How long to flush pen?

I have an old Sheaffer desk pen with a snorkel filling system. I had not
used it for a while so I decided to flush it out with water. After a series
of warm water flushes the water was less intensely blue but still quite
blue.
I let it soak over night in about an inch of water. The next day I flushed
it several more times and the water was still blue.
After the third day the water was close to clear.
I let it soak 2 more days and there is still a little blue in the water that
is ejected from the snorkel.
I realize that I should have flushed it more often, but is there any way to
speed up this process?
Should I just flush it periodically and not try to get the water completely
clear?

Or does it really matter as long as the pen works and writes well?

TIA

Jeff

What kind of ink are you using? -- B



"Charter" wrote in message
...
I have an old Sheaffer desk pen with a snorkel filling system. I had
not used it for a while so I decided to flush it out with water.
After a series of warm water flushes the water was less intensely
blue but still quite blue.
I let it soak over night in about an inch of water. The next day I
flushed it several more times and the water was still blue.
After the third day the water was close to clear.
I let it soak 2 more days and there is still a little blue in the
water that is ejected from the snorkel.
I realize that I should have flushed it more often, but is there any
way to speed up this process?
Should I just flush it periodically and not try to get the water
completely clear?

Or does it really matter as long as the pen works and writes well?

TIA

Jeff

Sheaffer Skrip currently. But I used Namiki blue in the past.


"BL" wrote in message
news:dMHFh.4089$Tg7.3582@trnddc03...
What kind of ink are you using? -- B



"Charter" wrote in message
...
I have an old Sheaffer desk pen with a snorkel filling system. I had not
used it for a while so I decided to flush it out with water. After a
series of warm water flushes the water was less intensely blue but still
quite blue.
I let it soak over night in about an inch of water. The next day I
flushed it several more times and the water was still blue.
After the third day the water was close to clear.
I let it soak 2 more days and there is still a little blue in the water
that is ejected from the snorkel.
I realize that I should have flushed it more often, but is there any way
to speed up this process?
Should I just flush it periodically and not try to get the water
completely clear?

Or does it really matter as long as the pen works and writes well?

TIA

Jeff

On Mar 2, 8:56 am, "Charter" wrote:
Sheaffer Skrip currently. But I used Namiki blue in the past.

"BL" wrote in message

news:dMHFh.4089$Tg7.3582@trnddc03...



What kind of ink are you using? -- B

"Charter" wrote in message
...
I have an old Sheaffer desk pen with a snorkel filling system. I had not
used it for a while so I decided to flush it out with water. After a
series of warm water flushes the water was less intensely blue but still
quite blue.
I let it soak over night in about an inch of water. The next day I
flushed it several more times and the water was still blue.
After the third day the water was close to clear.
I let it soak 2 more days and there is still a little blue in the water
that is ejected from the snorkel.
I realize that I should have flushed it more often, but is there any way
to speed up this process?
Should I just flush it periodically and not try to get the water
completely clear?

Or does it really matter as long as the pen works and writes well?

TIA

Jeff- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

the problem with vintage pens is that theyre high maintainance.
especially ones with complex mechanisms like the snorkel. As far as i
can tell, you were cutting it pretty fine. its lucky that the ink
residue had not built up enough yet to destroy your pen. the thing is
that your pen will be pretty hard to repair if it gets clogged because
of its many parts. snorkel repairs are a nightmare.
as a solution to frequent cleaning, use less pigmented ink, such as
lamy turquoise. this way, youll only need to clean out once in every 2
months instead of 2 weeks. hope this helped. (wish i had a snorkel...)

"Charter" wrote in message
...
Sheaffer Skrip currently. But I used Namiki blue in the past.


"BL" wrote in message
news:dMHFh.4089$Tg7.3582@trnddc03...
What kind of ink are you using? -- B



"Charter" wrote in message
...
I have an old Sheaffer desk pen with a snorkel filling system. I had not
used it for a while so I decided to flush it out with water. After a
series of warm water flushes the water was less intensely blue but still
quite blue.
I let it soak over night in about an inch of water. The next day I
flushed it several more times and the water was still blue.
After the third day the water was close to clear.
I let it soak 2 more days and there is still a little blue in the water
that is ejected from the snorkel.
I realize that I should have flushed it more often, but is there any way
to speed up this process?
Should I just flush it periodically and not try to get the water
completely clear?

