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Capless/Decimo: silicone cap ideas to seal the section from drying out in storage


Intensity

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Posting this in Repair Q&A, since this is more of a brainstorming topic. 

 

I love Pilot Decimo pens and have a bunch of them--7 to be specific.  Many are limited editions, so repair or replacement is difficult.  Some dry out more easily than others.  Some of that has to do with how well all the parts are seated during reassembly, some has to do with how clean the section is (removing any residual ink splatter from the latch area periodically).  But all of mine have relatively quick ink dry-out time on the feed.  Some inks are worse than others for this, such as my beloved Sailor nano-pigment Kiwa Guro, or currently Colorverse Extra Dimension which I'm enjoying very much.  Nothing like clicking the pen to extend the nib and trying to write and experiencing terrible hard starts or even just very uneven flow.

 

*Echoing voice" : It came to me in a vision...   Basically I thought: "why not have a silicone cap for the section that can be placed on the pen for overnight storage.  The section is not entirely symmetrical because of the clip.  So either the silicone cap needs to be very flexible to stretch around uneven parts, or else molded for the section precisely.

 

Has anyone else had a similar illuminating moment and already found something that could be used for this purpose?

 

The reason I say silicone specifically is because it's soft for the chromed sections and also non-reactive (low reactive?), plus doesn't really release any odd outgassing to react with any pen parts or ink.

“I admit it, I'm surprised that fountain pens are a hobby. ... it's a bit like stumbling into a fork convention - when you've used a fork all your life.” 

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1 hour ago, Intensity said:

Has anyone else had a similar illuminating moment

 

Not me.

 

1 hour ago, Intensity said:

and already found something that could be used for this purpose?

 

Why not just try ear plug, one type after another, until you find something that works best? On an individual unit basis, they're cheap, so you can control how much money and how long you want to spend on the research phase before concluding which one is the best (or most acceptable) solution going forward.

I endeavour to be frank and truthful in what I write, show or otherwise present, when I relate my first-hand experiences that are not independently verifiable; and link to third-party content where I can, when I make a claim or refute a statement of fact in a thread. If there is something you can verify for yourself, I entreat you to do so, and judge for yourself what is right, correct, and valid. I may be wrong, and my position or say-so is no more authoritative and carries no more weight than anyone else's here.

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What do you mean by an ear plug?  Those foamy kinds?  They do not have a hole in them.  And they'd need to stretch a lot to fit over even the narrower Decimo section, even more over the standard size VP/Capless.  I mean something like a conical cap made of silicone.

“I admit it, I'm surprised that fountain pens are a hobby. ... it's a bit like stumbling into a fork convention - when you've used a fork all your life.” 

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4 hours ago, Intensity said:

Those foamy kinds?  They do not have a hole in them.

 

473961213_Tapered3Mslow-recoveryfoamearplugsindifferentcolours.jpg.2134720b5952d27178f119ef4186193d.jpg

 

So cut a narrow slit into it with a craft knife, then jam the nose cone of the Pilot Capless pen inside! The foam will conform to the shape of the intruder without causing damage; the only question is whether the ear plug-cum-cap will permit moisture to get into the material, in the way unsealed wooden pen caps tend to be really bad at preventing ink evaporation, or whether that's sufficient to keep the feed from drying and causing hard starts after a day or two.

 

I doubt that the ones already with holes cut into them as part of the product design would be better for the purpose.

 

940338430_MacksDreamgirlSoftFoamEarplugs.jpg.ea8242ceb846e65277b452b90123739a.jpg

 

4 hours ago, Intensity said:

I mean something like a conical cap made of silicone.

 

There are moldable ear plugs made of silicone.

I endeavour to be frank and truthful in what I write, show or otherwise present, when I relate my first-hand experiences that are not independently verifiable; and link to third-party content where I can, when I make a claim or refute a statement of fact in a thread. If there is something you can verify for yourself, I entreat you to do so, and judge for yourself what is right, correct, and valid. I may be wrong, and my position or say-so is no more authoritative and carries no more weight than anyone else's here.

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I haven't had that problem with my Decimos.  But try this...  Watch the closed trap door carefully while you unscrew the back end of the barrel.  If you see it move, then the door is not closing completely, which would allow the pen to dry out.  That would suggest that maybe the cartridge or converter isn't seated completely.

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I had dry-out problems with my first Decimo, and it turned out that the shoulders of I think the nib assembly had to be ground down a little bit.  Then it worked well... until I lost the pen the same weekend.... :wallbash:

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

"It's very nice, but frankly, when I signed that list for a P-51, what I had in mind was a fountain pen."

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Hm I'll have another look.  But all 7 of my VP Decimos and 1 standard Vanishing Point behave this way, to varying degree.  Most of them were bought brand new and behaved like that out of the box.  I try to push the converters in really well.  I use a refilled cartridge with one of them.  I'm a bit spoiled by pens like Sailor Pro Gears and modern Pelikans that seal really well.

“I admit it, I'm surprised that fountain pens are a hobby. ... it's a bit like stumbling into a fork convention - when you've used a fork all your life.” 

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51 minutes ago, Intensity said:

I'm a bit spoiled by pens like Sailor Pro Gears and modern Pelikans that seal really well.

 

Pilot pens in the Custom line — including even the Kaede, in spite of the wooden cap — also seal very well, as does the Elite 95S. Among the gold-nibbed pens, I'm dissatisfied only with the Pilot Capless models (of the ‘knock’ type) with regard to preventing ink evaporation when the pen is unused, but even then they're no slouch, and perform better than the Pilot MR (which doesn't have a gold nib, but that's by the by). I used a matt black Vanishing Point pen filled with Sailor Kiwaguro as my EDC for several years, back when I was working in an office, and never really had problems with it hard-starting after even a long weekend. A converter's fill of ink left untouched wouldn't last six months without drying out, but I certainly have faith that it can last four or even six weeks.

I endeavour to be frank and truthful in what I write, show or otherwise present, when I relate my first-hand experiences that are not independently verifiable; and link to third-party content where I can, when I make a claim or refute a statement of fact in a thread. If there is something you can verify for yourself, I entreat you to do so, and judge for yourself what is right, correct, and valid. I may be wrong, and my position or say-so is no more authoritative and carries no more weight than anyone else's here.

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Some of that might be the function of the nib tipping size too.  Most of my Decimos have EF nib units.  So less ink sitting at the tipping ready to flow out.  They hard-start more easily.  Normally I clean the pens really thoroughly and assemble with all the parts being as tightly connected as possible.

“I admit it, I'm surprised that fountain pens are a hobby. ... it's a bit like stumbling into a fork convention - when you've used a fork all your life.” 

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How about a Finger Cot? There are several variations on Amazon, for example. Some look like a small condom, others are more moulded looking. Very flexible, fit tight.

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Hm curious, but wrong material.  Not durable for the long-term.  Probably too large diameter too.  I'm thinking of something like a molded silicone cap in whatever random color.

368c90eaa4b301931f1caf9bb412.jpg

 

rubber-silicone-cone.jpg

 

These are some of the google image search results for Silicone Cone Cap.

 

images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQCEKBa4WzsTRCJ8vuo7JF

The diameter of the pen where the section meets the barrel is 10.3mm, as measured by my calipers.  I've found a 3/8" set of silicone caps in dark green on Amazon, might try those out if I don't find anything better.

“I admit it, I'm surprised that fountain pens are a hobby. ... it's a bit like stumbling into a fork convention - when you've used a fork all your life.” 

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