Dried-up Rapidograph Pen!

[Todd Schumacher]

I have a few Rapidograph Ink pens that have been neglected and dried up. What's the best way to fix/clean them up.

Any suggestions?

[FlipMcgee]

Jinny Brown's Rapidograph: Care and Maintenance (scroll midway down for her post) (http://www.sketchbooksessions.com/shanesboard/viewtopic.php?t=13140)

There's also a Rapidograph cleaning solution. I have a bottle but I haven't used it yet - I have dried up and unused expensive Rapidographs too. :(

One person said, in another board, that he soaked his tech pens in rubbing alcohol to unclog them.

[sepulveda]

I have a few rapidographs that I neglect once in a while and when they get dried up, I have a method of cleaning them that is time consuming, but it works for me.
I go to te sink, I first dissasemble the rapidograph, and I mean completely, take all the inside parts out...even the small metal wire that goes through the tip (you have to be "very" careful with the parts, some of them are very fragile)...I place all the separated parts in a small container with water....and start rinsing each part under the fosset with hot water....you have to be careful with the parts though...make sure you don't lose them down the drain.
Make sure there is no dried ink inside the tube by either blowing on it, running some water in it, or if the ink is really stuck in there roll some wet toilet paper to clean the inside of it, if none of this works...then you could stick the small metal wire through the tip, but you have to be careful not to bend it...
When you're done, put it back together, and fill it up with ink!....it should work fine now....hope this helps you so you won't have to replace them!

[drdarrow]

Originally posted by FlipMcgee
One person said, in another board, that he soaked his tech pens in rubbing alcohol to unclog them.

Do NOT use rubbing alcohol! It "cooks" the clear plastic parts, making them microscopically pitted, which reduces the ink-flow.

It is worth a few bucks to get Kohinoor's Rapid-o-Ease cleaner. It's formulated to disolve even solid dried ink (over some time) and allow thorough cleaning.

I have had the same pens I dug out of a trashcan behind a design studio when I was 13 — 34 years ago. I only use Rapid-o-Ease.

With tips smaller than "0" if you take the little metal-weighted "plunger" out, you will risk bending it when you put it back in.

The best way is to hold the pen tip pointing down and lower the plunger in until it "hits" then lift it an 1/8" (or 1cm) and drop the plunger in, attempting to center it each time. Eventually you will have luck and it will DROP into the hole. DO NOT PUSH it.

If you bend the plunger wire, forget about ever straightening it, and understand that you have ruined the efficiency of these delicate pens.

Spend $12 and buy a new tip. Less hassle.

GREAT tips here (http://www.maryowensdesigns.com/HTML/koh-i-noor_amazing.htm).

--David

[snowangel224]

I found this thread on Google while looking up info on rethreading a Rapidograph wire, so I am replying in hopes that anyone else searching for this info will benefit.

I recently came into possession of some old Rapidographs. The .13mm was hopelessly clogged, so I decided to take it apart to clean it. Being careless, I dropped the weighted wire and ended up bending it into a couple of crimps and a crunching 90 degree bend at the base.

Thinking I just destroyed a 20$ nib, I was about to toss it in the trash but figured I'd try straightening the wire first. What did I have to lose?

I got the idea to pull the wire through a pair of tweezers. (Tweezers with blunt, curvy pincers were the key. Sharp flat ones didn't work). So I bent the needle back to a relatively straight form, then pulled it through the tweezers, holding the tweezers at a very slight angle in the opposite direction of the bend of the wire.

With this technique I was able to straighten the wire with a bit of sculpting. The hard part was rethreading the literally hair thin wire back into the nib. DrDarrow's advice was VERY useful here: Just rest the wire in the nib with the nib facing downward, and GENTLY help it to fall into place on its own.

To my amazement, the pen works as good as a brand new pen. So if you do happen to bend the wire, don't despair...you might be able to salvage it with a steady hand and a bit of patience.