Author Topic: Making your own walnut ink?  (Read 19359 times)

Offline AndyT

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Re: Making your own walnut ink?
« Reply #30 on: April 21, 2014, 06:46:35 AM »
Quick question: does anyone have experience of making up ink from Vandyke crystals?

Offline Blotbot

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Re: Making your own walnut ink?
« Reply #31 on: April 21, 2014, 09:52:38 AM »
I have used the walnut ink crystals from Paper and Ink Arts.  Is this want you mean?

Offline AndyT

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Re: Making your own walnut ink?
« Reply #32 on: April 21, 2014, 10:37:30 AM »
Without doubt.  They're cheap to the point of absurdity from wood finishers' suppliers, so obviously I have to try them, right?  Do you have any tips on an appropriate ratio of crystals to water, Ellen?

Offline Blotbot

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Re: Making your own walnut ink?
« Reply #33 on: April 21, 2014, 02:56:47 PM »
Andy,

I got that info from Paper and Ink Arts a few months ago, but it is buried in my email trash.  I am thinking about 1 tablespoon to 1 ounce water.  The person from whom I got the info was [email protected].

Offline AndyT

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Re: Making your own walnut ink?
« Reply #34 on: April 21, 2014, 04:54:14 PM »
Thank you Ellen, very helpful and I'll report back.

Offline Blotbot

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Re: Making your own walnut ink?
« Reply #35 on: April 27, 2014, 09:40:27 AM »
I was able to find the instructions on the walnut ink crystals from Paper and Ink Arts.  They recommend one tablespoon of crystals in a 2.25 ounce jar.

Offline AndyT

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Re: Making your own walnut ink?
« Reply #36 on: April 27, 2014, 10:10:38 AM »
Thanks again Ellen, I'm assuming that's a level tablespoon on the grounds that I can always add more.  Now to convert your ounces to UK fluid ounces ...  :)

If this turns out to be a success, I'll post a basic formula in US, UK and metric formats.

Offline Blotbot

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Re: Making your own walnut ink?
« Reply #37 on: April 27, 2014, 03:28:23 PM »
Adjust to taste...

Offline AndyT

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Re: Making your own walnut ink?
« Reply #38 on: April 27, 2014, 06:40:14 PM »
Well, quite.  I'm expecting a lot of leeway.

Straying slightly off topic and into the realms of the borderline bizarre, whilst researching this subject I found a reference to making a blue black ink from wasps' nests.  Sounds like an interesting project ... for somebody else.

Offline joi

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Re: Making your own walnut ink?
« Reply #39 on: May 05, 2014, 11:38:25 AM »
adventures in walnut ink...
so i purchased some walnut ink crystals.  i bought the pre measured 2oz jar, it says just to fill with distilled water and wait 30 min and voila, walnut ink.
only prob was that it was a 6oz jar, with more than 2oz of crystals in it.  but i followed the directions and added water...and got mud.  ok, clearly i had too many crystals, so i kept adding distilled water and kept testing the consistency...i ended up with 38 ounces of liquid walnut ink.  looking back, i probably had about 5 oz of crystals, which is about 30 teaspoons.  yikes.  only AFTER doing this did i read that you use like 1 teaspoon to 1 oz of water?
so only partially my bad because i only ordered the 2 oz jar and received way more...and the jar was not labelled at all...so in the end i ended up with a hellava lot of ink for less than $5. 

Offline AndyT

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Re: Making your own walnut ink?
« Reply #40 on: May 05, 2014, 01:00:22 PM »
I still haven't done this, but I have done some calculations based on a data sheet for Vandyke crystals.  The pertinent data are:

Relative density (water = 1): 1.30-1.40g/cm3
Water solubility: 97 g/l

So, the greatest strength you can get without supersaturating the solution will be achieved at a ratio of around 1:13 crystals to water by volume.  This agrees quite closely with the instructions given here, assuming that you're aiming for something a little short of full strength.  My plan is to try 1g to 15ml in the first place, and then "adjust to taste" as recommended by Blotbot.  :)

Offline Blotbot

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Re: Making your own walnut ink?
« Reply #41 on: May 05, 2014, 01:08:59 PM »
Joi--

That is exactly what I did too!  I probably should have said something in my earlier posts but I was too embarrassed.  I did email PIA about this and thats when they told me it was one tablespoon to about 2 oz water. I now have a jar of very thick ink that I dilute when I need some.  PIA should really change the desciption of the larger jars.

Offline joi

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Re: Making your own walnut ink?
« Reply #42 on: May 05, 2014, 01:32:06 PM »
you lost me at 1.3-1.4/cm3...
me + math = total fail...hence the gallon of walnut ink :)

Offline joi

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Re: Making your own walnut ink?
« Reply #43 on: May 05, 2014, 01:35:43 PM »
blotbot - for real?!  seriously, PIA MUST change how they describe this then, because we cannot be the only ones!  i got this because i am traveling at the end of the week and thought the crystals would be TSA friendly. that way, i have the correct amount of crystals, and just add water when i get to the hotel, and voila, a small jar of walnut ink to use for the week and then toss it.  omg good thing i decided to make it at home...i would have had to pour all that down the drain and waste it all.  no where on PIA site does it say to scoop out a teaspoon and add 2oz of water. 
live and learn...at least now we know...and hopefully others will read this and not make the same mistake!

Offline AndyT

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Re: Making your own walnut ink?
« Reply #44 on: May 05, 2014, 02:24:57 PM »
The gallon of ink thing is what I'm trying to avoid, because there's nothing to put it in.  ;)