hatguy1
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Well I'm 1 and 1. The Cross works like a charm after soaking it. The wood turned pen works worse now - as in doesn't flow ink at all! - after soaking. Hmmm....
I'd strongly advise against using Ammonia as it will strip varnish dissolve aluminium and digest some of the early types of plastic used in vintage pens.
Most commercial pen cleaners contain ammonia. Pretty much all recommended "home made" solutions do as well. Teepol and other detergents can leave residue, but ammonia will not (which is why it's used as a glass cleaner). And we're not talking about soaking an aluminum pen in concentrated ammonia solution. If one is squeamish about using it, by all means, do not. But used correctly, it is no more harmful than any other cleaning solution. And don't ever mix
cleaners...like say ammonia and bleach. Nasty things can happen.
Ok that's sound advice - but it needs qualifying - here's an expert opinion from Fountainpennetwork - credit to PJohnP
From a chemist and chemical engineer's perspective, one of the key elements in any discussion of chemical attack on materials is concentration, and then arising from that discussion, duration of exposure.
A saturated ammonia solution (highest possible concentration) in water is relatively aggressive, and can have effects on polymers and metals both, especially if the duration of exposure is lengthy. However, a low concentration of ammonia will have drastically reduced effects if any for the same duration. By controlling concentration and duration of exposure carefully, the use of ammonia can be advantageous for cleaning.
Household ammonia is a relatively strong concentration, if not maximum, and can certainly have effects on metals and polymers with lengthy exposure periods. David Nishimura has quite succinctly addressed this by advocating short periods of exposure. Reducing the concentration by some reasonable factor, say, 10:1 would allow for a somewhat longer exposure without likely deleterious effects. But that doesn't mean soaking the components in dilute ammonia for several days !
I can easily understand why manufacturers who have product warranty issues recommend against the use of ammonia completely, as some consumer might well soak a pen in household strength ammonia for a week and find some significant deterioration in the pen. Such "repairs" are almost like a car owner removing pine sap from the body with a bucket of MEK and sandpaper - it would work just dandily with respect to removing the sap, but it's probably "non-ideal" for the car paint job...
As a corollary, consider that many people clean pens with tepid/warmish water, but not boiling hot water. Why ? Too much heat damages the pen, where a moderate level of temperature allows the tepid water to dissolve dried ink. Similarly, if diluted ammonia solution is used with defined short periods of exposure (again, see David Nishimura's comments), it's probably a reasonable approach for the typical owner with some dried ink/gunk issues in their pens, but it needs to be considered with a reasonable level of thought. Like any "repair" operation, success is entirely dependent on careful and cautious planned actions, not slipping into the quickest easiest approach for expediency.
John P.
Thanks. I'm trying another soak tonight, just to see if it'll make any difference. If not, I'll look into going "bulb shopping."
Stand by for an update.
Ya know; I think the paper of my journal must be coated with something that clogs up the pens. I can't get a week's worth of writing with them without them getting "intermittent" again. Wax?
Could be. I find cheaper pens tend to clog easier, but that's just anectdotal . How long do you go between uses? Do you store them nib up?
No, I lay them flat next to my journal (which I write in with them almost every night).
One of them is a Cross cartridge ($35) and the other is a WoodTurningz ($55-$60)
Then I would suspect the paper. If you find any kind of build-up on your nib—it's certainly the paper. You can/will notice a difference between ink flow and crap on the nib. Different inks have varying characteristics, but paper coatings show up as as crud on your nib. If you don't find crud, try a different ink.
So folks, a question. I have long wanted to carry a fountain pen, but am absolutely terrified of one leaking and ruining my good suits. Is this concern in any way realistic?