I`ve not posted much over the last week, I posted a little project in the making yesterday but the rest of my time has been spent away from the clock throwing acrylic and wooden pen blanks into the scrap bin for a present for my dad for Christmas! I`m talking hours of work, just looking good and then crack - it splits! So at times you have to hold your hands up and say balls to it - I`m clearly trying to employ my metal working skills to wood and it just ain`t working and in all honesty, at this moment in time with 101 projects on my mind, I don`t want to go down the wood route to learn. Hummmm.... so what can I make my dads pen out of -- metal!
I`ve seen quite a few hand made ally pens and they look good, infact I don`t know why I didn`t think of it earlier. So here goes...
This is a scratch built found pen, this is not a kit! I`m a bit of a geek and I collect and restore fountain pens (infact it was researching how to thread a fountain pen that I managed to hit this site). Consequently I have a box full of odd bits out of which I pulled the nib, feed and section from an old Sheaffer no-nonsense. These are a budget pen but considered one of the best for value for money. I have about 10 spare nibs which is also an advantage. I have decided to go for an "ink dropper" style filling system. I don`t do cartridges, I`m an ink bottle man, it is part of the fountain pen ritual. An ink dropper is the most simple design, basically the barrel is drilled entirely through with a screw "blind" cap on the end which seals one end and the section/nib on the other side. When you need to fill with ink you simple unscrew the blind cap and use a syringe or pipette (ink dropper) to squirt the ink literally inside the barrel. This is a really simple method but it keeps it simple, no fancy lever fill, pluger fill or piston - just squirting ink right in the barrel!
I like bulky pens and besides, it`ll be less delicate to work with. My favourate pens are made by Danitrio, they are bulky and often clipless which is again my preference...this is also handy since I can imagine the clip being difficult to make and something else to think about! Basically, when it is finished it should look like a smooth cigar - totally clipless and all joints smooth with the barrel.
Anyway, less woffling.... some pictures:
Barrel threaded M12 for the pen lid and then this was chucked back up and threaded M10 on the other side for the blind cap
Barrel and blind cap
Barrel drilled all the way through - 8mm bore at the top to accept the section (the bit the nib fits into) going down to 6mm to the end.
Blind cap threaded onto section - needs a bit more polishing and sanding but I`m pleased with the joint. I need a very very small thin rubber O ring to stop any ink leaking
Just a mock up with the secion sat half way in position. I could simply glue this section on place but I`m considering threading the inside of the barrel and making my own section out of brass. I have a different pen called a Esterbrook J which has a special nib that screws out of the section and is very thin. I could therefore make my own section out of brass and glue in the Esterbrook J nib. This would allow me to make a number of brass sections with a couple of diffent nibs, italic, medium, fine...etc. However the more threads, the more likely hood of leaking. It may be best making a brass section but glueing it it. It could always be heat released should the need ever arise. Suggestions welcome.
Chris
