10/29/2019 Bottlehead Crack W Speedball Calligraphy
My finished Bottlehead Crack headphone amplifier/paperweight/desk-jewelery/space-heater. I think it's pretty.
Dip pens can be a little challenging for beginners or for those moving from a calligraphy fountain pen or calligraphy marker. One of the most common problems is getting the ink to flow consistently from the nib – either not flowing enough (scratchy or skipping) or flowing too fast (blotting). These are just a few troubleshooting tips when having problems with dip pens – by no means a comprehensive list, but a few common issues that are easy to resolve. For more information on how to use a dip pen refer to the post. Pen Nibs New Nibs A new nib will have a coating on it that will need to be removed as it will interfere with ink flow. The coating is done at the manufacturing level to keep the metal nibs from rusting (you wouldn’t want to buy a rusty nib!) There are several ways to do this – some more complex than others – but generally a good scrubbing with an old, soft toothbrush and a bit of dish washing liquid, baking soda, toothpaste or ammonia will do the trick.
New Nib (top) and Nib with Coating Removed (bottom) As the picture indicates, the top nib appears a bit shinier with the coating and duller with the coating removed (bottom nib.) Once the coating is removed the nib is susceptible to rust, so it is important to clean and thoroughly dry the nibs after use. Damaged Nibs Inspect the nib to ensure the tines are not bent or overlapping. This can happen with nibs that are thin (small nibs sizes) and flexible. If the bending or overlapping is not too severe, the tines can sometimes be pushed gently back into place.
If the tines are severely bent it might be time to replace the nib. Eventually, nibs might wear down and won’t produce crisp, clean pen strokes. Sometimes they can be gently sharpened using an Arkansas (white) sharpening stone – just be sure that the nib isn’t so sharp that it cuts the paper! Rusty Nibs I haven’t found anything that will “cure” rust on a nib other than simply replacing the nib. Suggests a fibreglass brush for removing dried paint, and since they are used to remove rust on vehicles it might be worth a try if you are determined to save that nib and the rust isn’t too severe. A few handy “pen nib care” tools that could be useful in your calligraphy work area or art box – pen cleaner, sharpening stone and an old tooth brush.
Pen Cleaner, Sharpening Stone and Old Toothbrush A more expensive alternative for cleaning pen nibs is a small ultrasonic cleaner with a pen cleaning solution. They will do an excellent job of cleaning all types of pen nibs, technical pens etc. And might be worth the investment for professionals who do a high volume of work.
Reservoirs The reservoir is what holds the ink and feeds it to the nib. Pen nibs generally come in two varieties, a reservoir attached to the top (Brause, Tape, TO, Speedball, etc.) or attached to the bottom (Mitchell). The reservoirs are held onto the nib with metal prongs that should keep the reservoir firmly attached to nib without sliding or falling off. If the reservoir can be removed (most nibs except the Speedball nibs) then disassemble the nib and clean the reservoir. Ink can build up and cause the ink to flow unevenly or might also mix dried ink bits into the ink. Reservoir on Mitchell Nib If you are having problems getting the ink to flow with the reservoir, try removing it and loading the back of the nib with a bit of ink and try a few pen strokes. When you can produce a few decent strokes (adjusting hand pressure, different type nib or ink, etc.) re-attach the reservoir and try again.
Hand Pressure Dip pens might require a little more hand pressure to get the ink flowing than would normally be used for a calligraphy fountain pen or marker. Some nibs, such as the Brause, are quite stiff while others, such as the William Mitchell, are more flexible. If you find you have to put a lot of pressure on the nib then try a more flexible type, especially if the tines are splaying because of heavy hand pressure. The reverse problem would be using a too flexible nib with normal hand pressure that would cause the tines to splay, the ink to flow very quickly and blot, in which case a more stiffer nib would be worth trying.
Since there are quite a wide variety of nibs available, take the time to try a few until you find one that works comfortably and well for your writing style and hand pressure. When lettering, make sure the full width of the nib is on the paper. A few nibs, such as the Brause, are cut at an angle, others such as the Michell are straight cut. You can adjust the angle you hold the pen if the pen strokes are ragged because the full width of the nib is not on the paper, or try a different cut of nib that works better with the way you hold the pen.
Pen Holders There are many varieties of pen holders available – generally constructed of plastic or wood, some have cork or molded grips – selecting one is a matter of personal preference. Correct and Incorrect Placement of Nib in Metal Tab Holder Ink The type and character of the ink can also effect ink flow – too thin will cause the ink to flow quickly and blot; too thick will feed the ink more slowly and skip or not flow at all.
