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Converters . . . and ink flow.

Alacrity59

Wanting for wisdom
I've used cartridges for a long time. Now I have inks in bottles and am using converters in a couple of pens. I seem to have a little problem. The ink stops flowing . ..so I stop writing and . . . well turn the screw on the converter till the ink flows again. Is this a normal thing?
 
That is certainly the normal "fix" to your problem- maybe your converter wasn't terribly clean when you first installed it. It doesn't take much to slow/stop ink flow and a quick wash out and a good rinse when it is next empty should set you right.
 
That is certainly the normal "fix" to your problem- maybe your converter wasn't terribly clean when you first installed it. It doesn't take much to slow/stop ink flow and a quick wash out and a good rinse when it is next empty should set you right.

+1. I've been using converters, almost exclusively, for years and never had any trouble. The only pens I've had to twist the converter with are ones that had nib or feed issues.

-Andy
 
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I have had issues with flow of converters in the past. In my case, I believe it was mostly related to surface tension in the converter not allowing the ink to properly flow. I fixed (or at least improved) this by thoroughly rinsing the converter with a solution of water with a generous helping of soap. This will create a film on the converter that should lessen surface tension.

You may notice that some brands' converters come with a little ball inside of them. This is to help break the surface tension on the converter walls. Finding one of those may fix your problem as well.
 
I've used cartridges for a long time. Now I have inks in bottles and am using converters in a couple of pens. I seem to have a little problem. The ink stops flowing . ..so I stop writing and . . . well turn the screw on the converter till the ink flows again. Is this a normal thing?

Me, too.
 
+1. I've been using converters, almost exclusively, for years and never had any trouble. The only pens I've had to twist the converter with are ones that had nib or feed issues.

-Andy

This has been my experience as well and subject to a quick rinse and inspection to make sure the converter is sound/seated properly, etc., I would suspect something other than the converter might be the issue.
 
It's a really common problem.

I agree with the poster who said to rinse out the coverted with water that dish soap in it, but you only need a TINY bit of the soap.


But, generally speaking, flow from cartridges is more reliable than flow from converters, for sure.
 

Alacrity59

Wanting for wisdom
Thanks guys. The converters were all new or at the very least sitting in a filing cabinet for years. I've flushed all my new pens with water an a drop of soap but somehow did not think to do the same for converters. I will rinse . . . gargle . . . flush with a bit of soap the next available opportunity.
 
I noticed with my Sheaffer that the carts seemed to have almost dryer ink than the bottle-fed converters. After using one of the carts, I decided to switch back to the converter so that I could use a different color. The pen wound up getting badly clogged, even though I had thoroughly rinsed the old ink out. You might have to use the ear-bulb method to blow out any excess ink while rinsing the pen before your next use.
 
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