How to Make a Rollerball Pen Work Again

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Ballpoint pens have smoothen ink that's resistant to drying and wonderfully responsive to different levels of pressure. Unfortunately, they as well tend to suddenly terminate working. If you lot've tried scribbling in circles on a piece of scrap paper with no success, don't give up on your pen simply withal. Try a simple hack like heating up the nib or dipping it in a household solvent to go the ink flowing again. Keep in mind that ballpoint pens tin't always exist saved, even so, so yous may need to supervene upon your pen or cartridge if these tricks don't piece of work.

1. 1

   Put the pen in humid-hot water for five minutes to avoid using flames. If you're worried about burning yourself or your pen, utilize hot water to warm up the ink.^[1] Rut some h2o to boiling in a kettle or in a pan on the stove, then pour it into a mug. Set up the pen tip-downward in the water for nigh 5 minutes, and then test information technology out on a piece of paper.

   • If your pen has any metal components, dry them thoroughly to prevent corrosion. You lot can also take the pen autonomously and soak but the cartridge if yous don't want to get the barrel of the pen moisture.

2. ii

   Warm the pen with a accident dryer or craft oestrus gun for gentler heating. If you're worried that an open up flame or boiling h2o will exist too harsh, warm the neb and cartridge with a hair dryer on a high oestrus setting. For slightly more powerful heating, you can as well utilize a craft heat gun or embossing gun. Warm the bill of the pen for a few seconds at a time, then try writing with information technology.^[2]

   • Don't apply an industrial estrus gun! They go extremely hot and will probably melt your pen.

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3. 3

   Hold the tip of the pen to a flame for a few seconds to unclog the ink. Utilize a lighter, friction match, or candle to create a flame, then identify just the very tip of your pen in the flame for a few seconds. In many cases, the heat will cook any gummed-up ink near the tip and become the pen working again.^[iii]

   • Be careful non to fire yourself or cook the pen. Hold simply the very tip of the nib in the flame, and don't do information technology for longer than 2-3 seconds.
   • If you're worried about melting the barrel of your pen, remove the cartridge showtime. That way, information technology's easier to simply heat the bill of the pen.
   • Scribble on some paper right abroad to become the ink moving and check if your pen works.

   Tip: Wrapping a piffling aluminum foil around the tip of your pen can also help insulate it from the flame. However, it may take longer for the ink to warm upwards plenty to start flowing once more.^[4]

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1. 1

   Dab a piffling spit on the nib to lubricate the ball. This may sound gross, but spit tin can human action equally a lubricant or gentle solvent to help unclog the tip of your pen. If you're hesitant to actually lick the nib of your pen, put a little spit on your fingertip or a napkin and dip the pen tip in that. And then, scribble on a piece of paper to encounter if you lot can go the ink flowing.^[5]

   • Ballpoint pen ink is generally non considered toxic, so don't worry about getting sick from licking the pen. Any mildly toxic components, such as glycols, are present in such modest amounts that they won't cause whatever harm.^[six]

2. 2

   Dip the point 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 become it going by thinning it a trivial with rubbing booze. Cascade some alcohol into a cup or bowl and dip the pen into it, then scribble on a slice of paper to encounter if you can get it flowing over again.^[7]

   • Virtually ballpoint pens have oil-based ink, which is function of the reason it'south so hard to go ballpoint stains out of clothing. Solvents, such as booze, are better at thinning oil-based ink than manifestly water.

3. 3

   Try acetone if booze doesn't work. Acetone is a more than aggressive solvent that might unclog your pen if alcohol isn't potent enough. Dip the nib of your pen in a little flake of acetone-based boom polish remover and run into if that does the trick.^[8]

   • Acetone releases harsh fumes, and then e'er use information technology in a well-ventilated area.
   • Endeavour to dip just the very tip of the pen in the acetone, since acetone can damage many types of plastic.^[ix]

   Tip: If yous don't have alcohol or acetone on mitt, kerosene, odorless mineral spirits, or WD-forty might work.

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1. one

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

   • Alternatively, some people find it helpful to scribble on a glass surface (such as a manus mirror) to get a stuck ballpoint pen going again.^[eleven]

2. 2

   Milkshake the pen to move the ink downward in the cartridge. Sometimes a ballpoint pen will stop writing considering there's a space or bubble between the ink in the cartridge and the neb. Hold the end of your pen opposite the nib and give the pen several house shakes, as if you lot were shaking downward an old-fashioned glass thermometer. When y'all're washed, give it a scribble to meet if it works.^[12]

   • You can also try tapping the pen firmly on a hard surface, like the edge of a desk-bound or table.

