Why can ballpoint pens fail permanently when they still have so much ink left?

Comments

• donuts@lemmy.world ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  Usually this means the ball part is stuck and/or the ink surrounding it has dried out.

  Here’s a close up of how they work: youtube.com/shorts/7KGqGAlxwJs

  If no ink gets transfered unto the ball, it’s not able to write anything.

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• hperrin@lemmy.ca ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  The ink gets all stiff and gunky and doesn’t transfer to the ball. The ball might not even spin at that point. Lick it.

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• Mbourgon@lemmy.world ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  I know that you can use a cigarette lighter, very briefly, to burn off the stuck-on ink off the ball… otherwise the ball will pop out because the ink behind it turns to steam, I assume.

  I believe there’s a chemical (maybe isopropyl alcohol?) That you can apply to the ball to dissolve the ink as well.

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• Anissem@lemmy.ml ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  By design by big pen

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  • Psaldorn@lemmy.world ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    Bic Bic energy

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• bestagon@lemmy.world ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  Pens can often pick up paper fibers that gum up the works. In the case of ballpoints I can see this being a pretty permanent problem once it builds up enough to stop up the pen

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• crank0271@lemmy.world ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  Why can my car stop running forever when there’s still a full tank of gas?

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  • stom@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    Ballpoint pens: known for being just as complex as cars.

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    • guy@piefed.social ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      China produced cars before ballpoint pens

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• Nugscree@lemmy.world ⁨9⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  The ink can dry out or some contaminant can get on the ball and preventing it from rolling. What I usually do is run the ball along the sole of my shoe (or use anything that has high friction material) 9 times out of 10 it makes the pen work again.

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