MY MECHANICAL PENCIL SUDDENLY STOPPED WORKINGUpdated 5 days ago
MECHANICAL PENCIL ANATOMY
If your mechanical pencil fed lead without issue when you received it new in box and now suddenly does not feed lead, try the following trouble-shooting steps:
1) Tip opening on converter (silver part pointing out from pencil cone) is damaged not allowing the lead to come through at all or jamming in the opening.
Examine the lead converter tip for damage. If the tip is damaged, you will need to purchase a new converter. We do not sell any part of the converter as a stand-alone replacement item.
2) Lead is jammed inside the converter.
Do not pack converter barrel full of lead shafts; there needs to be enough to hold the shafts upright in the barrel to enable a shaft to enter the small opening to the feed catch but no so many that the shafts cannot move into position. Try a max of five shafts at any one time to start.
Unscrew the lead converter from the pencil cone.
Lift off the plastic top (plunger) from the lead converter and turn upside down to remove any lead shafts from inside.
Replace the plunger and push down to feed any lead that may be lodged in the tip of the lead converter.
Check to see if a small piece of lead might be stuck in the copper feed at the bottom of the shaft body of converter. The copper feed is housed inside the silver tip. Unscrew tip to check copper feed. You will see the tiny 'grabbers' of the feed tube - this is the lead catch mechanism. Pushing plunger down and releasing should open/close the catch (activate the grabbers).
If you cannot push the plunger of the empty converter down, then there is a problem with the plunger or the lead catch, which requires a new converter.
3) Spring is bent or missing
If the converter works fine on its own outside the pencil barrel, but stops working when re-installed, then there may be a problem with the spring that sits on top of plunger. If the spring is bent or broken, you will need to purchase a new spring.
The pencil can operate without the spring. It is there to create some tension for the bolt mechanism. Remove spring and recheck plunger action to feed the lead shaft.
If the converter is working, load one shaft in and make sure the lead feeds before reinstalling the converter in the barrel.
Screw the converter back in the cone, place the spring on the top of the converter and screw the cone to the barrel.
Converter replacement part in sizes .5mm and .7mm. Pencil comes installed with .7mm converter and lead. If we are out of stock on the Schmidt converter, you can find them online through other retailers. Be sure to purchase the same model referenced on the outside of the converter barrel.
A damaged tip from dropping the pencil or impact against a hard surface is not under warranty. You will need to purchase a new converter.
If the feed did not operate within 30-days of purchase, you may request a return for replacement or refund. Replacement is subject to availability. Refund is subject to circumstance of return.
If purchased from Amazon, request return authorization through your account.
Go to MY ORDERS, select the pencil order and follow instructions for return.