Why Is My Drawing Tablet Pen Wet

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e-schreiber ƒ(x) / fashion Senior Member

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I got my stylus wet with water yesterday and it hasn't worked properly since. It behaves like a mouse with a stuck left button. Do I need a new pen or will it get back to normal once its interior dries out? Any suggestions?
Agent 9 Scribbler - Standard Member Senior Member

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I've never gotten a pen wet before, but it is just a coil, and a small circuit board with a switch on it as well as a few tiny components; all of it is really basic, and the eletricity for it comes from the coil being energized by the field the screen putts off, so it shouldn't fry up anytime soon... just do the old "bag'o rice & your phone" trick with the pen, let it sit for a few days, or a week, and it whould be back to nornmal
Hashaholic Borderline Yadoo

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I had a water-damaged pen on my last tablet...inking worked fine for a minute or two and then the pen acted as if the click button was being held down the entire time. I had to buy a replacement.
SDreamer Scribbler - Standard Member

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I'd throw it in some rice for a few days and see if that helps. Seeing how you already tried it and it wasn't is disheartening, because if it was moist inside and you tried it, means it powered up with the moisture thus possibly shorting something inside. It couldn't hurt to try drying it out with rice though.
Hattori Hanzo Scribbler - Standard Member

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I'd use standard salt instead of rice or silica based cat liter, but that's not much of a difference.
You are lucky that the pens do not have any batteries and hence the risk of corrosion is low. Depending on the water, I guess it wasn't distilled, you can have problems with traces of conductive materials.
What helps in most cases is special electronic cleaning stuff. I'd name the common name or some brand if I'd knew it in English. That stuff is here sold in cans, inflamable, slightly toxic, oily and stinks. Ideally you'd drown the complete PCB and wait for some hours. Practically, you'd have to drown the complete pen as it isn't easily openable.

If you go this way, which I guess would have a very high chance of working, you'd have to get the stuff out again, though, which is not convenient given the usually oily consistence. Blowing into the pen with some cloth wrapped around should do it, though. After that wait for some time again, though, as your breath will result in condensing water. You do not need to dry the pen beforehand this way, btw.

This treatment has, among other things, rescued MP3 players, cell phones and such in the past.
e-schreiber ƒ(x) / fashion Senior Member

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I sticked the pen on the side of my fridge (it gets warm there) for the last 2 days and the pen "seems" to be working properly now. I was getting ready to deploy plan-B: bag of rice.
Thanks for the info guys!
Karaloo Pen Pal - Newbie

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Heya. I'm having the same problem with my Bamboo pen, it fell in my coffee
It works but like you said it's like the left button is stuck. I love this tablet and pen so much and I won't be able to replace it case it's an older model. There MUST be hope for my pen!

Please, could you tell me exactly the steps you took to fix yours? I've stuck mine in rice over night - didn't work
Steve S Pen Pro - Senior Member Super Moderator

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<<...I'm having the same problem...it fell in my coffee...>>
@Karaloo ...If your coffee had creamer or sugar in it, you may have to rinse the pen, especially if sugar was involved. If the buttons or the nib feel "sticky," try immersing the pen (at least the part that was in the coffee) in some distilled water until it is thoroughly saturated. Work the buttons and remove the nib if you can. Repeated dipping may be required. Once you feel like everything is working freely, shake the pen gently but vigorously to expel as much water as you can.

<<...I've stuck mine in rice over night - didn't work...>>

...Contrary to what you may have read on the Internet, packing a damp device in rice is no more effective than simply letting it air dry. I would argue it's actually less effective:

https://www.tccrocks.com/blog/does-rice-really-work/

Also, overnight likely wasn't long enough. Depending upon how much liquid was trapped in your pen, it could take a couple of days to dry. Whether you elect to rinse your pen or not, my suggestion would be to 1) shake the pen to get as much liquid out of it as possible and, 2) leave your pen in the sun (a sunny windowsill for example) for at least a couple of days.

Finally, one unfortunate note. Despite your best efforts, your pen may continue to malfunction. Depending upon what model of Bamboo pen you have, you may be able to find a replacement on Amazon or eBay.

Good luck.

Last edited: Nov 25, 2017
Karaloo Pen Pal - Newbie

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Thank you, Steve. I did wipe the motherboard and coils down with a damp cloth, so I'm going to try what you suggest and just leave it upright in a sunny area for a couple more days.
It's just so annoying to know it's still capable of functioning (it still works but the left button seems stuck), but just not functioning correctly. I did feel the buttons and they don't feel sticky - so it must be short-circuiting somehow. It would be super sad to have to adjust to a new tablet. I love my Bamboo!