MadModder
Gallery, Projects and General => Project Logs => Topic started by: raynerd on December 14, 2009, 06:37:38 PM
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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! :clap: :dremel: 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
(http://www.raynerd.co.uk/images/dadpen1.JPG)
Barrel and blind cap
(http://www.raynerd.co.uk/images/dadpen2.JPG)
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.
(http://www.raynerd.co.uk/images/dadpen3.JPG)
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
(http://www.raynerd.co.uk/images/dadpen4.JPG)
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.
(http://www.raynerd.co.uk/images/dadpen5.JPG)
Chris
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Way to go Chris. Excellent job. Can't wait to see the finished product.
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Chris,
You may want to consider anodizing the aluminum, otherwise Dad might experience gray fingers or a gray smudge on his white shirt pocket. Anodizing gives you the option of clear, black, or a rainbow of available colors, and puts a durable surface on the metal that won't rub off.
Good work on the pen.
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chris: your dads going to love that pen. i know, i got one from my son about two years ago and i cherish it every time i use it.
chuck :wave:
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Chris,
You may want to consider anodizing the aluminum, otherwise Dad might experience gray fingers or a gray smudge on his white shirt pocket. Anodizing gives you the option of clear, black, or a rainbow of available colors, and puts a durable surface on the metal that won't rub off.
Good work on the pen.
Anodizing is a good idea. You can also have it lasered at a trophy shop with a design or anything you can put in Microsoft Word, after anodizing.
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That's looking very nice Chris, I'm sure your dad will love it :thumbup:
Tim
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Chris
I think maybe I should print this out and leave it lay around for my son to see as a hint! :lol: :lol: Nice job by the way. :ddb: :ddb:
Cheers :beer:
Don
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Got on with it a but more tonight. I`ve threaded everything and turned it down to size so that all joints are flush. Problem is that it now looks like a aluminium cigar tube or as my wife put it, a metal tapon holder :bang:
Exploded picture of the parts so far, blind cap, barrel, section and cap
(http://www.raynerd.co.uk/images/pendad10.JPG)
This is the section made of brass. I decided to make my own section and glue in an Esterbrook nib down this 6mm section bore.
(http://www.raynerd.co.uk/images/pendad11.JPG)
Section pressure fit into the barrel. It will also be glued in at the very end when I`m happy with it all. It isn`t to stop it coming out, it is to stop the ink leaking out!
(http://www.raynerd.co.uk/images/pendad12.JPG)
And here it is also together - a plain cigar tube!!!!! :bang:
(http://www.raynerd.co.uk/images/pendad13.JPG)
Here it is again mocked up with a nib. The nib will actually sit much lower in the section so should look a little fatter and more in line with the pen
(http://www.raynerd.co.uk/images/pendad14.JPG)
Help - any suggestions. It is lifeless! More profile? Brass insert bands? Glass ink level viewer? Clip?
Chris
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Knurl it?
Edit: no, that wouldn't work - the tube would be crushed. l
Andy
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Very nice Chris, will be a lovely present! :lol: at wife's comment!
Yeah a light knurl for the grip would be ok wouldn't it? Looks thick enough. You're right I think brass rings would really set it off, would be a nice contrast that reminds me of something but can't quite think what!
Which lathe are you doing it on?
Nick
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A little bit of bling and that would look great Chris,
A bit o' brass would work wonders :thumbup:
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A brass ring and polish... :nrocks:
I would like to make some pens sometime.
Eric
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I`ve been thinking about this and can`t see any possible way of putting in brass rings flush with the barrel without cutting the barrel, inserting and putting back together again - and I really don`t facy doing this due to more issues with it leaking. If I put a goove in it, I just can`t see how I could inlay that groove without a join in the brass or doing the above. Any suggestions or any other "bling" suggestions ....
NickG - the boxford. Nothing like doing small parts on a big lathe, that is what I said before right ? :bang:
~Chris
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Cut your groove for a brass inlay...
Cut yourself a ring of brass to fit the groove. Cut said ring in half, solder back together in the groove. Clean up and polish!
Eric
**dunno if that would really work... but for some reason I remember seeing something like that done somewhere on the interwebs.
