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Staedtler Marsmatic 700: Tehnical Drawing Pen Maintenance

Greetings peoples, Anyone had any luck reviving Staedtler Marsmatic 700 technical pens that were put away dirty and not used for a while. I just got my hands on a set of seven (retails for ~US$150) for $10, and have so far tried taking them apart completely and washing them in soapy water. So far I'm getting some gray, watery ink from the tight spaces I couldn't dry completely, but no or very little ink is flowing from the cartridge. Any ideas?

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ArtsyFartsyGirl says: Oct 3, 2011. 10:23 PM
Wow, Shooby, did you mug someone and leave a $30 tip?
I bought Mars Staedtler stuff 30 some years ago when I took a commercial art class. I have the compass maker, been in the box all this time. I guess that makes me a hoarder, huh?
snelson11 says: Aug 10, 2011. 12:20 AM
I just bought a set (the marsmatic700) at a thrift store here in town for $3.50
So i' understand


nettiep51 says: Sep 28, 2010. 12:20 PM
I am, at this writing, cleaning a set of these same pens. The dried ink in my pens is the ink that came with the set which has been in storage for nearly 20 years. The pens are cleaning nicely with plain tap water.
Take the whole pen apart including the ink reservoir from the handle, and the little black piece (holds a very thin wire) from inside the nib.
Simply soak in a cup of warm water for a few hours to rehydrate the ink.
Then, hold each of the various parts securely between thumb and forefinger and shake any loose ink chips out.(do this over a sink of water so as not to loose or damage a part if dropped) Keep rinsing and shaking until water is clear. I ended up using a fat bamboo skewer's dull end to vigorously pump some water up and down in the ink well to get the sludge out. Careful with the little wire thing when you put the pen back together - it will eventually find its way back to the center of the nib. Pens have color coded parts so as not to mix it up. If the pen is nice and clean, you will hear the familiar clicking as you shake the pen to start it.
XcwsmithX says: Feb 3, 2010. 7:08 PM
Hey nail polish remover works great on the tip and inside the ink 'tube'. just keep it away from the middle 'body' part because it will melt that kind of plastic.
shooby (author) says: Jun 10, 2008. 1:39 PM
Yeah it was a great deal. For $30 I got the pens, 30 Prismacolor markers, 72 set of Prismacolor color pencils, 25 set of oil pastels, 24 set of Nupastels, a Staedtler compass set, 8 stencils at $5 each retail, 12 set of water color pencils, bunch of other stuff. All of the markers and drawing materials are practically unused. Total retail value for the whole bundle new is $400+. So even if I can't get the pens working, it's still a good deal, but I'm not giving up yet!
3
NachoMahma says: Jun 10, 2008. 7:33 AM
. This pen cleaning may be helpful. Try it and see.
shooby (author) in reply to NachoMahmaJun 10, 2008. 9:52 AM
Thanks nacho, soaking in vinegar or ammonia was my next move, now I'll go ahead and do it
3
NachoMahma in reply to shoobyJun 10, 2008. 12:19 PM
. From what I saw on the 'Net while looking for the cleaning instructions, you got a good deal (if you can save them). The cheapest used set I remember seeing was $20.
. I used to think that ppl who paid so much money for high-quality writing/drawing instruments were crazy ... until I tried a few. I guess it's like with everything else - good tools do make a difference.
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