Replacement Wacom Pen Nibs in About 5 Minutes

You can make replacement Wacom Bamboo pen nibs in about five minutes.

People have been using weed trimmer line but I found that at .065 inches in diameter, it is too big for the pen that came with my Wacom Bamboo model CTH-460.

And there is the issue of straightening the line. Buying a straight plastic rod the correct .060 diameter will save you a lot of time.

You will need:

.060 (1/16) inch plastic rod available from TAP Plastics for $.075 for six feet. You can buy it online for $7.50 for ten. Another option is finding .060 fiber optic line.

- A file.

- An electric drill.

- Sandpaper, 200-1500 grade.

- Optional: Neon Sharpie

Avery page protector

Step 1: .060 or 1/16 Inch Plastic.

Plastic rod should be as close .060 inches in diameter as possible.

Step 2: Measuring the Easy Way

Remove the worn nib (you may need tweezers or small needle nosed pliers). Insert the plastic rod into the Wacom pen. Cut plastic leaving a quarter inch or more extending from the pen.

Step 3: Scissor Cut Nib Should Look Like This.

Step 4: Your Electric Drill Is a Mini Lathe.

Place in drill, tighten and hold the file at a 90 degree angle while running the drill at medium speed to flatten the tip. You will have to see what speed works best for you.This will be the end that goes in to the pen.

Reverse the rod and begin shaping. (see image) This should only take a few secondsto rough out the general shape.

Step 5: Finish Shaping With Ever Finer Sand Papers.

Continue shaping with sandpaper finishing up with an ultra fine 1200-1500 wet/dry sandpaper until it is smooth and polished. Your new nib is almost ready.

Step 6:

Polished smooth.

Step 7: Optional Steps.

Now that you have a new Wacom Pen nib, you don’t want to drop it only to have it disappear forever in carpet or under furniture. Once given a few strokes of permanent fluorescent marker, your nib will glow brightly when hit with UV light and will be easy to find.

Step 8:

Photo taken in dark room with only UV light to illuminate the nib.

Step 9: Make That Nib and the Tablet Surface Last Longer

For smoother pen use, you can place the tablet inside an Avery plastic sheet protector. Any thin page protector or similar plastic should work. Just cut to size and draw up the slack on the back and tape tightly.