running low on ink...how to fill?

hi,
i have had a waterman phileas for about a year and a half and have been
filling it via converter. my ink supply is running a bit low (the
bottle is maybe a third full) and i am starting to have problems filling
my pen. i can barely get the entire nib submerged in the ink. pretty
soon i wont be able to fill it at all. theres plenty of good ink left
in the bottle, how do i get it into my pen if i cant submerge the entire
nib?
thank you much for any help
adam

Adam Bailey wrote:
hi,
i have had a waterman phileas for about a year and a half and have been
filling it via converter. my ink supply is running a bit low (the
bottle is maybe a third full) and i am starting to have problems filling
my pen. i can barely get the entire nib submerged in the ink. pretty
soon i wont be able to fill it at all. theres plenty of good ink left
in the bottle, how do i get it into my pen if i cant submerge the entire
nib?
thank you much for any help
adam

One short answer is that you're going to have to buy some new ink
sometime, and if you buy another bottle of the same ink, you can mix 'em
together.

Another answer is that some ink bottles are better than others.
Waterman bottles are designed so you can tip them onto one of their
facets (this always gives me the heebie-jeebies). Mont Blanc bottles
have a well, separated by a weir from the rest of the bottle: the only
MB product *everyone* will agree is good is their inkbottles, though I
could wish the well a little deeper. Lamy bottles have a depression at
the bottom, so you can always get the nib submerged. Old Sheaffer
bottles had a well at the side. The bottles in which Parker's
discontinued Penman came had a plastic insert at the top, which I think
is neat, and I use these with my current inks.

The real answer is that the entire profitability of the ink business
depends on the ink you have to buy and throw away because you can't get
at it :-)

Michael Wright wrote:

Adam Bailey wrote:
hi,
i have had a waterman phileas for about a year and a half and have been
filling it via converter. my ink supply is running a bit low (the
bottle is maybe a third full) and i am starting to have problems filling
my pen. i can barely get the entire nib submerged in the ink. pretty
soon i wont be able to fill it at all. theres plenty of good ink left
in the bottle, how do i get it into my pen if i cant submerge the entire
nib?
thank you much for any help
adam

One short answer is that you're going to have to buy some new ink
sometime, and if you buy another bottle of the same ink, you can mix 'em
together.

Another answer is that some ink bottles are better than others.
Waterman bottles are designed so you can tip them onto one of their
facets (this always gives me the heebie-jeebies). Mont Blanc bottles
have a well, separated by a weir from the rest of the bottle: the only
MB product *everyone* will agree is good is their inkbottles, though I
could wish the well a little deeper. Lamy bottles have a depression at
the bottom, so you can always get the nib submerged. Old Sheaffer
bottles had a well at the side. The bottles in which Parker's
discontinued Penman came had a plastic insert at the top, which I think
is neat, and I use these with my current inks.

The real answer is that the entire profitability of the ink business
depends on the ink you have to buy and throw away because you can't get
at it :-)

You could always syringe-fill. Good to the last drop!

On Fri, 26 Mar 2004 16:43:21 -0500, Adam Bailey
wrote:

hi,
i have had a waterman phileas for about a year and a half and have been
filling it via converter. my ink supply is running a bit low (the
bottle is maybe a third full) and i am starting to have problems filling
my pen. i can barely get the entire nib submerged in the ink. pretty
soon i wont be able to fill it at all. theres plenty of good ink left
in the bottle, how do i get it into my pen if i cant submerge the entire
nib?
thank you much for any help
adam

well - first and easiest - remove the converter and fill it directly
rather than filling it through the nib. This can get a bit messy with
some bottles. it means you might want to push a couple of drops back
through the nib after you reinstall the converter.

the second is to use a syringe or a pipet. I believe the syringes sold
to refill inkjet cartridges should be narrow enough to fit into the
opening of the converter. I think there are other sorts of "syringes"
such as for basting that might have a small enough tip. I use
standard medical syringes with needles. But depending on where you
live these can either be wonderfully easy to get or very difficult to
get. I live in Texas and there is no requirement for prescription or
"proof of need" here. I can get them from the vet or from any on-line
vet supply company (I have bought from Fosters and Smith in the past.)

Pipets might be more readily available - almost any scientific lab
supply catalog will have "plastic transfer pipets." I buy the ones
with very fine tips because I use them for mixing but they're great
for refilling cartridges and such too. or just transferring ink into
a better bottle! :-)

HTH,
kcat

Adam Bailey wrote:
my ink supply is running a bit low..
i can barely get the entire nib submerged in the ink.

I save the tiny caps that cover salon hairsprays, not the big ones like
your mother used. These things are teensy. They're big enough for your
nib or one finger tip. They originally covered the spray part of the
bottle. When your ink supply is low, pour your ink into it and you can
get almost to last drop. Pour the remainder into the ink bottle.

I use a wide curved dental syringe to transfer ink. MaryAnn from Ink
Palette sells a good syringe too. Sam from Pendemonium sells good
inexpensive pipettes. I have all of them, but always go back to the
curved dull dental syringe that my dentist gave me.

N

On Sat, 27 Mar 2004 10:03:35 +1200, Michael Wright
wrote:

One short answer is that you're going to have to buy some new ink
sometime, and if you buy another bottle of the same ink, you can mix 'em
together.

Generally not a good idea. Ink can accumulated contaminants as it
ages. Mixing old ink with new ink may contaminate the new ink.

The bottles in which Parker's
discontinued Penman came had a plastic insert at the top, which I think
is neat, and I use these with my current inks.

I don't believe these inserts help loading the last dregs of ink
though.

The real answer is that the entire profitability of the ink business
depends on the ink you have to buy and throw away because you can't get
at it :-)
The founder of Heinz used to say that what made him wealthy was the
ketchup that people left oin their plate.


A way to handle the problem:
for a bottle to get so low in ink, you had to have had it for quite a
while. The was some evaporation, so add some water. That will bring it
up.

After temporarily pour the ink into a shot glass.

"Nancy Handy" wrote in message
. ..
snip

... MaryAnn from Ink Palette...

AnnMarie


--
~~Bluesea~~
Spam is great in musubi but not in email.
Please take out the trash before sending a direct reply.

Bluesea wrote:

... MaryAnn from Ink Palette...

AnnMarie

Oopsie, I know a lot of people named MaryAnn and only one AnnMarie, and
I'll never get that straight.

Now spell her last name correctly and I'll really be impressed. ; )

"Nancy Handy" wrote in message
.. .
Bluesea wrote:

... MaryAnn from Ink Palette...

AnnMarie

Oopsie, I know a lot of people named MaryAnn and only one AnnMarie, and
I'll never get that straight.

Now spell her last name correctly and I'll really be impressed. ; )

:P

H-a-u-t-a-n-i-e-m-i


--
~~Bluesea~~
Spam is great in musubi but not in email.
Please take out the trash before sending a direct reply.

Bluesea wrote:

Now spell her last name correctly and I'll really be impressed. ; )


:P
H-a-u-t-a-n-i-e-m-i

Wow, you ARE good!
I'll bet you were a spelling champ in school.
No spell checkers needed for you!