Or does it really matter as long as the pen works and writes well?

TIA

Jeff



I've never gotten clear water flushing a pen.
Snorkel, rubber sack, piston.
Except for Esterbrooks, soak the nib for a few days, flush the insides
with
the nib out. Even then there is some residual tint.
Maybe there is a way.
Does it matter?
If you were using black and you are now switching to orange or pink you'll
probably
need to get it cleaner than if you are sticking to darker shades.

If I half fill it with water and then shake it I'll get a more intense tint
down the drain,
and repeat repeat repeat.
Maybe that will help.


I have a feeling that there will always be some residue that will tint water
but at some point it won't affect the ink's color as it appears to the human
eye.

I've been putting off cleaning a bunch of pens for a while. Not a fun task.
Not critical for me though, I fell for black ink a few years ago you know,
never went back.
Mr Binder has nine pens in the shop which I hope to get in the next month or
so.
I'll be a-cleaning and a-filling when they show up.

JP

There was a thread a long time ago, on here, about people who dedicate
a particular ink to each of their pens. It's practical. Even with
flushing, that residue may tint the next ink fill, immediate or weeks
later. Some poeople liked to match the ink and pen barrel colors.

Although with a new pen it may take a few tries to form the perfect
marriage between pen and a particular ink. I've had pens that
wouldn't work well for years, until I changed the particular ink brand
and color. Some inks are heavier or lighter, and some pens have a
generous or stingy flow.

"Charter" wrote:

Sheaffer Skrip currently. But I used Namiki blue in
the past.

Don't worry about it. You're never going to get it perfectly clean.
Just flush it a few times and give it a good shake. -- B

"yland45" wrote:

the problem with vintage pens is that theyre high
maintainance.

I would have to disagree with this. Some of the lowest maintenance
pens on the planet are vintage pens. What's lower maintenance than a
'50s Pelikan or a Parker 51 Aerometric filler.

especially ones with complex mechanisms like the
snorkel. As far as i can tell, you were cutting it
pretty fine. its lucky that the ink residue had not
built up enough yet to destroy your pen.

Well, even if the ink had dried up in there, it wouldn't have
destroyed the pen (assuming the ink that dried in the pen was water
soluble and not permanent India ink or something like that). He wasn't
cutting it fine at all. In fact, he was worrying too much. A tiny bit
of ink left in the filler after rinsing (e.g., enough the tint the
water a bit) isn't going to hurt the pen at all. Overzealous cleaning
may.

the thing is that your pen will be pretty hard to
repair if it gets clogged because of its many parts.
snorkel repairs are a nightmare.

Have you ever done it? It's not that hard. Really.

as a solution to frequent cleaning, use less
pigmented ink, such as lamy turquoise. this way,
youll only need to clean out once in every 2
months instead of 2 weeks. hope this helped. (wish i
had a snorkel...)

I have a some Lamy Turquoise here. It's nice ink. I don't think it's
less dye-saturated (these inks contain dye, not pigment) than Skrip or
Pilot/Namiki inks. Both Skrip and Pilot/Namiki inks are very high
quality, safe inks. -- B

JP wrote:
If I half fill it with water and then shake it I'll get a more intense
tint down the drain,

That does help -- the air/water boundary seems to smack the film of ink and
helps to break it up (a little like propeller cavitation, I guess).

and repeat repeat repeat.

Ja.

Brian
--

"Charter" wrote in message
...
I have an old Sheaffer desk pen with a snorkel filling system. I had not
used it for a while

How long is a while?

so I decided to flush it out with water. After a series of warm water
flushes the water was less intensely blue but still quite blue.
I let it soak over night in about an inch of water. The next day I
flushed it several more times and the water was still blue.
After the third day the water was close to clear.
I let it soak 2 more days and there is still a little blue in the water
that is ejected from the snorkel.
I realize that I should have flushed it more often, but is there any way
to speed up this process?

Sometimes, distilled water loosens dried ink somewhat faster. Even when my
pens flush clear, using distilled water at the end gets more color out.

Should I just flush it periodically and not try to get the water
completely clear?

Or does it really matter as long as the pen works and writes well?

It's best to get it clear and flush it out more often afterwards so the
inside parts don't get ink build-up.

--
~~Bluesea~~
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