Nib Grinding

[SkylarKnight]

Hello!

I recently had Art grind me a couple nibs as he offered in a pif, and I'm loving my stubs

Now I wanna learn how to grind my nibs myself, since I have a cheap pen I wanna turn into an EF italic cursive (is that even possible?) (The pen is already EF - Hero 529 that writes too well for the price).

I am a nail tech so I have an efile that I could use for this purpose. I mostly use rougher metal bits for acrylic nails, but I also use sanding bands that are fine enough to be used on natural nails (if anyone knows what a zebra file is, that's what I use), and I have a super fine polishing sponge buffer, as well as a worn out block buffer. Do you think I could get away with these? And perhaps someone could walk me through the steps \ show me a video \ article, since I haven't found anything?

 

Any help and tips will be appreciated.

Edited August 27, 2014 by SkylarKnight

[FarmBoy]

An EF-Stub or EF-Italic is possible. I'd go with not the place to start learning nib grinding. Because on an EF there is very little tipping left on the nib the margin for error is equally small.

 

The foam buffing sticks are likely to soft to get a good flat surface as they tend to mold around the nib. If you are going the stationary route order some MicroMesh lapping sheets and work on a solid surface.

 

Start by studying the shape of the nib under magnification. If you have access to a stereo microscope that is where you should start. Once you think you know what it should look like, draw a picture of it in your mind and work out how you will get there from the nib shape you have.

 

FB

[SkylarKnight]

An EF-Stub or EF-Italic is possible. I'd go with not the place to start learning nib grinding. Because on an EF there is very little tipping left on the nib the margin for error is equally small.

 

The foam buffing sticks are likely to soft to get a good flat surface as they tend to mold around the nib. If you are going the stationary route order some MicroMesh lapping sheets and work on a solid surface.

 

Start by studying the shape of the nib under magnification. If you have access to a stereo microscope that is where you should start. Once you think you know what it should look like, draw a picture of it in your mind and work out how you will get there from the nib shape you have.

 

FB

The foam stick is indeed soft, but it has some grit, so I suppose if I'm very aware of my filing, it should work?

 

 

Thank you, I'll try to do what you suggested - once I can get the micromesh and magnifier.

 

 

Another question: what are the min and max grits of micromesh needed? I found a pack of 1500-12000 grit.

Edited August 28, 2014 by SkylarKnight

[pajaro]

I have used a fine detail craft file to do this by hand. It is fast enough and will make the desired shape, which I fine tune with sandpaper and I use the stuff you propose to use as final smoothing. I use my intuition to select sandpaper grit for fine tuning, anything 600 to 2000 or 3200 depending on how sharp it becomes and how smooth I want it. I don't like to do a lot of this. Usually I only work on inexpensive nibs that I absolutely despise as they are. Example: a Sheaffer Imperial C/C steel nib in B made into a B stub. Pen cost $5 back in the seventies. I might continue this to a CI. It's nice now and not as obnoxious as the original broad size.

[white_lotus]

Be aware the grit numbers for sandpaper and micro mesh are different. There are charts on the web.

[SkylarKnight]

Be aware the grit numbers for sandpaper and micro mesh are different. There are charts on the web.

The smoothest grit I found fo sandpaper is 400, and it was waaaay too rough I'll be buyig a pack of micromesh off of ebay when I have a chance.

[Ron Z]

The coarsest paper that you should use for fast material removal is 1500, and some argue 2000 grit. Finishing and smoothing is done with 12000 micromesh, and finally 0.3 micron abrasive. Don't try anything until you have the proper materials and are fairly sure that you know how to proceed safely. You'll be unhappy with the results at best, and could ruin a nib at worst.

[mhosea]

The foam stick is indeed soft, but it has some grit, so I suppose if I'm very aware of my filing, it should work?

 

As Farmboy said, it is "likely too soft". In the context of grinding a CI from an EF nib, I'd be more direct and just say no. It's a precision job you're attempting, so you'll need a firm, flat grinding surface.

[SkylarKnight]

 

As Farmboy said, it is "likely too soft". In the context of grinding a CI from an EF nib, I'd be more direct and just say no. It's a precision job you're attempting, so you'll need a firm, flat grinding surface.

oh... I get it. I guess it is quite soft lol... I have a quite fine hard file tho (Zebra file)

[stuartk]

oh... I get it. I guess it is quite soft lol... I have a quite fine hard file tho (Zebra file)

 

I'm not sure what a Zebra file is, but I'd guess that most files are not anything you'd want to use on a nib as a novice.

