Sailor Nib/feed Distance

[The-Thinker]

Is increasing the distance between nib and feed increase or decrease ink flow? Why?(concerned about sailors specifically)

[BaronWulfraed]

I expect an expert to chime in but... My thought experiments would be:

 

Too large a gap between nib and feed would break the capillary surface tension, and prevent ink from flowing at all.

 

Too tight a gap (feed pressed solidly to nib) will leave ONLY the slit in the feed providing ink to the slit in the nib.

 

Somewhere between would allow a thin film of ink to fill the space between nib and feed, providing a buffer from which ink can be drawn while writing (should this draw be faster than the feed slit itself can keep up).

 

This relates to what I think is a problem with one of my recent Conklin pens -- the fins in the feed are so deep, and are aligned with a large relief hole in the nib, that the only passage of ink is via the slit in the feed. There is no film between nib and feed extending from the section side of the relief hole to the tip side as there is no feed <> nib contact bridging the two sides.

[siamackz]

Too much of a gap and ink wont flow. but I cant see why too tight would be an issue. By design, feeds are supposed to transport ink through the ink channels anyway, so I dont think a thin gap needs to be kept between nib and feed IMHO

[The-Thinker]

I expect an expert to chime in but... My thought experiments would be:

 

Too large a gap between nib and feed would break the capillary surface tension, and prevent ink from flowing at all.

 

Too tight a gap (feed pressed solidly to nib) will leave ONLY the slit in the feed providing ink to the slit in the nib.

 

Somewhere between would allow a thin film of ink to fill the space between nib and feed, providing a buffer from which ink can be drawn while writing (should this draw be faster than the feed slit itself can keep up).

 

This relates to what I think is a problem with one of my recent Conklin pens -- the fins in the feed are so deep, and are aligned with a large relief hole in the nib, that the only passage of ink is via the slit in the feed. There is no film between nib and feed extending from the section side of the relief hole to the tip side as there is no feed <> nib contact bridging the two sides.

 

so a balance between too tight hugging the feed and releasing should result in a wet writing

[The-Thinker]

Too much of a gap and ink wont flow. but I cant see why too tight would be an issue. By design, feeds are supposed to transport ink through the ink channels anyway, so I dont think a thin gap needs to be kept between nib and feed IMHO

i tried to find a reason online and could not find any, i tried to increase the feed and nib distance, it made the flow worse and dry, on the other hand i tried to make the distance approximately touching made the flow wetter

[siamackz]

i tried to find a reason online and could not find any, i tried to increase the feed and nib distance, it made the flow worse and dry, on the other hand i tried to make the distance approximately touching made the flow wetter

Yes I would imagine the closer the feed is to the nib the better. With vintage pens that have ebonite feed we often HEAT SET the feed and nib by heating the feed and nib and pressing them tightly together. So, a tight fit cannot be a problem. On the other hand, a gap between the feed and nib is not desirable.

[The-Thinker]

Yes I would imagine the closer the feed is to the nib the better. With vintage pens that have ebonite feed we often HEAT SET the feed and nib by heating the feed and nib and pressing them tightly together. So, a tight fit cannot be a problem. On the other hand, a gap between the feed and nib is not desirable.

 

i am not sure if i heat set the feed will even make the pen wetter ! what is your thought ?

[siamackz]

 

i am not sure if i heat set the feed will even make the pen wetter ! what is your thought ?

If the pen is working fine now I wouldnt mess with it. I would heat set a pen only if the distance is an issue and capillary action is clearly affected. Making the pen wetter is another thing - that requires tuning the nib a little by opening the tines (but this is assuming there is no issue between nib and feed gap in the first place)