First Kit Pen

[richardandtracy]

In the spirit of Alchohics Anonymous, I have a confession to make.

It's not quite the sort of confession you might expect from a moderator on the 'Pen Turning & Making Forum' either.

 

I confess that I've never made a pen. Or turned one.

 

Until yesterday, that is.

In the past I've made a barrel & connector for my old Parker 61, but not a kit pen, or a complete pen from scratch. I have had quite a reasonable amount of turning experience, just not with pens. So, feeling more than a little bit of a fraud, I bought two kit pens and a single stick of acrylic. I thought for my first pen, I'd make the kit straight and not deviate from the designer's intent by one little bit - apart from making my own mandel to turn the tubes on.

 

For beginners (like me) I've given a little bit of a description of how long it took and what I did to make the thing. I used a metalworking lathe, as I'm a real fumble fingers and can't cope with a wood lathe where you hold the tools.

 

Description of the kit.

The kit was one of the more common kits. The cap consists of a finial, a clip and a threaded opening to the cap. You turn the material that's stuck on the outside of a brass tube that forms the body of the cap. The body of the pen consists of a ready assembled nib, feed and section, two threaded fittings to go into either end of a blank brass barrel tube and a small diameter barrel end finial. The work making the pen is really limited to making the decorative covering to the brass tubes.

The decorative covering came in the form of a square acrylic blank, 3/4" (19mm) square and 5" (127mm) long.

 

Workshop actions

I drilled the hole down the middle of the acrylic blank with a 10mm drill and did the rough turning to make a circular rod, with the blank held in a 4 Jaw chuck and drill in the tailstock - about 30 minutes including fitting the chuck and dismounting it afterwards.

The steel mandrel took about an hour to make from 10mm steel rod, made it long enough for only one tube to reduce flex, chatter and avoid using a dead centre in the tailstock. This included the time to make a 6mm thread on the end to clamp the tube on the mandrel. The mandrel was the only bit of the pen where I felt really confident - turning steel is comfortable and familiar.

I glued the acrylic to the tubes with epoxy, left overnight and then did the turning on the barrel tube. I went very slowly with the first tube, as I've never cut acrylic before. The tool I used was a 6mm diameter circular carbide insert designed for the final cut on steel, which proved to give a nice finish after I found a speed that didn't give chatter (1200 rpm - less than the max 1600 rpm which gave bad chatter over part of the work). I used no lubricant, cut 0.25mm deep with each cut, and manually fed the tool in the axial direction. The final two cuts were 0.1 and 0.05mm. The barrel didn't need sanding after the last cut, just a rub over with 12000 grade micromesh to polish it while still rotating in the lathe. All told, the barrel took an hour. The cap took around half the time, as I was happier with the tools & whole process. I measured all diameters while working with a vernier caliper, a micrometer wasn't justified.

Assembly of the kit just required a vice to press the fittings into the tubes, and a tiny bit of screwing by hand of the section into the barrel and the finial on the top. This took 10 minutes.

Total time in the workshop: 3 hours 10 minutes.

 

Overall, I reckon they have been the most productive 3 hours I've ever spent in the workshop. The next pen (if I were to stick to the design) would be under 2 hours now that I'm confident with the material and have made the mandrel.

 

Total cost off E-bay BIN's: Pen Kit £4. Acrylic Rod £2. Postage £1.50. Can't complain at that.

 

Now, how does this cheap kit write?

I was surprised. It gave a nice wet, medium line that was initally slightly scratchy, but 12000 grade micromesh cured that in seconds. The pen feels a little unbalanced when posted, but has a nice feel when unposted. I tried a Jinhao & Leonardo convertor, but neither would fit in the barrel opening, so I think this pen is limited to cartridges.

The threads are rather poorly cut on the barrel to cap fitting, and it does rattle if not tightened securely.

Overall I think it looks very smart. This black & white acrylic would look better with silver coloured fittings, but it's OK as is.

 

Future plans.

This pen turning is very rewarding, so I'll not stop at one. For my second kit pen, I'm going to do away with the cap finial, brass tubes and barrel end finial. I'll have to fire up my furnace to make some aluminium rod from scrap and make a diamond knurl tool. I want an aluminium version of the solid silver Onoto Century pen... I suspect it'll be some time before I finish it!

