Is 3D Printing Really " Used ' At All For Fountain Pen Making

August 17, 2018

I did mention art and hand-work in the first place you know:

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What you're paying for is art, printing time, and surface finishing.

As for strength, FDM 3d printing produces weak products due to its layer-by-layer construction. This can be improved somewhat by hand-work, which is necessary anyway for a smooth product.

STL 3d printing produces shockingly fine products but they're a bit weak and prone to degradation due to the UV-sensitive polymers it must use. They're improving all the time but they're also a fact of life, if they weren't ultraviolet-sensitive plastics they wouldn't work.

Disposable ballpoints are shockingly durable anyway.

Edited August 17, 2018 by Corona688

December 21, 2018

Hello ,

I would like to add my stone to this post :-)

I have spent sometimes 2 years ago to create some 3D fountain pen that are open...meaning I have put the STL file on internet.

So anyone can print one .

My first attempt was during my young time in 3D, and the plastic I used was PLA (Poly bla bla acid). Which is really brittle but very simple to work with. PLA is the main material used because it is easy to print ( temperature and settings).

I will not speak about the nibs...printing nibs is still ..challenging.

So ....2 topics ,#1 the solidity of the material , and #2 the art side.

#1) Solidity of material.

-> FFF printers (most common 3D printers)

PLA is a plastic layed out at 200degC. ABS is also available but require some specific enclosure and has toxic fumes (beurk..).

Some other plastics are now available such as PETG, ASA and other.

These plastics are much more stronger and layer adhesion is remarkable. I have ran some test and it is like and as good as acrylic.

For sure the layers gaps are still a problem, but...with some patience , the layer can be down to 0.1 or even 0.05 mm.

->Resine printers

I never tested but the layer size could go down as 0.01. Really messy process , as you need to cure the design under UV outside the printers.

->Laser syntered printer

Really expensive printers...not for home users. I have tried to print some of my design by using the services of a company, but the tolerences were really off ...and not usable.

On the plastics, either you can print the threads , or use the "thread tool" (sorry I am not english ...word just went out of my mind).

You can use epoxy , glue then , melt them , etc...

So can you print a solid pen ? ...YES, WE CAN.

#2) The art

Of course , the art side is different..nothing is worth the time of an artist like Shaun (I am a big fan !! ) spent on the lathe.

However, the time spent on a computer with a good CAD software thinkering ...could perhaps be close to art.

So 3D printing a special shaped pen is possible, maybe not as accurate and nice but possible.

Now I agree the external aspect is not yet there yet ! why ? because this is where you pen makers have your added value. The "touch" , the learning curve , the love you put is simply fantastic !

Personally I have a small home with kids and little room for me...so a lathe is just not possible ( WAF factor :-) )

But I truly believe that with some really good care, a 3D printed pen could be as good as a "turned" pen.

I am not trying to say 3D printing is better...no...

Now my marketing background will come in :

This is just to different ways of manufacturing ...and selling fountain pen. 2 different products..like a Ford and a Rolls Royce.

I am really skeptical regarding the price of a 3D printed pen...and what is the barrier to entry for someone in China to mass produce 3D printed fountain pen 1/10 of your price ?...none or very little.

Whereas Pen makers ,as I stated , put love, time and experience...they want their users to feel it...

This market of Fountain pen is really "confidential" , lovers of nice parts, with an history.

This is in my sense the difference and why 3D printed pen may not be popular....

At the end , if people are happy with 3D printed pen, then it is ok. Different market, different expectations and needs!

I am not sure this helps but at least I have brought a stone :-)

Zoidberg.

January 12, 2019

Full disclosure: I'm the founder of Additive Pens, so my opinion here may be biased.

3D printing is useful in three scenarios:

1. Getting parts fast and often at home

2. Getting parts cheap - low quantity, small, and intricate parts

3. Extreme weight reduction

4. Making parts impossible to make traditionally

Points 1. and 2. are irrelevant for the end user. Some say that technology will advance and you will print quality cheap stuff at home. I doubt that - just like you could print a book at home it won't be cheaper nor better than the one printed professionally.

3. Is only relevant for aerospace

Therefore, you end up with point no 4.

We are working on things that go beyond a pretty eyedropper barrel; the problem is that there are very few things you can do with a fountain pen that's impossible with traditional manufacturing methods. The fact that the are so few pen projects utilizing 3d printed parts proves that point.

Making a "meaningfully" 3D printed pen is really difficult when you want to go beyond just fancy geometry.

I'd also like to address the suggestion that someone in China can 3D print pens for 1/10 of the price. Simply-no they cannot. The reason that Additive Pens and the Genesis pen cost roughly the same is dictated by technology alone. There is no premium charged for being "first". Pjotr pen costs an arm and leg also purely for a technological reason.

If anyone has any good ideas that are enabled by the 3D printing technologies we are always open to cooperation. It takes a while to sort out the basics, so adding to an existing project makes it that much easier.

October 4, 2021

On 7/20/2018 at 12:00 PM, Mech-for-i said:

My ranting to them is that .. then do not try to emphasis that you are using 3D printing to say give us REALLY SOMETHING NEW in tech and pens ( their word , not mine ) Sorry guys but you are not using 3D Printing to produce pens, you are using the to produce pen parts ( again nothing wrong with that ) please sell the pen as it is for its own virtue ..

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OK, I know that this is an old thread, but have a look at the pens that I am selling. I think that they take advantage of the 3D printing process to give pens that are fully functional, beautiful, and interesting. I am selling pens on their own virtues.

See them at platypuspens.com

Check out these reviews too:

and

October 4, 2021

My Moonwalk Pen is 3D printed, but that isn't the feature that I am promoting. I simply had an idea for a design that, in traditional manufacturing, would have required an injection mold. Since I did not anticipate making/selling a large quantity, investing the money in having a mold made was beyond my means. So, I turned to 3D printing in order to make my design in small quantities.

I found that SLA printers such as the Form2 can print in acrylic to a resolution of 25 microns, and that gives really good quality results. The cost of printing and finishing a pen using these techniques is high, though, and this would not be the way to go if one were planning to sell hundreds or thousands of identical pens.

3D printing isn't easy, either. It took nearly two years to figure out the best way to make all the parts. And no, I don't print the nib, feed, or converter, so yes, I'm making a pretty barrel and cap and a section that feels right to me.

It has been fun, and I have now sold over 40 of my pens, mostly in the US, but also from Australia to Austria, and people seem to like it.

If you care to take a look, here's a link to my web site The Moonwalk Pen.

October 6, 2021

I love your pen. A perfect example of taking advantage of what 3D printing has to offer to produce a product that would be very difficult to make any other way.

On 10/4/2021 at 9:43 PM, BamaPen said:

I found that SLA printers such as the Form2 can print in acrylic to a resolution of 25 microns, and that gives really good quality results.

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My printer resolution is much coarser than 25 microns, but I designing my pens to take advantage of the layer lines to give a unique texture to the pens and to play with light to make the pens sparkle and glisten. I couldn't make the finely detailed picture that you have on your pen.