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Thread: pH meters

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    Member Turquoise's Avatar
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    Default pH meters

    I’ve done a search on the Forums but couldn’t find a topic-specific post — so my apologies if the info is hiding somewhere obvious and I’ve missed it!

    I would like to test the pH value of my inks at home — understanding that the results would not be as accurate as scientific testing, of course, but would at least give me a ballpark for acidity, neutrality, and alkalinity. Unfortunately, not all brands list the values of their inks on their websites.

    I tried testing strips (forgetting that ink is colored so the strips won’t work!), then purchased an inexpensive pH meter (“Monitoring Solutions”) that failed to even make it through the first calibration test. The replacement sent to me didn’t work either.

    I’d appreciate some suggestions regarding a reliable pH meter that can be used at home. Or any other advice on conducting pH home tests.

  2. #2
    Senior Member Ole Juul's Avatar
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    Default Re: pH meters

    I think pH sensors are delicate and sometimes fickle. They also require constant and careful calibration. My feeling is that you're not going to get anything useful unless you go for a lab instrument.

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    A Smug Dill (November 14th, 2020), Chemyst (November 14th, 2020)

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    Member Turquoise's Avatar
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    Default Re: pH meters

    Quote Originally Posted by A Smug Dill View Post
    So, my recommendation would be actually to look closely at whether you need to measure the pH value of each ink. If you only use ten inks, having a pH meter just for testing those is overkill; and if you have three hundred inks, not only is it a huge project to catalogue and test all of them including for pH value, but also remember owning and using a pH meter is not a one-off cost; you need to buy and consume solutions of known pH value to calibrate it from time to time, if you (obviously) want to get the most accurate measurement you can from the grade of instrument you have.
    Oh, it’s not a matter of need :-) I enjoy experimenting and analysis. This is definitely in the “project” category and I don’t mind the time involved. I have a lot of inks that I do use regularly both for writing and sketching so I look forward to this as something fun to do.

    It’s likely that I would dedicate several days to just testing all the inks I have after the instrument is calibrated, so I’m not terribly concerned about re-calibration. I am thinking that the pH meter could be re-calibrated with common substances having a known value (e.g., like baking soda, ammonia, milk, lemon juice, etc) on an ongoing basis rather than constantly having to buy solutions — my plan is to test the common substances when I first calibrate a meter along with the solutions and record their respective pH values. I have heard credible accounts of others doing this, so it’s definitely worth a try. And I actually have a small stockpile of solutions from the two meters that were sent to me that didn’t work as well ;-)

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    Member Turquoise's Avatar
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    Default Re: pH meters

    That makes me wonder if there are “student” grade lab instruments that are available? I know there are for microscopes, so maybe so?

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    Senior Member Lloyd's Avatar
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    Default Re: pH meters

    Several years back on FPN, SamCapote wrote a lot about his testing. He invested quite a bit of time and money into it. Once FPN comes back, search for a thread called "Considering A*Ph*Meter*For My Reviews - Inky Thoughts.."
    M: I came here for a good argument.
    A: No you didn't; no, you came here for an argument.
    M: An argument isn't just contradiction.
    A: It can be.
    M: No it can't. An argument is a connected series of statements intended to establish a proposition.
    A: No it isn't.
    M: Yes it is! It's not just contradiction.
    A: Look, if I argue with you, I must take up a contrary position.
    M: Yes, but that's not just saying 'No it isn't.'
    A: Yes it is!
    M: No it isn't!

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    Senior Member Ole Juul's Avatar
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    Default Re: pH meters

    Richard Binder also did an article: Inks: Report on the pH of More than 60 Inks You probably saw it already, but just in case.

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    Member Turquoise's Avatar
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    Default Re: pH meters

    Thanks! Yes, indeed, I have seen that article — in fact, that’s what got me started down this rabbit hole!

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    Default Re: pH meters

    Excellent — thank you. I’ve made a note of that for when (if?) the site re-opens.

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    Golden Ghost Chemyst's Avatar
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    Lightbulb Re: pH meters

    Quote Originally Posted by Turquoise View Post
    I’d appreciate some suggestions regarding a reliable pH meter that can be used at home. Or any other advice on conducting pH home tests.

    Last edited by Chemyst; November 15th, 2020 at 04:04 AM.

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    Baisao (November 15th, 2020), Ole Juul (November 15th, 2020), Pushmepullme (November 15th, 2020), SlowMovingTarget (November 15th, 2020), Yazeh (November 15th, 2020)

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    Default Re: pH meters

    Quote Originally Posted by A Smug Dill View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Lloyd View Post
    Once FPN comes back, search for a thread called "Considering A*Ph*Meter*For My Reviews - Inky Thoughts.."
    For what it's worth, even though Google has not cached that page or thread, it is available on the (Internet Archive) Wayback Machine.

    There's also a thread on FPN posted by Algester that embedded this chart:
    https://i.imgur.com/fJ1Lk9C.jpg
    apparently taken (and quite possibly used without permission to reproduce) from a Japanese magazine.
    Do you have the deep link to the stored thread on Wayback Machine?

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    Default Re: pH meters

    Quote Originally Posted by A Smug Dill View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Baisao View Post
    Do you have the deep link to the stored thread on Wayback Machine?
    I'm not sure to which specific thread you mean, since I've mentioned two separate threads in the quoted text.

    But, as a matter of course, I had the URL to the Wayback Machine's copy of the thread to which Lloyd referred and gave everyone enough clues to find, when I was checking for its existence earlier.
    You only referred to one thread being accessible via Wayback Machine. I do not have the URL to the thread called “ Considering A*Ph*Meter*For My Reviews - Inky Thoughts”. Since you were able to find it in Wayback Machine, will you share the link with us?

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    Member Turquoise's Avatar
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    Default Re: pH meters

    Quote Originally Posted by A Smug Dill View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Lloyd View Post
    Once FPN comes back, search for a thread called "Considering A*Ph*Meter*For My Reviews - Inky Thoughts.."
    For what it's worth, even though Google has not cached that page or thread, it is available on the (Internet Archive) Wayback Machine.

    There's also a thread on FPN posted by Algester that embedded this chart:
    https://i.imgur.com/fJ1Lk9C.jpg
    apparently taken (and quite possibly used without permission to reproduce) from a Japanese magazine.
    Thanks for both! I’d forgotten about the Wayback Machine — I got to the last cache of the site but couldn’t open the Inky Thoughts forum for some reason. I’ll keep trying.

    The chart was helpful because it identified a specific pH meter, LaquaTWIN, whose products I’ve been able to locate online.

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    Default Re: pH meters

    Thanks, Chemsyst! Very helpful article on ink pH and the variability of pH meters.

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    Chemyst (November 15th, 2020)

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    Default Re: pH meters

    I couldn’t get to it either :/

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