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Bob Moore Lining pens

Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2018 10:31 am
by adigill
Good morning all,
I wonder if any of you have any experience using the Bob Moore lining pen and what techniques or tips do have for keeping the paint flowing. I have one of these pens and I’m experiencing very mixed results, I have the original fine nib that it came with which I managed to line four Midland Railway coaches with it and was very pleased with the result, I then didn’t use it for sometime until I had some more rolling stock ready I gave it a thorough clean loaded it up with paint and nothing! I managed to get a couple lines then it stopped flowing so out came the little wire cleaned it out same result this got very tedious so I gave up. I then purchased some lighter fluid and tried again same thing happened, so I went ahead and bought a new nib as I wasn’t sure if the original one was maybe damaged in some way. New nib fitted,fresh tin of paint, small amount of lighter fluid to thin it slightly and success lining done on another couple of coaches. Out came the same stuff last night and I’m back to square one with the nib blocking and the paint not flowing. There just doesn’t seem to be any consistency and it’s very frustrating any help would be gratefully received.
Adrian.

Re: Bob Moore Lining pens

Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2018 10:52 am
by David Thorpe
You may find this thread helpful?
http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index. ... ing+%2Bpen

Incidentally, I've seen Easy-Liner pens mentioned as an alternative to Bob Moore pens (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWCV-e9 ... e=youtu.be). Posts on RMWeb suggest, however, that this pen may be better suited to 7mm work.

DT

Re: Bob Moore Lining pens

Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2018 12:22 pm
by Jol Wilkinson
I Have a Bob Moore pen with fine and standard nibs and also find that the standard works well with virtually any modelling enamel paint, but the fine nib is very inconsistent. I've tried gloss and satin, as well as thinning with white spirit or cigarette lighter fluid.

I also bought the finest of the Easy - Liner pens, but it is too coarse for most 4mm work.

I invariably use a bow pen for lining, although the tubular nib concept is a great idea for drawing around lining templates for complex loco lining. Ian's Rathbones book has some good information on that, although it becomes very frustrating if the paint won't flow.

Re: Bob Moore Lining pens

Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2018 2:36 pm
by adigill
Thank you David, just had a read of the RM web thread, some interesting and useful things on there.
Jol, I also have a bow pen that I bought second hand from an antique shop recently but have not had time to try and hone the tip yet, I’ll have to take it along to the next show that Ian Rathbone is demonstrating at and see if he can show me how it’s done.

Re: Bob Moore Lining pens

Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2018 4:33 pm
by Guy Rixon
Would airbrush cleaner be any good for a Bob Moore Pen?

Re: Bob Moore Lining pens

Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2018 4:42 pm
by Andy W
Adrian, try soaking the nib in spirits overnight and clean again. It only needs a small amount of residue to fowl up the pen.

Re: Bob Moore Lining pens

Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2018 5:28 pm
by David Thorpe
Advice I read appears to be that lighter fluid is apparently added to, but not mixed into, the paint, the purpose being not to thin it, but to reduce surface tension - the paint should be used neat from a new tin. Cellulose thinners were considered better for cleaning the pen than lighter fluid.

DT

Re: Bob Moore Lining pens

Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2018 7:05 pm
by adigill
Thanks again for your help, I’ll try soaking the nib overnight and give it another go. I’m not sure about using airbrush cleaner but I do have a bottle of the Tamiya stuff and I’m willing to try anything to get it working.

Re: Bob Moore Lining pens

Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2018 9:24 pm
by David Thorpe
Tamiya? Are you using acrylics?

DT

Re: Bob Moore Lining pens

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2018 6:19 am
by Jol Wilkinson
Adrian,

do you have a copy of the instruction? Those mention mentions adding a drop of lighter fluid,as David says, on top of the paint to reduce surface tension. Gently blowing on top of the paint ix also suppose to get it to flow.

I wonder if a drop of thinners first, then paint, then lighter fluid on top would get the fine nib started. I'll have to try that.

Again as David says, cellulose thinners is the best solvent for cleaning, but presumably airbrush cleaner should do the same. I don't have the cleaning wire for the fine head and wonder if I need that. Nothing in my stock of bits of springing wire, etc. is fine enough so a letter to Bob Moore may be called for

Jol

Re: Bob Moore Lining pens

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2018 7:24 am
by adigill
Good morning David, I don’t use the Tamiya for lining I only use the Phoenix paints gloss, I use acrylics from Tamiya and Vallejo for figure painting.
Jol I do have the instructions and have tried it with the lighter fluid, I think as David suggests I need to give the nib a really good clean first. The wire that is used to unclog the tube is very fine indeed, I’ve not found any of my wires from the likes of Eileen’s etc fit I think it might be good old fashioned fuse wire the kind that used to come wrapped around a small bit of cardboard, it is a pain to get it into the end of the nib tube I have to put on my reading glasses and my headband magnifier!