Kitless, Facets, and a Tired Old Pen Maker

[Gregory Hardy]

Hello, all.

I am just starting to make kitless pens, and I am regularly running into roadblocks. That's good. It is requiring a lot more planning and thinking -the very things I am looking for in my pen-making.

Two problems:
First, I am looking for some good tips on making pen clips. I'll swallow the reality of buying my Bock nibs and reservoirs - let those experts do their thing, but I am not afraid of metalworking. Any ideas you might offer regarding clips would be appreciated.
Second - I really am looking for some tips on making facets on barrels and caps. I am hoping to one day reproduce an old pen I have - my own first fountain pen that belonged to my great-grandmother - and I am going to have to be able to cut facets in order to do so. Any tips you are willing to share would be appreciated.

We are creeping through August already. Winter shop time is coming!

Thanks for any help you can offer.

Best regards-
-Greg

 

[Penpal]

Pierre in France the woodworker does facets by hand and in conjunction with a famous published penmaker Don Ward in America between them published their by hand and machine methods. I have not seen the result but read about it on the IAP.

What say you Pierre?

Peter.

 

[Pierre---]

Thanks Peter to throw me the ball.

As I wrote somewhere else, I can see two ways :
- Turn, calculate and use a powered - precise - expensive tool, then sand and polish. Pen Wizard is not that precise but not so expensive. A milling machine or a metal lathe could be another solution, not the cheapest one. Mastering such a tool can be time consuming.
- Turn, draw, file, then sand and polish. Mastering such a technique is not as difficult as it seems, it can be more or less time consuming, and is definitely cheap.

You can guess that I am more on the hand tool side, which of course is not the only way to go... It is the same old story of the choice between spending money (that is working in the office/factory/field/whatever for earning it) or learning a skill (that's also working, but in the shed. Love it). Beautiful XVIIIth century furniture was made without powered tools.

Please have a look here.

 

[Penpal]

Many thanks for coming in Pierre. I note from your post you are also a published author, great to see the look HERE in your post.

Peter.

 

[Gregory Hardy]

Thanks again, Pierre. Your link was fantastic - I am likely to find some method "in between." I am not afraid to use hand tools, but doing so while a blank is mounted and indexed on my metal lathe just seems prudent. (I know - that sounds like a VERY expensive vise!) Thanks again for the help.

 

[flexi]

I bought a pen wizard for exactly this....faceted timber blanks....had it 6 months now, think its time i at least set it up..

 

[AllenN]

An excellent thread this Gregory. Pierre I found your article very interesting. I find the use of hand tools so much more satisfying not to say generally safer. I just need to cultivate your skill at doing it on such a small scale ( I wish!)

 

[Graham_C]

Agreed, great thread. Super skills on show Pierre, something for the rest of us to aspire to!

 

[wm460]

.
A milling machine or a metal lathe could be another solution, not the cheapest one. [/URL].

Just think about all the new toys you could have.

 

[Gregory Hardy]

Yeah...about the new toys...The old South Bend lathe is a new toy, so I think my toy shopping days may be over for the foreseeable future!

 

[Walter]

As Mark (flexi) says, the pen wizard works well for cutting facets.

 

[21William]

If by Facets you mean cutting flats then you could use an indexing head on a milling machine. The common name is spindexer or spinindexer.

Stevenson's 5C Indexing Head with ER32 Nut - Arc Euro Trade

It has a division plate with 36 holes plus ten stops at the top for the index pin giving you 360 degrees. If you want any other spacing then a vertically mounted rotary table with index plates would do the job.

 

[Penpal]

I made my own device, with all things I make I designed it to enable repeatability and a stand alone unit. The operation is dangerous so I do not detail the method.

Peter.

 

[wm460]

 

[Paul hd]

Fantastic looking pens Peter.

 

[21William]

if you just want to cut hexagonals this is probably the easiest:

Stevenson's ER32 Collet Blocks - Arc Euro Trade

Very easy to use.

 

[Penpal]

I noted carefully the best result on the Pen Wizard doing flats is to cut from the side not above the blank.

Peter.

 

[Penpal]

I bought a tail stock for my Taig Lathes these are mini not maxi in size. My best experience for indexing has been utilising a larger gear with a smaller gear spring loaded on top, no stray movement, easily fitted to the shaft. My first mistake was to rely on a tail stock pressure to hold the blank, then had great success locknutting the blank to the shaft. This applies also on the Pen Wizard where I threw their holding outside method nesting the shaft with a close fit, extending the threaded mandrel either end to allow firm locking. I have shown pics etc on my many mods for the Pen Wizard that I still am not happy with and do not use. Pics show Wizards way and my way also dust extraction etc. Note the angle aluminium to bolt the unit to a sturdy base throwing away the mini clips provided.

Peter.