How to Get a Ballpoint Pen Writing Again

Download Commodity

Download Commodity

Ballpoint pens have shine ink that'due south resistant to drying and wonderfully responsive to dissimilar levels of pressure. Unfortunately, they also tend to all of a sudden stop working. If you've tried scribbling in circles on a piece of scrap paper with no success, don't requite upward on your pen simply nonetheless. Try a simple hack similar heating up the beak or dipping it in a household solvent to get the ink flowing again. Keep in listen that ballpoint pens tin can't ever be saved, however, so you may need to replace your pen or cartridge if these tricks don't work.

1. 1

   Put the pen in humid-hot water for v minutes to avoid using flames. If you're worried about burning yourself or your pen, use hot water to warm up the ink.^[one] Oestrus some water to humid in a kettle or in a pan on the stove, so cascade it into a mug. Fix the pen tip-down in the water for about 5 minutes, and so test it out on a piece of paper.

   • If your pen has any metal components, dry them thoroughly to forbid corrosion. You lot can also take the pen apart and soak just the cartridge if you don't want to get the barrel of the pen wet.

2. 2

   Warm the pen with a accident dryer or craft heat gun for gentler heating. If yous're worried that an open flame or boiling water will exist too harsh, warm the nib and cartridge with a hair dryer on a high oestrus setting. For slightly more powerful heating, you can too utilize a arts and crafts rut gun or embossing gun. Warm the neb of the pen for a few seconds at a fourth dimension, so try writing with it.^[2]

   • Don't employ an industrial heat gun! They go extremely hot and volition probably melt your pen.

   Advertisement

3. three

   Hold the tip of the pen to a flame for a few seconds to unclog the ink. Employ a lighter, match, or candle to create a flame, then place just the very tip of your pen in the flame for a few seconds. In many cases, the heat will melt whatever gummed-up ink near the tip and get the pen working again.^[iii]

   • Exist careful not to burn down yourself or melt the pen. Agree just the very tip of the pecker in the flame, and don't practice information technology for longer than 2-3 seconds.
   • If you're worried almost melting the barrel of your pen, remove the cartridge first. That fashion, it's easier to just heat the nib of the pen.
   • Scribble on some paper right away to get the ink moving and bank check if your pen works.

   Tip: Wrapping a piffling aluminum foil around the tip of your pen can as well assistance insulate it from the flame. Withal, information technology may accept longer for the ink to warm upwardly plenty to get-go flowing once more.^[iv]

   Advertisement

1. i

   Dab a little spit on the beak to lubricate the ball. This may sound gross, but spit can deed as a lubricant or gentle solvent to assistance unclog the tip of your pen. If y'all're hesitant to actually lick the nib of your pen, put a niggling spit on your fingertip or a napkin and dip the pen tip in that. And then, scribble on a piece of paper to come across if you lot tin can get the ink flowing.^[v]

   • Ballpoint pen ink is generally not considered toxic, then don't worry well-nigh getting ill from licking the pen. Whatever mildly toxic components, such as glycols, are nowadays in such small amounts that they won't cause any harm.^[6]

2. 2

   Dip the bespeak of the pen in rubbing alcohol to dissolve clogs. If some of the ink is dried out in the pen, you might be able to get it going past thinning it a little with rubbing booze. Pour some alcohol into a cup or bowl and dip the pen into information technology, then scribble on a piece of newspaper to run across if y'all tin go it flowing over again.^[seven]

   • Almost ballpoint pens take oil-based ink, which is office of the reason it's so difficult to get ballpoint stains out of clothing. Solvents, such as booze, are better at thinning oil-based ink than plain water.

3. 3

   Try acetone if alcohol doesn't work. Acetone is a more ambitious solvent that might unclog your pen if booze isn't strong enough. Dip the nib of your pen in a picayune bit of acetone-based blast smoothen remover and see if that does the trick.^[8]

   • Acetone releases harsh fumes, so ever apply information technology in a well-ventilated area.
   • Try to dip simply the very tip of the pen in the acetone, since acetone can damage many types of plastic.^[nine]

   Tip: If you lot don't have alcohol or acetone on paw, kerosene, odorless mineral spirits, or WD-40 might work.

   Advertisement

1. one

   Scrape the nib on a rubber surface to get the ball rolling. When scribbling on paper doesn't piece of work, sometimes you tin can go a stuck brawl moving by rubbing the pen on a rubber surface. Scribble on a safe eraser or fifty-fifty the sole of your shoe.^[ten]

   • Alternatively, some people find information technology helpful to scribble on a glass surface (such equally a hand mirror) to get a stuck ballpoint pen going once again.^[11]

2. two

   Milk shake the pen to move the ink downwards in the cartridge. Sometimes a ballpoint pen will stop writing because at that place's a infinite or bubble betwixt the ink in the cartridge and the nib. Concord the end of your pen opposite the nib and give the pen several firm shakes, as if you were shaking down an quondam-fashioned glass thermometer. When yous're washed, give information technology a scribble to come across if it works.^[12]

   • You can likewise attempt tapping the pen firmly on a difficult surface, similar the border of a desk or table.

   Tip: To keep the ink from flowing abroad from the beak, store your ballpoint pens tip-down in a mug or pen holder.

3. 3

   Push the ink down in a wide cartridge with a cotton fiber swab. If your pen has a wide enough cartridge, you may exist able to push the ink down toward the pecker. Unscrew the barrel of your pen and take out the cartridge, then pull the cap off the end of the cartridge. Push a cotton swab into the cartridge and apply gentle pressure to the fluid inside. Put your pen back together and exam it again.^[thirteen]

   • If the cartridge is also narrow to fit a cotton wool swab in, utilise a smaller object, like a paperclip.
   • If the cotton fiber swab gets ink on it, toss information technology in the trash correct away and so that the ink doesn't spread effectually and stain annihilation.