 

Maybe I'll have to change those plans. In the last 5 minutes I have recieved 4 orders from my colleagues for ball point versions of this pen.. Oh dear. No taste.

 

Regards

 

Richard.

 

[oracle202]

Not bad at all.

 

 

[mic]

looks good. that was the very first fountain pen kit i made and also the first fountain pen i used. now i have made dozens of them eliminating kit parts more and more and i also have twenty or so vintage fountain pens. i haven't figured out how much more i have spent on collecting as apposed to how much i have made selling pens i have made but i am sure its pretty unbalanced.

[Reformation Student]

Nicely done :roflmho:

[gwilki]

Nicely done, Richard. You'll find the listing for Penturners Anonymous in your yellow pages. :-)

[richardandtracy]

I truly think I need to search for my local branch of 'Penturners Anonymous'.

My colleagues have been so enthusiastic about the two ball point pens I made immediately after the pen above, that I didn't have time to photograph them before they were grabbed & money was thrust into my paws. Thirty seconds later I had a backlog of 5 pens (2fp's and 3 bp's) in blues and black/gold.

 

Yesterday I was told that the family members of the two who grabbed the pens first said I should have charged £50 each...

 

For a ball point?!?

 

Some people have no taste whatsoever.

 

I suspect that all my evenings will be taken up once I get more materials in.

I'm beginning to think it was a bad move to start turning pens... :bonk:

 

Regards

 

Richard.

 

[pmorin]

Looks like a Berea kit, but could be a cheaper knock off. The threads on the cap are loose - but designed for speed - 1/4 turn on and off so I think it has something to do with the threads. It's a decent kit - I've made a handful of them - used to match the body colours to the inks

 

Don't leave them float loose in a purse, or pocket - the cap will work it's way off. If you can find a small thin O-ring you can roll it onto where the cap threads - it will ensure a tight fit that doesn't loosen up. Pen State has a similar kit that does use the O-rings.

 

I agree - the nibs are surprisingly decent for the cost of the kit. Sorry to hear about the BP requests though.

[gwilki]

Richard

 

£50 for a ballpoint!!?? I'm definitely in the wrong market. Now that you are well and truly hooked, I look forward to seeing your fountain pen efforts.

 

[richardandtracy]

  pmorin said:

... If you can find a small thin O-ring you can roll it onto where the cap threads - it will ensure a tight fit that doesn't loosen up. Pen State has a similar kit that does use the O-rings.

 

I agree - the nibs are surprisingly decent for the cost of the kit. Sorry to hear about the BP requests though.

So that's what the two 'O' Rings in the kit are for... I wondered & wondered, and couldn't find a place for them to go.

 

I've also got a segment of brass tube, 6mm diameter, 22.5mm long that I'm stumped about, I really can't find anywhere for it to go. Unless it's to support a blind end of the barrel tube instead of having an ugly black & gold finial on the end of the barrel (hidden inside the cap on my photo above).

 

I have tried & tried to convert my colleagues to FP's. It hasn't worked yet. Most apprear to think I'm stuck in the steam age.

 

Regards

 

Richard.

 

[pmorin]

  richardandtracy said:

  pmorin said:

... If you can find a small thin O-ring you can roll it onto where the cap threads - it will ensure a tight fit that doesn't loosen up. Pen State has a similar kit that does use the O-rings.

 

I agree - the nibs are surprisingly decent for the cost of the kit. Sorry to hear about the BP requests though.

So that's what the two 'O' Rings in the kit are for... I wondered & wondered, and couldn't find a place for them to go.

 

I've also got a segment of brass tube, 6mm diameter, 22.5mm long that I'm stumped about, I really can't find anywhere for it to go. Unless it's to support a blind end of the barrel tube instead of having an ugly black & gold finial on the end of the barrel (hidden inside the cap on my photo above).

 

I have tried & tried to convert my colleagues to FP's. It hasn't worked yet. Most apprear to think I'm stuck in the steam age.

 

Regards

 

Richard.