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

3. 3

   Push the ink downward in a wide cartridge with a cotton fiber swab. If your pen has a wide plenty cartridge, you may be able to push the ink downward toward the nib. Unscrew the barrel of your pen and have out the cartridge, and so 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 dorsum together and examination information technology again.^[13]

   • If the cartridge is as well narrow to fit a cotton swab in, use a smaller object, like a paperclip.
   • If the cotton swab gets ink on it, toss it in the trash right away and then that the ink doesn't spread around and stain anything.

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Add New Question

• Question

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

  

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

  

  wikiHow Staff Editor

  Staff Answer

  First of all, try checking the cartridge to run into if it looks like there's still ink within. If not, your pen might demand a refill. You tin can buy new cartridges online or from an function supply store. Otherwise, try running hot water over the bill to get the ink flowing and dissolve clogs, or milk shake your pen to get any bubbles out.

• Question

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

  

  This respond was written by 1 of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accurateness and comprehensiveness.

  

  wikiHow Staff Editor

  Staff Answer

  If the ink is skipping a lot, at that place could be bubbles or a clog in the ink. Heating the cartridge in warm water might help loosen things up. You can also endeavor dipping the nib in alcohol or some other solvent to dissolve any clogs.

• Question

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

  

  This respond was written by 1 of our trained squad of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

  

  wikiHow Staff Editor

  Staff Reply

  If y'all're using the gel pens, dipping the cartridge in warm or hot water might work. Near Scribble Stuff pens take marking tips and are not ballpoint pens, then you lot might take to use a different technique for those (such as injecting water into the tips or soaking them in vinegar).

• Question

  How do I get the ink working on a Pilot BeGreen Precise V5?

  

  This respond was written by 1 of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

  

  wikiHow Staff Editor

  Staff Answer

  The Pilot BeGreen is a rollerball pen, which is similar to a ballpoint but with less gummy ink. Cheque the cartridge first to see if it looks empty. If so, yous'll demand to purchase a replacement cartridge. Otherwise, you tin can try dipping the cartridge in hot water for a few minutes or shaking information technology down to become the ink flowing.

• Question

  Will I get ink all over my mouth if I blow on the pen?

  

  No, but if you're bravado into the cartridge, you may go a spray or spatter from the other stop, then watch what you're pointing at. Also, make sure yous don't suck in.

• Question

  Why practice you put information technology in water?

  

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

• Question

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

  

  I recommend propping the pen upward confronting something that volition keep it point down for a few minutes. I had the same problem, 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 exercise I preclude this?

  

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

• Question

  How practice I restart a Pilot juice pen?

  

  AtlanticEX

  Community Reply

  Take a water sprayer and spray it once. This would go rid of air bubbles and go far run again. Note: This works on a few, and might neglect on a few.

• Question

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

  

  Start, make sure that the pen isn't just dry out. Follow the steps in this article to get it working again. If the commodity does non assist, go a refill cartilage. Depending on the type of pen you got, your pen might also have a warranty. Check the packaging and/or label. If the pen is under warranty, you lot might be able to get information technology replaced.

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VideoRead Video Transcript

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

• Some fancier ballpoint pens have cartridges that can be replaced or refilled. If you're determined to go along your ballpoint pen but you just can't get the ink flowing, check online or visit your local office supply store to run across if you can purchase a refill. Make sure to get i that's designed for your type of pen.

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

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Article Summary X

To restart a dry ballpoint pen, starting time bring some water to a boil and transfer it to a mug. And so, put your pen tip-side down in the water and let information technology sit for 5 minutes. The hot water will loosen the ink and get it flowing once again. Y'all tin can attain 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 lot tin also restart a ballpoint pen by dipping the tip in rubbing alcohol or acetone. The solvent volition dissolve any clogs so the ink is able to flow over again. Another choice is to rub the tip on something rubber, like an eraser or the sole of your shoe. Sometimes the friction is plenty to get the pen working once again. Or you lot tin effort shaking it and tapping it on a difficult surface to move the ink down into the cartridge in case at that place are whatever gaps or bubbles that are preventing it from flowing. Remember to shop your ballpoint pens tip-side downwards so the ink doesn't menstruum away from the nib. For more easy tips on manually restarting a dry ball point pen, read on!

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