea of clear acrylic paint. It's density is about water's. If I can suspend the plastic in clear acrylic, it might work also. I might be trying to make paint instead of ink. And now I think, my first experiment might be a good paint. It was a bit dense for an ink, but just good for a paint. Hmm...

Acrylic paint will ruin your fountain pen the moment it dries in. When dried it won't be water-soluble anymore and cleaning the pen might desolve it as well. You may use it with a dip pen.

[bgordebak]

Acrylic paint will ruin your fountain pen the moment it dries in. When dried it won't be water-soluble anymore and cleaning the pen might desolve it as well. You may use it with a dip pen.

Yeah, I know that. I thought about using acrylic paint to make paint this way. But I think it'd be too expensive. A cheap waterproof glue is a better solution for a paint. I wouldn't use any waterproof glue in a fountain pen either. Only if it's water soluble and with fine enough pigments.

[tamiya]

Thanks a lot for the encouraging words, Sandy. I didn't give up on the idea yet. I found out that they sell recycled plastic powder for plastic coatings. That powder is much finer than I ground. It might work with the proper binding agent.

I just couldn't find the right agent yet.

Powder coating.

 

Tattoo ink.

 

[AL01]

Could it work on fountain pens?

 

(Was that a stupid question??)

[bgordebak]

Could it work on fountain pens?

 

(Was that a stupid question??)

It's not a stupid question at all! Maybe... If the pigments are small enough and the binding agent is water-soluble. So at least you could clean the pen if it gets clogged.

[AL01]

Hmmm......

 

Now think of a potential company name. (Keep it native, ya know. )

 

You have a good idea.

 

It should work out well.

 

You have my full support.

[bgordebak]

Hmmm......

 

Now think of a potential company name. (Keep it native, ya know. )

 

You have a good idea.

 

It should work out well.

 

You have my full support.

Thanks a lot! If it doesn't work as an ink, maybe I can make paint out of it.

[AL01]

Hmmm.... Even that prospect is interesting. Please let us know how things go.

[bgordebak]

Hmmm.... Even that prospect is interesting. Please let us know how things go.

Sure!

[snowbear]

You touched on acrylic paint, but there is also acrylic ink. I use it in dip pens, regularly.

[bgordebak]

You touched on acrylic paint, but there is also acrylic ink. I use it in dip pens, regularly.

Yeah, thanks. I didn't know that.

[graystranger]

Gum arabic is a water soluble gum powder that is used to thicken inks for use in dip pens. It is readily available from art supply stores. It is also a binder as it dries on the paper with the ink.

 

I think your biggest hurdle is getting the plastic powders to be opaque. You may have to use powdered black plastic powder for black ink, dark blue plastic powder for blue ink, etc.

 

By making an ink for dip pens you have much more leeway than an ink for fountain pens. Much more forgiving. You mentioned adjusting the density of the fluid to prevent the powder from settling out. A higher viscosity fluid and very fine particles will overcome density differences between the fluid and the powder, and prevent or greatly slow down separation due to density differences.

[bgordebak]

Gum arabic is a water soluble gum powder that is used to thicken inks for use in dip pens. It is readily available from art supply stores. It is also a binder as it dries on the paper with the ink.

 

I think your biggest hurdle is getting the plastic powders to be opaque. You may have to use powdered black plastic powder for black ink, dark blue plastic powder for blue ink, etc.

 

By making an ink for dip pens you have much more leeway than an ink for fountain pens. Much more forgiving. You mentioned adjusting the density of the fluid to prevent the powder from settling out. A higher viscosity fluid and very fine particles will overcome density differences between the fluid and the powder, and prevent or greatly slow down separation due to density differences.

Thank you for the comment. I believe gum arabic is waterproof when dry, so it's not very eco-friendly.

 

But other points, I agree.

[Astronymus]

You can eat it if you are not allergic to it. It's completly degradeable. You can't go more eco than this. Waterproofness says nothing about ecological characteristics.

Edited June 9, 2017 by Astron

[bgordebak]

You can eat it if you are not allergic to it. It's completly degradeable. You can't go more eco than this. Waterproofness says nothing about ecological characteristics.

Oh, I didn't know that. So I need to try gum arabic then. Thanks!

Edited June 9, 2017 by bgordebak

[graystranger]

Thank you for the comment. I believe gum arabic is waterproof when dry, so it's not very eco-friendly.

 

But other points, I agree.

Gum arabic is a natural gum it comes from a plant. It is not waterproof, as you dissolve the dry gum easily in water to get the viscosity you need. It is a natural, biodegradable material, not man made. Look it up on Wikipedia. Been used for thousands of years for many things. It will not pollute, and the tiny amount in ink on a page is insignificant anyway. I think it is used in many food products, like ice creams, etc.