 

I would say that your best bet is to get a few inexpensive pens with medium nibs and practice on them. You can try nib smoothing on a nib that's a bit scratchy, and you can also roughen up a nib with coarse paper and then see how to smooth that. You'll also need to learn how to even out the tines before you try any smoothing with paper. Sometimes a nib is scratchy just because the tines are a bit out of alignment with each other.

 

Do you have a loupe? I find a 10X loupe is quite useful for working on nibs. With a loupe, the paper that Ron recommended above, and a piece of thin brass shim, you will have everything you need to get started working on nibs.

 

Take a look in this thread. It has some good links to articles on nib smoothing and adjustment.

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/11309-repair-reference-information/

 

I don't know if you ever travel to the US, but if you do and can go to one of the pen shows where Richard Binder teaches his nib smoothing seminar, I think you'd learn a lot. I see he's scheduled to teach at the next Ohio Pen Show, in November. He puts information about these here: http://www.richardspens.com/?page=workshop (He hadn't updated it for the next show yet when I just took a look at the page.)

[dcwaites]

You can get 5 Jinhao nibs for only a few dollars on eBay. Why not get some of those and practice first, before starting on a real nib?

And listen to Ron Z, he knows what he's talking about. You can get sets of the micromesh sheets for not very much as well.

Do it properly and you may end up being Israel's nibmeistress.

[SkylarKnight]

 

I'm not sure what a Zebra file is, but I'd guess that most files are not anything you'd want to use on a nib as a novice.

 

I would say that your best bet is to get a few inexpensive pens with medium nibs and practice on them. You can try nib smoothing on a nib that's a bit scratchy, and you can also roughen up a nib with coarse paper and then see how to smooth that. You'll also need to learn how to even out the tines before you try any smoothing with paper. Sometimes a nib is scratchy just because the tines are a bit out of alignment with each other.

 

Do you have a loupe? I find a 10X loupe is quite useful for working on nibs. With a loupe, the paper that Ron recommended above, and a piece of thin brass shim, you will have everything you need to get started working on nibs.

 

Take a look in this thread. It has some good links to articles on nib smoothing and adjustment.

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/11309-repair-reference-information/

 

I don't know if you ever travel to the US, but if you do and can go to one of the pen shows where Richard Binder teaches his nib smoothing seminar, I think you'd learn a lot. I see he's scheduled to teach at the next Ohio Pen Show, in November. He puts information about these here: http://www.richardspens.com/?page=workshop (He hadn't updated it for the next show yet when I just took a look at the page.)

Thank you I indeed tried smoothing a nib, the tines were just fine, it just gripped on th paper lightly. I smoothed it with some very fine sand paper (finest I could find) and my nail buffer, and that did the job. Now I'm afraid the nib is too smooth, it has no resistence and very little feedback (it had quite a lot more before). I will do as you suggest once I can

 

You can get 5 Jinhao nibs for only a few dollars on eBay. Why not get some of those and practice first, before starting on a real nib?

And listen to Ron Z, he knows what he's talking about. You can get sets of the micromesh sheets for not very much as well.

Do it properly and you may end up being Israel's nibmeistress.

I was gonna do that but I don't own a jinhao pen to try the nibs with XD I will buy nibs and a pen next month (I'll be getting a fat paycheck ) and I will get micomesh as well.

I will do my best and post my results! Perhaps I will be a nibmeistress

[dcwaites]

Thank you I indeed tried smoothing a nib, the tines were just fine, it just gripped on th paper lightly. I smoothed it with some very fine sand paper (finest I could find) and my nail buffer, and that did the job. Now I'm afraid the nib is too smooth, it has no resistence and very little feedback (it had quite a lot more before). I will do as you suggest once I can

 

I was gonna do that but I don't own a jinhao pen to try the nibs with XD I will buy nibs and a pen next month (I'll be getting a fat paycheck ) and I will get micomesh as well.

I will do my best and post my results! Perhaps I will be a nibmeistress

 

The nibs will fit (with a little encouragement) into any standard dip pen holder.

[SkylarKnight]

 

The nibs will fit (with a little encouragement) into any standard dip pen holder.

oh, great! actually, I have some cheapo dip nibs, might practice on them. they cost pretty much nothing and are quite crappy and scratchy atm.