   Advertisement

Add New Question

• Question

  How do I get a Zebra Orbit pen to piece of work once more?

  

  This answer was written past one of our trained squad of researchers who validated it for accurateness and comprehensiveness.

  

  wikiHow Staff Editor

  Staff Answer

  First of all, try checking the cartridge to see if it looks like there'south nevertheless ink inside. If non, your pen might need a refill. You can purchase new cartridges online or from an part supply shop. Otherwise, effort running hot water over the bill to get the ink flowing and dissolve clogs, or milkshake your pen to get any bubbles out.

• Question

  What do I do if my dry brawl point pen is dispensing ink poorly?

  

  This answer was written by ane of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

  

  wikiHow Staff Editor

  Staff Answer

  If the ink is skipping a lot, there could exist bubbling or a clog in the ink. Heating the cartridge in warm water might help loosen things upwards. You can besides try dipping the bill in alcohol or another solvent to deliquesce any clogs.

• Question

  Are the Scribble Stuff pens usable for this type of process?

  

  This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

  

  wikiHow Staff Editor

  Staff Answer

  If you're using the gel pens, dipping the cartridge in warm or hot water might work. Most Scribble Stuff pens accept marking tips and are non ballpoint pens, so you might have to use a different technique for those (such as injecting water into the tips or soaking them in vinegar).

• Question

  How practice I go the ink working on a Pilot BeGreen Precise V5?

  

  This answer was written past i of our trained team of researchers who validated information technology for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

  

  wikiHow Staff Editor

  Staff Answer

  The Pilot BeGreen is a rollerball pen, which is like to a ballpoint but with less viscous ink. Check the cartridge first to see if information technology looks empty. If and so, you'll demand to purchase a replacement cartridge. Otherwise, y'all tin try dipping the cartridge in hot water for a few minutes or shaking it down to get the ink flowing.

• Question

  Will I become ink all over my mouth if I accident on the pen?

  

  No, but if you're blowing into the cartridge, you may go a spray or spatter from the other end, and then sentry what you're pointing at. As well, make sure you lot don't suck in.

• Question

  Why do y'all put information technology in water?

  

  The pen is placed in h2o to estrus the ink and allow it to be released like normal. When pens don't work very well, the ink has oft dried out a bit, and then putting it in h2o allows it to become more than fluid and usable.

• Question

  My pen has ink, simply stops writing randomly. How can I fix it?

  

  I recommend propping the pen upwardly against something that will keep information technology indicate down for a few minutes. I had the aforementioned trouble, and when I did it, the ink was flowing pretty well.

• Question

  My ballpoint pens spit out ink in blobs, smudges, blurs, and big spots. How practice I forestall this?

  

  This tin happen when the ball inside the tip has been nudged or scratched. It causes the tip to distribute ink in an odd way. It might be time for you to get a new pen. If you tin't get a new pen, so consider getting a new point for your pen instead.

• Question

  How practise I restart a Pilot juice pen?

  

  AtlanticEX

  Community Answer

  Take a h2o sprayer and spray it once. This would get rid of air bubbles and brand information technology run once again. Note: This works on a few, and might fail on a few.

• Question

  What should I do if my new, expensive pen runs out of ink?

  

  Commencement, brand sure that the pen isn't just dry. Follow the steps in this article to go it working again. If the commodity does not help, get a refill cartilage. Depending on the blazon of pen you got, your pen might as well have a warranty. Check the packaging and/or label. If the pen is under warranty, you might be able to get information technology replaced.

Show more than answers

Inquire a Question

200 characters left

Include your electronic mail accost to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Advertisement

VideoRead Video Transcript

• While some of these tricks might aid, there's no totally reliable method for getting a ballpoint pen working again. If your pen is still beingness stubborn and you tin can't easily supercede the cartridge, it may be time to get a new pen.

• Some fancier ballpoint pens have cartridges that tin can exist replaced or refilled. If you're adamant to proceed your ballpoint pen just you just can't become the ink flowing, bank check online or visit your local function supply shop to see if you tin buy a refill. Make sure to get i that'due south designed for your blazon of pen.

• Some new ballpoint pens or cartridges have a tiny plastic cap over the nib to protect it and preclude leaks. Make sure to remove that so that your pen can write.

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

Advertisement

Almost This Commodity

Article Summary 10

To restart a dry ballpoint pen, first bring some h2o to a boil and transfer it to a mug. And then, put your pen tip-side downwardly in the water and let information technology sit for v minutes. The hot water volition loosen the ink and get it flowing again. Y'all can achieve the same effect by heating the tip of the pen with a blow dryer, or by carefully heating the tip with a lighter for a few seconds. You can too restart a ballpoint pen by dipping the tip in rubbing booze or acetone. The solvent will dissolve whatever clogs so the ink is able to flow again. Another choice is to rub the tip on something rubber, similar an eraser or the sole of your shoe. Sometimes the friction is enough to get the pen working over again. Or you can try shaking information technology and tapping information technology on a hard surface to motion the ink down into the cartridge in instance at that place are whatsoever gaps or bubbles that are preventing it from flowing. Recall to shop your ballpoint pens tip-side down so the ink doesn't menstruum away from the bill. For more easy tips on manually restarting a dry out ball indicate pen, read on!

Did this summary help you?

Cheers to all authors for creating a page that has been read i,584,915 times.

Did this article help you?

goodedurry1942.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.wikihow.com/Restart-a-Dry-Ball-Point-Pen

Share this post