How To Clean Out Dried Ballpoint Ink?

[Alohamora]

I got a decent looking Stainless Steel Papermate ballpoint pen as part of an ebay lot. The problem is, the pen refill leaked at the top and the clicker mechanism is jammed up with dried ballpoint ink. What type of solvent would be effective to wash that old ink out? (Hopefully without damaging the plastic bits of the clicker mechanism.)

[JEBennett]

There is an older gentleman who regularly brings in his Sheaffer ballpoint about once a month, because he is an expert at getting the refills to explode. I clean the pen out with the scrub brush on the larger Amodex bottle, and with a good bit of flushing that gets it clean every time.

[Alohamora]

Thank you!

 

/me trundles off to look for Amodex....

[51ISH]

Speerbob was enquiring about this very same thing recently.....

 

Maybe this thread might help.....

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/173036-how-do-you-clean-ballpoint-ink-out-of-a-pen/page__p__1734489__hl__%2B+%2Bclean+%2Bballpoint+%2Bink__fromsearch__1#entry1734489

[Fred Kozub]

A soaking in rubbing alcohol will eventually clear it out--change the RA frequently as it takes on the color of the ink.

[Sandy1]

Hi,

 

Either peanut butter (veg oil), or WD40 (jazzed-up fish oil) to loosen / dilute the ink; followed by lots of soapy soaks & gentle rubbing/tickling with a cotton bud.

 

Bye,

S1

[Alohamora]

A soaking in rubbing alcohol will eventually clear it out--change the RA frequently as it takes on the color of the ink.

 

 

I did end up using 70% isopropyl alcohol to clean out the pen. It's a good thing the pen body is stainless steel so I didn't have to worry about alcohol ruining the finish or even destroying the pen. It turned out the wrong size refill had been jammed into the pen, the end broken off and a huge amount of BP ink allowed to dry in the clicky end. It took a week of repeated soaking and flushing to get enough ink out that the pen is usable again.

 

I also had very blue fingers for about 4 days, because I neglected to wear rubber gloves during the first round of flushing. Even partially dissolved in alcohol, BP ink has a lot of staining power. :embarrassed_smile:

[Yoda4561]

A soaking in rubbing alcohol will eventually clear it out--change the RA frequently as it takes on the color of the ink.

 

 

I did end up using 70% isopropyl alcohol to clean out the pen. It's a good thing the pen body is stainless steel so I didn't have to worry about alcohol ruining the finish or even destroying the pen. It turned out the wrong size refill had been jammed into the pen, the end broken off and a huge amount of BP ink allowed to dry in the clicky end. It took a week of repeated soaking and flushing to get enough ink out that the pen is usable again.

 

I also had very blue fingers for about 4 days, because I neglected to wear rubber gloves during the first round of flushing. Even partially dissolved in alcohol, BP ink has a lot of staining power. :embarrassed_smile:

 

It has even more staining power because the alcohol lets it penetrate Also be aware that some (most) clicky ballpoints have plastic parts in the mechanism, I've never seen one that was bothered by alcohol but that doesn't mean they don't exist. Maybe try a milder/plastic safe solvent. Oderless mineral spirts (NOT paint thinner or laquer thinner) or perhaps CRC's plastic safe electronics cleaner should provide convenient alternatives.