How To Get An Old Ink Sac Out Of The Pen Barrel?

[Kiel]

I found an old pen where the ink sac is hard as a rock and has adhered to the barrel. To make matters worse it at the end of the barrel. What tool will reach to the end of the barrel without hitting the sides?

[Seville]

Try dental picks. Especially the ones with a flat scraper end.

 

 

Philip

[Hanamizu]

My wife has a tool (for her nails, I think) hat does the trick for me. It has a narrow sharpened spoon like end on one side—about an eighth of an inch wide. It gets all of the rubber out of most pen bodies. If the body is too long, I have a very long and narrow screwdriver (it was made for typewriter repairs) that finishes the job. HTH

[AltecGreen]

Here are the usual tools as demonstrated by Farmkid, Farmboy's son.

 

 

[Greenie]

I understand almost all of the equipment shown.

 

But... How do you utilize the Smuckers Grape and Strawberry Jells packets?

[Flounder]

I've found heat helps with this. Direct some heat up the barrel, and a rock hard sac will soften just enough quite quickly. It's often possible to the pull it all out in one go, or in 2-3 big chunks if you're less lucky.

[The Write Pen]

I take old nut picks (like used to come with a carved walnut bowl and a nut cracker) and sharpen the end to where it looks like a chisel and it becomes a good scraper. The metal is soft and works well.

 

Regards,

 

danny

[gweimer1]

I use crochet hooks, but I also found an old nut pick at a flea market that works really well for separating those stubborn gooey sacs from the wall of the barrel.

[Kiel]

Thanks for the information, I have a tool for removing foxtails from dogs ears which looks like the tool the kid is using with the Smuckers jelly. I tried locksmith pics but no luck. Will update with my results.

[Greenie]

For $10 delivered, here is every size and shape

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/12pc-Pick-Spatula-Carver-Set-Wax-Clay-Carving-Stainless-Steel-Dental-Picks-/400792753911?hash=item5d511c16f7:g:o2oAAOSwpDdU7yJA

 

This is my favorite shape. I have two - one I bent the pointy end slightly to make it easier to scrape the inside of the barrel.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Wax-Spatula-W-7-Dental-Instruments-/111680794490?hash=item1a00b1af7a:g:AtMAAOSwpDdVZW8M

But I usually pick up dental and medical tools at swap meets for about $1 each. Often there is a cheap tool and gadget vendor and it is easy to pick up a few things cheaply that you might use sometime in the future.

 

Here is 3 for $10 of my favorite pen pick

http://www.ebay.com/itm/3-PCS-PERIOSTEAL-ELEVATOR-BABY-MOLT-7A-DENTAL-INSTRUMENTS-/110849647507?hash=item19cf276393:m:mOh9L3eBKtrkG9xxEp5QMUw

 

For actually grabbing the pieces, ENT alligator foreceps

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Alligator-Ear-Forceps-5-5-Serrated-Surgical-Instrument-/131096409539?hash=item1e85f475c3:m:mFwcw24zzMlX9sgCVXIj0Qg

Edited October 20, 2015 by Greenie

[tmenyc]

All of the above, plus I often first stick an unpointed, unsharpened wooden dowel up the barrel and turn it; that often breaks up the ossified pieces without the potential of harming the barrel. After that you know what's left to be picked out.

 

Tim