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Cheers Eric, sounds like it should work. I bet with a good polish you can barely see the join. Thanks for the suggestion mate.
Chris
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Nice progress on the pen, you've got me thinking about making one!
Brass would look great, also blue tempered steel would contrast with the silver color as well.
Your pen reminded me of one I seen recently, made by the Breguet watch company, made from silver and blued steel.
Look forward to seeing it completed.
(http://img189.imageshack.us/img189/2781/breguet010.jpg) (http://img189.imageshack.us/i/breguet010.jpg/)
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Hi Jere, thanks for the comment. Brass and steel would need to be bored as much as possible to keep the weight down I expect. I didn`t want a clip at first, I like clipless pens but they have more profile than mine which I think is why it is looking a little lifeless. Thanks for your picture, these are two of my favorite clipless pens, they certainly have a neat profile which gives them their character - my pen is too uniform at the moment!
(http://www.ciar-roisin.net/photos/nakaya/cigaro-01.jpg)
(http://www.internetpens.net/i//tn_DSC05361.JPG)
I think my pen needs more profiling or a clip. Thanks for the comment - I hope the watch is still going to plan. I follow your website and look for updates each week - an avid viewer!
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Craynerd, Your Pen is looking great!!! On the profiling, You would be surprised how fast you could profile it with a good lathe file. It probably wouldn't take but a couple of min. Keep up posted:o)
Wes
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If you have a mill, you could cut longitudinal grooves and glue in brass. If you can undercut the grooves, you could pound in gold. I remember seeing how they do that somewhere on an inlay site. Just throwing ideas around, I know time is getting short. You could have his initials lasered in.
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Hi Tinkerer - thanks for the idea regarding the gold and if time wasn`t an issue I may have persued that. I have the time to do it but I don`t know where you would sorce the gold. That methods sounds easier and neater to me than the brass inlay and soldering the joint.
I think I may hook the pen up on the lathe and give it a profile, see what happens. What is the worse I can do and besides, there is always time to nip to waterstones before Christmas if it does end in the bin! Nothing like a bit of positive thinking .... :lol:
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I have just had a go at anodising earlier today on a test piece of aluminium and I am very impressed with the results. The method I got off the internet, I used 1.5M sulphuric acid in an electrolysis bath with a lead cathode and the aluminium “job” at the anode running at 12V, drawing about 3-4A for 45 minutes. I also placed the electrolysis bath in a large tub of iced water to keep the electrolysis bath cool. I know I know. … pictures! I haven`t got my camera with me here at work so when I do the real piece either tomorrow or Friday I take some.
After 45 minutes I removed the aluminium from the electrolysis cell and there was clearly a harder layer on the surface which was much more resistant to scratching (with a pair of scissors!) than the non-anodised section at the top. I also took it a step further since I read at this stage you can get the fancy colours and stain the aluminum at this point! I needed an organic dye so I had a good selection to choose from, I used indigo carmine in the end as it is a deep blue colour, I made up a pretty strong solution and dippied the piece into the dye for 3 minutes then washed it off. It stopped washing off after a few minutes and then I placed the piece in water at 100 deg for 5 minutes to seal the layer and finish the work. It looks very good, a great blue colour and a decent hard layer!
Thanks for the suggestion and idea of anodizing it, this is another skill I`ve learnt. I`ll post more details in this thread later but also may start a new thread with my method in the “polishing and anodizing forum”
Cheers guys
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Chris,
I would be interested to see your anodising. We do it here at work but I wouldn't know how to go about it on a small scale.
I wasn't being awkward, I just wondered if you'd tried the little lathe out yet! :thumbup:
Soldering the ring sounds a good idea if you can get the joint small enough.
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Nice looking pen Chris.
Better hurry up with those mods that have been sugested. Only 8 more days till X-mas. But who's counting. :lol:
Bernd
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I have the time to do it but I don`t know where you would sorce the gold. That methods sounds easier and neater to me than the brass inlay and soldering the joint.
Here is a link to a place in Coventry for future reference. I would think any jeweler would have the gold wire. I bet this won't be the last pen you make. :ddb: :ddb: :ddb:
http://www.palmermetals.co.uk/category/Wire.aspx