Ink climbing up the needle bar...

[Alec_Benjamin]

I've discussed this in another thread before but it kinda died off, also I'm curious if people have had this problem with different machines...
I actually had to send my two Metaxas back to mike in order for him to take a look at them, no matter what I try, o rings, bands, different needle bend, different needle brands, different grommets, paper, tubes, after extended use I find ink climbs it's way up the needle way and coats the fly wheel, thus spitting all over my arm.
I've spent hundreds trying to remedy this problem to no avail...any thoughts?

[turnrock]

ive had that happen with the dragonfly. i think its only with thicker pigments and the only solution i came up with is to not use it

[asA]

i've never had it happen with any of my machines. i like wet pigments though. maybe that's it

[Sage Oz]

I've only had that happen with machines with strong return springs, but it's been a long time since. Needle runners coated heavily with petrolatum works well at stopping it...


Sent from a galaxy far, far away...

[evlink2006]

Its the way the needle bar rides in the tube. Ink travels up the tube when the gap between the tube and the needle bar is close enough to allow capillary action to occur. Your needle bar has to run in the center of the tube the entire length otherwise it will draw ink upwards.

[slicksteel]

yep rotarys usally work best with no bend in the bar but at the needle solder joint.

[Alec_Benjamin]

I hear many people telling me to put a mellow bend from solder joint all the way to the eye loop, I figured it must be the bar rubbing on the tube wall, but it doesn't appear to when I rotate the fly wheel. Metaxas are the best rotarys I've ever used, and I've tried a few, and I don't want to shelf em!

[The Limey]

Tried needle runners?

[Alec_Benjamin]

Once or twice...definitely not sold on them.

[wildboy]

I had the same issue with my new Rapier II today... The first half an hour everything was fine no ink spray no ink creeping up the tube. After a short break everything was different the ink sprayed a lot and I couldnt continue without fixing the problem I was doing linework still. I tried to bend the needle more and more the needle bar itself and on the needle head no matter what I did nothing helped... But then I tightend the rubber band so much that I had to raise the volts from 8.2 to 8.9 and everything was fine after that. Im using very strong rubber bands