 

Depends on who made the kit. I'm not sure about the brass tube - there's a tube for the body, and a tube for the cap. Some kits (flat top pencil kit) has a second sleeve for the mechanism. One is a liner and the other attaches to the lead device. It may be a 'spare part' - I know many kits I've heard about people having huge trouble with the converter coming off when they unscrew the nib.... they put the spring for the rollerball in, which of course catches the converter.

 

The Berea kit can be seen here at Lee Valley - finished, assembled parts only, and instructions are available. I've only ever had one kit with spare parts - someone must have been new in the packaging department because the kit came with both fountain pen and rollerball parts. They corrected that very quickly.

 

The kit looks like what Penn State calls the "Classic Elite" - instructions here. I questioned the O-rings being put between the body and the couplers - the Penturners forum had a thread on this where they say the instructions are incorrect, and have just never been updated. The couplers should be inserted, and then the rings go on to the "base" - you'll notice when the cap is screwed on the O-ring sits inside and keeps it tight.

 

I have a knockoff of the Penn State kit - won't buy it again. Might try the Penn State, but I have a Lee Valley locally and have never had issues with the Berea. They are likely all made in the same factory in reality though

 

[richardandtracy]

Thanks.

 

The 6mm tube is definitely not a duplicate part, or a bit off a rollerball. Anyway the pen works OK without it.

 

Regards

 

Richard.

 

[DeaconKC]

Richard, did you use a metal or wood lathe for this project? It turned out beautifully.

[richardandtracy]

  DeaconKC said:

Richard, did you use a metal or wood lathe for this project? It turned out beautifully.

I used a metal lathe, as that's the only sort I can cope with.

 

I am so ham fisted that I cannot hold woodworking tools on a woodworking lathe without severe danger to myself or the workshop. On one occasion with timber I managed to jam the lathe tool in the work and snapped the handle, and on another occasion I had the tool ripped out of my hand and it lodged in the twin wall polycarbonate roofing of the workshop having punctured the lower skin. I taught myself how to use a matal lathe, and having my hands on the handwheels and nowhere near the work makes it much safer all round!

Even with a metal lathe I initially had problems - mostly with exploding parting tools. I eventually learnt that the parting wasn't set up perfectly square, so there were lateral forces on the HSS tool, and it just exploded on me. Even now, six years on I still part off with some trepidation and always wear a face mask.

 

I really need someone to teach me how to use a wood lathe, but having got a metalworking lathe, I don't really have the space or need for a woodworking one.

 

Regards

 

Richard.

 

[DeaconKC]

Thanks, I have access to a wood lathe, but no metal ones! Can a beginner who has used both types in the past, get a good result with a wood lathe?

[richardandtracy]

I really cannot see why not. If you are skilled (in a way I'm not), I cannot see why a woodworking lathe cannot be used. I believe it's more common to use woodworking lathes than metal lathes for these kits.

 

I understand that sharp wood tools work as well on acrylic as they do on wood, however I must emphasise that I cannot speak from personal experience.

 

Finally, I suspect that if you have plans for going further into pen making than kits, you'd be better off using a metal lathe.

 

Regards

 

Richard.

 

[pmorin]

I've used a small "Mini" lathe for turning pen kits for a couple of years now. Most kits are designed to turn on a mandrel - so as long as the morse taper is correct for your lathe you shouldn't have any issues. Solid top/bottom pieces? Pin mandrel. 4 jaw chucks. Lots of options.

 

Acrylics, wood, corn cobs, resins... all turn well. I beleive brass and aluminum are also soft enough to turn with wood turning tools. Some require slightly different techniques, but all can be done with standard wood turning tools and lathe. Yahoo has a pen turners group that is worth looking into - there is a lot of good information for beginners, and many fairly advanced turners that do pens there.

 

A lot of people find a wood lathe and lathe tools easier to use to get smooth tapers.

 

Look for a pen turning course in your area if you want to try it out. I know Lee Valley in my area offers a course a couple times a year. For $30 you get to make a pen (sorry, rollerball usually) and includes the materials, kit costs, and someone who knows what they are doing. If you decide you don't like it, you get a nice pen and didn't have to shell out.

 

I believe Woodcraft offers similar courses. Or you may be able to find someone on the Pen Turners group in your area that is willing to spend a couple hours to walk you through one.

 

Cheers.

 

 

 

[DeaconKC]

Thanks guys, I do appreciate the input.