Using a fountain pen for homemade conductive ink

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Conductive ink can be made at home using charcoal, but traditional brushes are recommended for application due to the adhesive properties of the mixture. Fountain pens are not suitable for this type of ink because the glue and grit can clog the nib; instead, a dip pen or quill is suggested for experimentation. The addition of black paint to the recipe helps enhance the ink's color, as charcoal alone may not provide sufficient pigmentation. Using pre-ground graphite is also advised, as it can improve the ink's consistency and conductivity. Overall, experimenting with different materials like soft pencil lines may yield interesting results.
Farhad-.-
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I've recently found out about conductive ink and thought i'd make some at home with charcoal. However most guides online always keep using brushes and such and their mix seems to be very low adhesive properties.
Therefor, I have two questions. Is there a way to make it more like a traditional ink and keep it conductive? Can I pour it into a fountain pen and use it like a normal pen to draw circuits?

If you are wondering which ingridients are going to be used, I am going to follow this specific DIY Conductive Ink because I have all the items needed at home. ( )
 
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Hello Farhad,
I think it would be wise to restrict yourself to using brushes: the glue and the grit will not make it through to the nib of a fountain pen. If you want to experiment, better use a conventional pen (the kind you have to dip into the ink from time to time) or a quill pen.
The recipe in the video is pretty self-explanatory; they add some black paint, probably because the charcoal grit won't do much blackening.
If you want to experiment: graphite is used for lubrication of locks and hinges and should be pre-ground for you (which will keep the blender-owner a lot happier :smile:). For that matter: pencil lines from a soft pencil might conduct nicely too ! Give it a try !
 
BvU said:
Hello Farhad,
I think it would be wise to restrict yourself to using brushes: the glue and the grit will not make it through to the nib of a fountain pen. If you want to experiment, better use a conventional pen (the kind you have to dip into the ink from time to time) or a quill pen.
The recipe in the video is pretty self-explanatory; they add some black paint, probably because the charcoal grit won't do much blackening.
If you want to experiment: graphite is used for lubrication of locks and hinges and should be pre-ground for you (which will keep the blender-owner a lot happier :smile:). For that matter: pencil lines from a soft pencil might conduct nicely too ! Give it a try !
Thanks for your response, I will try it out! :D Btw, I thought I'd use pure graphite because I have it laying around.
 
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