Flourish Forum
General Categories => Tools & Supplies => Topic started by: abi.c.7 on May 21, 2014, 11:47:50 PM
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Hi guys!
How do you clean your nibs after writing? Do you just use water and soap? Or with alcohol too?
Thanks!
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For me, water does the trick. Basically anything to get the residual ink off - all but the most stubborn inks will go away with soap and water.
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I write with Higgins Eternal and Speedball acrylic ink.
I clean both by dipping in a small cup of water then wiping on a tissue, then repeat the cycle until the tissue is clean.
At the end of my session I will wipe the nib with a tissue with alcohol on it, primarily to displace the water, but the alcohol tissue has removed ink once in a while.
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I dip my nib in water and wipe every few lines or words if it calls for it. I see my up strokes getting thinker or see actual fibers in the nib, I know I better dip in water and clean. So my nib stays pretty clean, at the end sometimes all I need is one last wipe.
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Thanks guys!! :)
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i am super lazy when it comes to cleaning nibs :(
i normally wipe them with baby wipes very gently because the fibers get stuck; so most of the ink (especially sumi and bleed proof white) are still there. if the ink does not come off with water, i dip the nib in dr ph martin's pen cleaner for a few minutes. it gets rid of the dried up ink. just rinse with water and let it dry afterwards.
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I do the same like Brad, except that I wipe it first with a cotton cloth, then dip in water, then wipe it dry with the cloth. So the water stays clean longer and I don't confuse it with the ink jar 😄! That is also how it was recommended to me from a teacher, if you do that every few strokes, normally no scrubbing or extra cleaning will be necessary … imho 😉. Broad nibs are different though, I hate cleaning those nasty reservoirs :P! That's where an old toothbrush cones in handy …
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So that's why the dinky dips are usually in a set of four. To use as rinsing the nibs as well. I thought some writers use a lot of different colors in just one sitting. Haha! Thank you!
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I use them more for different colours. Usually I use a Schnapsglas (small liquor glass) for the water ;D.
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I use Higgins Eternal daily.
What I do is, i wipe off the excess ink first with paper towel then I dip and swirl it a little bit in water then wipe it off again. Sometimes, when I'm actually done practicing or working. I do the same process but I use cotton buds to completely clean the nib. Don't forget to dry them too to avoid rusting.
Acrylic inks are troublesome for me. It needs constant dipping in the water while working. Then, indian inks are the easiest to wash off. Just wash them with water and wipe it off to dry. :)
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I'm not good at cleaning as I go along, usually it waits till a fibre gets caught in the nib - so that's something which needs improving. Final clean up is pretty meticulous though, especially with iron gall ink.
Also, I'm obsessive about flushing fountain pens completely which is a contender for the worst job in the world, but it absolutely has to be done. Too bad all my favourites are lever fillers.
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I'm nutty OCD, lol
When done I clean with water and wipe off with a Pen Wipe. I then use a wet Q-Tip to get into the cracks and crevices and rinse in water and then dry with a Pen Wipe.
When there is ink in the nooks and crannies of the nib that I cant get out, I have an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner, image below, that I drop them in for a cycle and everything comes right off. I put a few drops of dawn dish detergent in the water I use in the cleaner.
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I follow Schin's lead when it comes to cleaning throughout writing. I have a container of water and a little jar of windex along with a roll of tissues. Depending on the ink I use determines how often I clean throughout practice. Yesterday I was working with iron gall and it was every few words I was cleaning the nib.
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Just to add fuel to the fire, bwahahaha, by using Windex on a nib you are putting it in an alkaline solution which in effect has the same destructive properties to metal as an acid. :P
Windex has a ph level of about 12 and iron gall ink has a ph level of around 2-5. a ph level of 7 is neutral.
PS - Don't worry about all of this just giving ya a hard time :P
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i keep a small pot of clean water on my desk. i dip and swirl, then wipe with a Yoke nib wipe. those are great by the way! and i always have a package of diaper wipes for cleaning my fingers as they always get ink on them too or to clean up splatters and spills. stubborn ink or gouache gets a wipe with a diaper wipe, dip in water, and then the Yoke nib wipe. i don't want any residue from the diaper wipe on the nib.
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Chris Chris Chris. I'm thinking about the endearing name my grandma used to call me about you. Hehe
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I keep a pot of clean water and just dip the nib in it every few words and wipe off with a Viva paper towel (it doesn't leave fibers). Sometimes if I accidentally touch the nib, I swirl it in rubbing alcohol to clean. I stopped using windex because I didn't like the slimy texture it leaves on my paper towels!
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I use a toothbrush to clean my nibs after a writing session. No toothpaste, just running water and a little scrub. Haven't used any difficult inks that have caused any problems!
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If I'm using acrylic ink, I will squirt a little windex into my water jar and then just dip the nib every few lines (and wipe it with a paper towel, usually the expensive ones that don't leave fibres ;) ). Same if I'm using parallel pens that I'm dipping into the inks - it keeps them from clogging :)
Pointed nibs I'll water-dip and wipe on paper towel every so often. If it's gouache, a little more frequently, because it can build up; if it's walnut ink, much less frequently.
Windex is also magic at getting ink out of carpets, and clothes, if you've never tried ;)
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Windex is Awesome!
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Windex People! Are you using the Windex brand? I have better luck with the cheapo stote brand that has old-fashioned ammonia in it.
Christopher-- how long is the sonic cleaner cycle? Do you have a problem with rust forming?
My tip- keep a moist sponge handy to wipe the fibers from the tip of the nib. My first teacher mounted the little ink vials in a sponge so it keeps the vial stabile, catches drips, and gives you a place for a quick wipe.
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No problems with rust forming. The cycle lasts from 60 seconds to a couple minutes, there's a switch to change time.
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I do the same like Brad, except that I wipe it first with a cotton cloth, then dip in water, then wipe it dry with the cloth. So the water stays clean longer and I don't confuse it with the ink jar 😄! That is also how it was recommended to me from a teacher, if you do that every few strokes, normally no scrubbing or extra cleaning will be necessary … imho 😉. Broad nibs are different though, I hate cleaning those nasty reservoirs :P! That's where an old toothbrush cones in handy …
So Estefa doing it the way you keep the water cleaner, is that what they mean when they say keep the water clean? Because my water is always black. I have started doing it like you. It keeps the water alot clearer.
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@blotbot - I use the keep stuff too and works like a charm.
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Hi Brad, I don't know if that is what they say … it was just what I find logical and what is also the technique shown to me by Barbara Calzolari during a workshop … I hope it works for you too :)!
Maybe they mean also to use fresh water after a day or so – because it attracts dust, and fibers etc., and they will end up on your nib and can ruin an upstroke!!