If pens are an important part of your daily routine, then having one of them is a necessity. But what if your pen does not work? What will you do?
This post will give you tips on how to fix a pen that won’t write.
As far as fixing a pen that won’t write goes, there are two major strategies you can do: the manual and with the aid of your household materials.
Basically, there are four ways you can revive your pen without any tools. These strategies are simple and effective depending on the severity of your pen’s problem.
1. Hard scribbling. If you are caught in a situation where your pen does not write anymore, the first thing you can do is to scribble it vigorously.
In most cases, a pen won’t write because of the dried ink that has been deposited at its tip. Hard scribbling dislodges the blocking hardened ink.
2. Shake the pen. Sometimes, a pen does not work because of the air gap that interrupts the ink flow. So if the first technique did not work, try to shake the pen. Pull the cartridge out from the casing and hold the other tip opposite to the nib. Then, tap the cartridge on the edge of a table.
This process will push the ink down to the pen’s tip. But make sure that you momentarily check the progress. Do not tap the cartridge hardly because the nib could go off.
3. Apply air pressure. If the previous strategies did not work, there must be a problem with the ink flow. In this instance, you can apply air pressure. To do this, you need to carefully pull the nib out from the cartridge.
Then, from the opposite end, apply an air pressure by blowing it. This can be the fastest way to push the ink and eliminates the air gap.
This technique, however, can be messy. Too much air pressure could send the whole amount of ink outside the cartridge. So control is key.
4. Install the new refill. Usually, ballpoint or gel pens are disposable. But sometimes you fell in love with the beauty of your pen. When that happens, you’ll find it difficult to let go of your pen.
In this case, your best option is to install a new refill. This surely eliminates the problem without losing your pen.
So far, you’ve just learned the quick and free techniques to fix a pen that won’t write. In these techniques, you don’t need any materials but creativity.
But there are other ways that could also help you fix a pen that won’t write. The following techniques, however, require some household materials to do the whole process.
Here’s how to fix a pen that won’t write using the following materials:
1. Write on your shoe. Scribbling hard is the first option. The process, however, needs a paper. But what if there’s no paper available? In this very unlikely case, you can use the sole of your shoe as the surface to write on.
A rubber shoe is a good one. The rubberized surface helps trap down the dried ink. In an emergency situation, this could be your best option.
2. Write on a rubber surface. This technique is similar to the first one. The only difference is that the latter needs a rubberized surface. There is no specific type of rubber recommended as long as it helps restore your pen.
3. Use a ziplock bag. Removing a dried ink from the nib is not an easy task. One of the techniques you can use to dislodge it from the tip of the pen is by using a ziplock bag and hot water.
Put the ball pen inside the bag and seal it. Then soak the bag in the boiling water for 3-4 seconds. The amount of heat at this time duration can be enough to dissolve the dried ink. Repeat the process until the pen writes.
4. Push the ink using a thin wire. Sometimes, the ink won’t flow even after applying the previous techniques. Your best choice is to forcibly push the ink down to the nib using a thin wire.
This can be a challenging process especially if your cartridge has a narrow hole. The key, however, is to find a thin wire you can get from your house. This may include a guitar string, etc. Just find a wire that fits the hole of the cartridge.
5. Heat up the cartridge using a microwave. This can be an extreme technique you can do to fix a pen that won’t write. What you need is a microwave oven. Set the temperature low and lay down the cartridge inside.
This process demands constant monitoring. You cannot leave the oven and do something else. You can burn the entire cartridge.
Check it momentarily. As soon as the cartridge gets warmer, take it out from the oven.
6. Use a whiteboard marker on the tip of the pen. Whiteboard markers’ ink contains a solvent that will help dissolve the dried ink at the tip. This technique works well if the problem is the hardened ink at the pen’s tip.
How to fix a pen that won’t write?
The techniques discussed in this post are proven effective. Applying one of these techniques requires a prior assessment as to what causes the pen’s problem.
That being said, each technique best works in a certain instance. In other words, not any technique works for all sorts of causes that hinder the pen from writing.
To figure out what is the best strategy to bring your pen into functional again, you need to check the nature of the problem.
For instance, if the reason why your pen does not write is that of the air gap, select one of the tips above that suits. Or the combination of two or more techniques to make sure you solve the problem.
We hope that you find this post helpful. For more information like this, just feel free to explore the site or visit this page.