Fountain pen ink is generally too thin for dip pens, try an ink specifically marked for Calligraphy. These will be a little more dense than fountain pen ink and will flow better from a nib. Try to avoid inks containing shellac as this will cause the ink to dry very quickly and will gum up the nib and reservoir. Calligraphy inks also come in a wide variety of densities – Higgins Eternal is an excellent “medium” density ink that should flow well from the nib for beginners, or try a non-waterproof calligraphy ink as these will dry less quickly.
Once you are comfortable using a dip pen, there is an exciting world of inks to try! For more information on inks refer to the post. Papers When troubleshooting a dip pen, try your tests on a smooth, sized paper.
Textured papers might let the pen nib “skip” and won’t produce a clean line, and unsized papers might make the ink “bleed” into the fibers, or catch paper fibers in the nib. Any smooth paper for ink (e.g. Sketchbook paper) will be suitable for testing your pen and ink combinations. More information on papers can be found at the post. Test Strokes Try a few vertical pen strokes (top to bottom) and some horizontal pen strokes (left to right) if right-handed (left-handed might want to reverse the strokes.) Basic Stroke examples can be found at the post. When you find the right combination of pen nib, reservoir and ink to produce clean strokes, try lettering a few words. A nib reservoir will typically hold enough ink to produce a few letters before requiring a “recharge” of ink.
Making it all work together There are many variables that can cause problems lettering with dip pens – new coated nibs, old worn out nibs, nib cut, reservoir position, pen holders, hand pressure, ink and paper – take some time trying different combinations before finding the best “fit” for your lettering style. Fortunately, there are a wide variety of tools available – sometimes what comes in a calligraphy set might not be the right combination for you – pen nibs, holders and ink can be purchased individually at a relatively low cost, so if what you have doesn’t work, it might be worth trying something different. Calligraphy should be fun and enjoyable – you shouldn’t have to “fight” with your pen!
Well I've hooked this beast up and it is a beast! It's almost as big as my PS4 and it's twice as tall.
The power tube is massive! It's like a light bulb. The guy who built it was sound, kept me up-to-date with the whole process and his work is stunning(Pictures to come when I review it fully.
I've heard so much about this amp, people say they are made for each other and it's an end game set up. I already think highly of the HD650.
It's a world class headphone in a midfi price bracket. It's warm, smooth with a refined upper end but a little rolled off. The bass is typical of open dynamics and rolls off. I was excited when I first paid for the Crack, but I've heard the HD650 on a lot of gear so how much better can they get. I plugged it in and press play.WTF! When I first heard the LCD-2 I was hot with this depth and precision. Same thing here, am I listening to the LCD-2?
Sounds like it but further inspection it's the HD650 but with punch and kick. The upper end is energetic when the music asks for it and the bass is slamming. A lot of songs have a slight bloom but it's not a technically deficient bloom like a bad bleed, it's an emotion music needs. Vocals sound real, the space expands and sounds deep, vocals sound deep and curvy, surrounded in a beautiful haze.
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Details are there but the music takes your attention. Switching to more lively tracks the combo is snappy and keeps up. Sometimes I feel like I'm listening to the ever slightly snappier HE-500 but the wetness of the HD650. I've been comparing them to both planars with the Schiit Lyr 2 which is a worthy endgame amp for them. What shocked me the most was the HD650's ability to image and sound spacious. It's not AKG spacious but it goes beyond the Philips X2 with this amp.
It sounds full and lively so so it doesn't come across as lean. The mids are faultless but another shock was the bass punch. It digs a bit deeper and slams nicely. I'm not going to tell you this is the best thing I've heard technically but music wise; I've never heard anything so glorious, beautiful and just damn musical like this.
I love the LCD-2 but all it has over this combo is bass extension. It's not even an upgrade it's a side grade for those who want a sub bass focus. Hear this combo and try call the HD650 slow, boring, lacking soundstage. I love the Vali but in comparison, the Crack is way above anything the Vali can put out. This amp makes the HD650 reach it's final form.
I knew the HD650 truly scaled but I thought it was exaggerated, now I'm a believer. If you have the HD650 and want an upgrade, just buy the Crack + SB. It sounds better than any Schiit I've heard and better than the Little Dots hands down. When the HD650 and Crack come together they become something you spend over 1K+ to try get, even then.the musical feeling is unmatched.
Listening to the Final Fantasy 9 soundtrack brings that emotion I felt with the game. Every tube amp I've tried that isn't a hybrid has been the same with the Q. The Bottle Head has a 120ohm output impedance. I don't really want to roll any tubes, the stock sound perfect. I won't really venture into any upgrades I also cant't see how you can inprove the crack. I was listening to my Sounds Of Nature album and played the thunderstorm.my God!
It's by far the most realistic representation I've heard. Seriously if you have the HD650 and you don't have the Crack, you are missing out big time.
Don't worry about any other headphone just pair these two together and be happy.
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