Fountain Pen InkFountain pen ink is a rather complex medium. A blend of solvents, pigments, dyes and water the characteristics of the ink you use will make quite a difference in your writing experience.
The Controlled DripInk and your fountain pen, well it is really a controlled drip. Gravity and the capillary action of water is what it is all about. Slots allow ink to flow out and air to flow back. That's it. That is how the pen works. Edson Waterman is credited with inventing the the fountain pen with this simple mechanism.
Water and DyesFountain pen ink is basically water with dyes and other chemicals required for proper function. Stay away from Indian or drafting inks unless you want to say good-bye to your favorite pen.
The chemicals creates the properties of of the ink. The appropriate surface tension -- viscosity, the colour saturation -- dyes. As well there are antibacterial additions are included so the ink does not grow new life in the bottle and muck up in inside of your pen!
A good part of the "ink experience" is often summarized as how it flows. It is a "wet ink" bsdrf on its degree of viscosity.
Water has a surface tension of about 73 dynes/cm and fountain pen inks have a surface tension that is lower. Typically between 38 and 45 dynes/cm. From what I have read, if the surface tension value is above 45, then the ink tends not to run through the capillary system of the feed and the pen skips. If the rating gets below 38 then the ink just runs and the flow of ink has less control.
A number of years ago, I had the opportunity to visit the Waterman pen factory in Nantes, France where they make all their inks. At Waterman, a basic ink is used for the base and then dyes are added to create specific colours. Waterman decides on the "blend" of chemicals so that the ink has an appropriate amount of surface tension, flow and drying time assessed as best for their pens. Each manufacturer has their formula. So they say. But some companies use common inks. They just change the bottle.
Are there permanent inks?Yes there are. But not really because of the ink itself, but because of a chemical reaction of chemicals in the ink to cellulose - one of the properties of paper. These permanent inks use cellulose reactive dyes. As the ink companies say, the dyes are water soluble so there is no effect or damage to the pen. When the ink is in the bottle all is normal. But when the dyes react with cellulose in paper and after the ink dries the ink becomes waterproof and permanent.
I have purchased a number of the permanent inks by Noodler's Ink and tested how they lasted when held under water. Pretty good. Each had a slightly different amount of "run". Oh yes, there is cellulose in those cotton shirts so when you drop these permanent inks on your clothes, well its permanent!
Will inks stain your pen? Some will. Inks in the red, violet and pink colours are more likely to stain the container sectionof the pen. I have a pen that I used Pelikan Purple for many years. Yep, the plastic convertor does have a purple tone to it that is there for life. The blue tone inks are generally the least likely to stain, but then again, if you get some of the highly intense colours that general guide starts to fade.
Inks of ChoiceIn using many of the inks I find that I am reaching for some bottles more than others. These are the small number of inks that are my Inks of Choice.
But in the end, your ink experience is a combination of: the type of ink used, the nib of the pen (fine to broad nibs lay different amounts of ink on the paper) and the paper itself.
Mixing Your Own ColoursThis is a big-time activity. Check our the ink section of Pentrace, a very good source of information on inks, and you will find the formulas for the perfect colour.
A word of caution. Mixing of inks sometime causes problems with a reaction between the various dyes etc. For an example, see the notes under Private Reserve ink. Although those colours are now gone, it helps to remind us on the possibilities of conequences of some inks. Good for them for posting the notice.
When mixing ink, wash the pen, including the converter, with room temperature water. Don't use household cleaners on your pen. A very diluted amononia and water solution has often referenced as an alternative.
Fresh Ink - Old Ink
Can you use old ink? Most will agree you can, provided the ink has not been subject to sunlight, and has been properly capped. Give the bottle a shake and try it. If in any doubt, always have a cheaper pen available for your more daring moments. I use inks that are many years old with no problem.
Acrylic Display And Item:
Acrylic Sheet
All parts of a bearing are subject to many design constraints. For example, the inner and outer races are often complex shapes, making them difficult to manufacture. Balls and rollers, though simpler in shape, are small; since they bend sharply where they run on the races, the bearings are prone to fatigue. The loads within a bearing assembly are also affected by the speed of operation: rolling-element bearings may spin over 100,000 rpm, and the principal load in such a bearing may be momentum rather than the applied load. Smaller rolling elements are lighter and thus have less momentum, but smaller elements also bend more sharply where they contact the race, causing them to fail more rapidly from fatigue.
A rolling-element bearing is a bearing which carries a load by placing round elements between the two pieces. The relative motion of the pieces causes the round elements to roll with very little rolling resistance and with little sliding.
