white gel pen help
 

All of my white pens refuse to function at all. Some are old, some not so old. I store them flat.
Is there a white pen out there that works for you? This is getting very frustrating. I have Hobby Lobby and Michael's stores near me, sad but no stamp stores anymore. Can anyone recommend one that they like to use and one that actually works more than once...

See post 225 in the White Gel Pen chatter thread to hopefully fix the ones you have.

Thanks Linda for the information. I knew there was information on white gel pens somewhere but I could not find it. I have 7 or 8 white pens but I don't have any SU pens or any of the white craft ink. I am going to see if Hobby Lobby has any pens and just start over for now hoping they have one and it does work.
Thanks again.

Yes: the Uni-Ball Signo Broad white gel pen! The ink comes out thick and opaque and it writes over anything. I've had mine a few months and it's still going strong.

http://www.amazon.com/Sanford-Uni-Ball-Impact-Stock-White/dp/B00161UAJS

I had two Signo pens from Stampin' Up and my local stamp/scrapbook store recommended one I try.......they all dried up in a realitively short time and/or were very spotty with their coverage. I was in a local art store for some acetate sheets and just said "you wouldn't happen to have".......the gal walked over to a display and pulled out a Pentel Sunburt White Gel Pen.........I think it has a medium point. If I remember correctly it wasn't even $2.00. It's been over a year now and it still works like a charm. Hope this helps...........Diane

I use the Uniball Signo white gel pens and like them a lot, though I have trouble with them as well. I found that they can be fussy when they've not been used for awhile. I've had good luck with my current one. It's almost empty and still flows like a champ.

I have done some research and found the following tips to be helpful:
* Before starting to write each time, I run the tip of the pen across the tip of my finger or the heel of my hand to start the flow.
* If the pen is stubborn, try warming it. Some people say to roll it in your hand but that's not worked for me. Instead, I put a tiny bit of hot (not boiling) water into a coffee mug and set the pen in it, tip down, for a minute or two.
* In really stubborn cases, I've removed the metal part of the pen and cleaned things up. I found that this was more trouble than it was worth because the pen stopped again after a couple minutes of use.
* I remember many years ago that running the tip of an ink pen over a flame for a quick moment would help get it started. I made the mistake (once) of doing the same with the Uniball. Just the bit of heat for a short period caused the plastic inner tube to melt.

I pinned this article to my Pinterest: Captain Crafter: A Quick Fix For Gel Pens
I haven't tried it yet, but it looks promising...

One of my daughters read that you could soak the tips in acetone (like nail polish remover) and it would loosen up whatever ink was dried up at the tip. She revived most of hers (and mine) that way, but a few were apparently too far gone...

I have seen a video where someone ( forgot whom sorry) just rests the pen tip on the back of her other hand like in the joint above her thumb to get the tip to "warm" a little bit she swirls it around in a little circle until she gets a dot of ink on her hand. ( it looks like less work than the flame thing) ( esp. when your klutzy like I am and work over a plastic table :mrgreen: )

Thank you everyone for all of your tips and suggestions. Now I just need to remember where I put all of those useless pens. I am sure it is in a safe place that I was sure to remember...

Sharpie white paint marker.