ElectricPencilSharpenerTroubleshootingGuide

Symptom
Sharpenerdoesnotoperateatall(dead)

PossibleCauses/Solutions/Explanations
1) Checkthattheoutlethaspower,forexample,by
connectinganotherappliance.
2) AllXACTOsharpenershaveaninterlockswitchthat
preventsoperationofthesharpener(cutters)when
theshavingsreceptacleisremoved.Thisfeatureis
usuallyactuatedbyapinonthebackofthe
receptacle.Checkthatthispinisintactandthatthe
receptacleisfullyinsertedintothesharpener.
3) Unplugthesharpenerandcheckthepowercordfor
damage,includingcutsorfraying.Donotuseany
sharpenerwithadamagedpowercordasitcan
presentafireorelectricalshockhazard.
Sharpenerhumswhenapencilininserted Ahumming(only)soundisanindicationthatthemotorhas
electricalpowerbutismechanicallyblocked.Thismaybe
butthecuttersdonotrotate(ACmotor
causedbythefollowingconditions:
models)
1) Checkthattheshavingsreceptaclehasbeenemptied.
Aseverelyoverfilledreceptaclecancausepencil
shavingstobackupintotherotatingpartsandjam
them.
2) Checkthatthecutters,cuttercarrier,andtheinternal
gear(locatedatthebaseofhelicalcutters)arefreeof
excesspencilshavings.Iftheshavingsreceptaclehas
previouslybeenoverfilled,theremayberesidual
shavingsremaininginsidetherotatingpartsofthe
sharpener.
Tocleartheshavings:
a) Unplugthesharpener.Removetheshavings
receptacle.
b) Whileholdingthesharpeneroverawastebasket,
gentlytapwithonthesideswiththepalmofa
handtofreeanylooseshavings.
c) Inspectthecuttersandinternalgearforany
remainingpencilshavings(thisusuallyrequires
turningthesharpeneroverand/orholdingitatan
angle).Anyremainingshavingsintheinternalgear
canberemovedwithasmalltoolsuchasapaper
clip.
3) Checkforandremoveanyforeignobjectsinoraround
thecuttersorcuttergearsandinsidethepencilbore.
Toinspectthepencilbore,rotatethesizeselector,
wherepresent,tothelargestopening,andusea
slendertooltomovethepencilactuationbartothe
side.
Oncealloftheobstructionsareremoved,the
2011ElmersProducts,Inc.

cutter/carriershouldnormallyrotaterelativelyeasilyby
handonACmotormodels.
Sharpenerhumswhenapencilininserted Thisisoftenanindicationofinternalshippingdamage.The
innewproduct(ACmotormodels)
cutter/carrierwillusuallyrotatefreelybyhandbutwill
lockupwhenenergized.
Motorisrunningbutthecarrierisnot
Thiscanbeanindicationofgeardamageinsidethe
rotatingorloudgrindingnoise
sharpenerandisnotuserserviceable.
Offcentersharpening/Sharpensoneside
Thisisacommoncustomercomplaint,butrarelyisitdueto
only/Sharpenstoawoodpoint
adefectinthesharpener.Whensharpenersareoperating
normally,thecutter(s)andcarrierrotateallthewayaround
thepencilmanytimessothattheyseeallsidesofthe
pencilequally.Whenthesharpeningisuneven/not
centered,itisusuallyduetosomeexternalfactors.

Thefollowingtipsarehelpfultoobtainthebestresults:
1) Onmultisizepencilsharpeners,makesurethatyou
haveselectedtheholethatprovidesthebestfitfor
thepencil.Anyslopinthepencilfitwilltranslate
intosomeoffcenteredness.
2) Holdthepencilwithaneutralgrip,notpressingitin
anydirection(up,down,left,orright).Anysideforce
onthepencilwilloffsetthecutting.
3) Keepthepencilincontactwiththecuttersbutdont
forceit.Letthecuttersdothework.
4) Yes,sometimesthegraphitecoreofthepencilisoffset
fromthecenterofthewoodcasing.Itseemstooccur
randomly(evenwithinthelengthofapencil)with
somebrandshavingtheissuemorethanothers.
5) Ifyouhaveastubbornpencil,youcanignorerule#2
andapplyaslightsideforceinthedirectionofthe
excessgraphitesidetotakeoffmoreofthewood.
Severeoffcentersharpening(tothepointwherethe
pencilisnotusableforwriting)cansometimesbecaused
byaworninternalgear.Thisringshapedgearislocatedat
thebaseofthecutter(s).Internalgearwearmustbe
significant(visuallyobvious)tobethecauseofoffcenter
sharpening.
Thisisusuallycausedbyaforeignobject(e.g.,aneraseror
Cuttercarrierisrotatingbutthepencilis
brokenpencillead)insidethepencilbore.Examinethe
notsharpening(doesntfeellikethecutter
pencilboreasinitem3ofthehumssectionabove.Ifthe
isengagingthepencil)
objectisloose,itmayfalloutthefrontofthesharpener.If
notloose,itmaybepossibletopushitloosefrominside
theshavingsreceptaclecompartmentwithapaperclip.Ifit
isnotpossibletodislodgetheobject,partialorfull
disassemblyofthesharpenermayberequired.

Forsharpenerswiththeflyawaycuttersystemwherethe
cutterismovedoutofthepencilboreoncesharpeningis
complete,itispossibleforthepenciltipslidetobejammed
2011ElmersProducts,Inc.

(heldintheflyawayposition)byforeignobject.Tocheck
forthis,unplugthesharpener,removethereceptacle,and
turnthesharperover.Lookforandremoveanyforeign
objects(typicallybrokencoloredpencilcores)nearthe
chromeplatedpenciltipslide.
Roughsharpening
Roughoperationisnormallycausedbyworncutters.To
inspectthecutters,unplugthesharpener,removethe
receptacle,andturnthesharperover.Examinethecutting
edgesofthehelicalcutter(s).Asmoothpolishedorglazed
appearance,especiallyneartheendwherethegraphiteis
sharpenedinanindicationoftheamountwear.Whenthe
cutteredgesareglazedacrossmostoftheirwidth,they
needtobereplaced.
Weofferthefollowingreplacementcutters/cutter
assemblies:
SchoolProreplacewithElmersitem1674
Model41replacewithElmersitemR1827
Dullpointaftersharpening(sharpenerswith UsuallycausedbycutterwearseeRoughSharpening
helicalcutters)
above.Pencilstipsarenormallysharpenedtoausable(but
notexcessivelysharp)point.Asthecutterswear,thesize
ofthepointwillgraduallybecomelarger.
Slowsharpening(sharpenerswithhelical
UsuallycausedbycutterwearseeRoughSharpening
cutters)
above.
Mayalsobecausedbyshavingsbuilduponthecutters.To
removebuildup,unplugthesharpener,removethe
receptacle,andturnthesharperover.Usapaperclipto
removeshavingsfromthecuttergrooves.Itmaybe
necessarytorotatethecuttertoseveraldifferentpositions
toreachallofthegrooves.
Brokenpencilleads(sharpenerswithrazor
Brokenpencilleadsanddull,glazed,orprotrudingpencil
bladecutters)
pointsareanindicationofwornrazorbladecutters.The
wearisnotnormallyvisibletothenakedeye.
Brokenpenciltips(coloredpencils)
Coloredpencilcoresareoftenmorepronetobreakage
thangraphitepencilcores.Tosharpencoloredpencils,itis
helpfultofollowthetipsforOffCenterSharpening
above.
Crayons,chalk,andsoft,waxypencilsshouldnotbe
sharpenedinpencilsharpeners.

2011ElmersProducts,Inc.