SU markers

[klhbenson]

oh dear. I have the complete box of SU markers. I use them very little. I better some of the lids have never even been taken off. I'm guessing they are 4 or 5 years old. They did go several months stored vertically...because I hadn't been up to my craft room...and hadn't discovered it.

The last couple weeks I've gotten back to stamping...and when I've reached for my markers...most of them are dry...both ends.

Is it because of the age? or because they spent several months vertical? In the summer, the room reaches 90 degrees...so would the heat have effected them?

any suggestions what to do? they've been stored horizontally for at least a year now.

kathy

[katestamps716]

I would imagine the heat dried them up. If it was just the storage then that one end would be nice and juicy.

[peebsmama]

I have had my markers for about 4 years as well but I use mine all the time. I do store them horizontally. There are a couple of colors that get very minimal use, but when I do use them, they are still fresh. So I'm wondering if it's a storage issue in your case. If they have dried up, you can revive them with rinkers. Its really simple to do. I have done it many times with pens that I have used to death.

After removing the cap, use a pair of tweezers and gently grasp the pen tip and pull straight out. Set it somewhere safe where you won't lose track of it! Then put just a few drops of reinker in the pen tube. This literally takes just 3 or 4 drops. Re-insert the pen tip with the tweezers. Scribble with the pen until the ink comes back to the tip. Even though the ink chamber of the pen is supposed to go all the way through so it feeds both tips, I find that it works better to pull the other tip out as well and repeat the refill on that side.

[cmesinden]

I bought my markers back in 2001 or 2002 and they are still going. I am thinking that the extra heat may have caused part of the problem. I have heard that the refilling (as above stated) works.

[Stamper for fun]

I had a couple Marvy markers go bone dry (used a lot) and I read on SCS about Ranger Perfect Ink Refresher. I followed the instructions on the bottle but the part about allow a few minutes to saturate did not work for me. I placed the marker vertically with the marker side down (these Marvy markers only had one point) for about 24 hours.

If you have the StampinUp ink refills for the markers I would follow the suggestions above. If you don't have all the ink refills you might want to try a bottle of this Refresher. I don't know if it will work for you but a bottle is only $5-$6 (4 oz). However, since it has been many years and stored in heat I am not sure the Refresher will work for you.