Clips

[Jerry Adair]

Probably my biggest issue is "where in the hell can I get a quality clip"?

I can certainly make one out of a sterling siver spoon, but that is a real chore. Plus you are usually cutting up some icon from the past. Oh, and if you need gold you have to electroplate it another issue because of the wear factor. Silver Pen Parts has some nice ones and I will be buying some but...here we go again they are silver. Back a few years ago Ron Dutcher was making some really cool clips but he seems to have slipped off the face of the earth, well at least Okinawa. Ron and I have traded pens ver the years as I once had a trove of Wirt overlays and he wanted them.

So, for you custom pen turners would you share some sources that sell higher quality clips?

Thanks

Jerry Adair

 

[Scriptorium Pens]

Clips are a problem for all of us, I think. I've been using the clips from kits, and throwing the rest of the kit away. More recently I've had Mike Redburn make some custom clips for me in sterling silver, bronze, and brass, and have been very pleased with them. He can make gold ones, too, but I'd have to sell my house to have them made.

[richardandtracy]

What we really need is someone to do diamante PVD, or possibly find a cheap source to do TAlN PVD instead of easy to wear off gold plating.

 

I have a Norton 6DB, 6 tonne flypress (rescued from the skip at work) which is very similar to Conway Stewart's one used for their clips, but have neither the time nor the resources to make decent tooling. It's a bugbear!

So far I've used the press to bend 90 degree bends in 2" x 1/4" steel strapping, something it was really good at. Shearing out and embossing a clip would be easy in comparison.

 

Regards,

 

Richard

[Aysedasi]

Do without them! Having had two pens made for me without clips by Mr. Newton, I just love the look....

[watch_art]

Work with a local jeweler to have what you want made just for you. I recommend having it made flat in wax, a bunch cast, bent, then heated in a kiln to 550 for an hour. I read that somewhere. It should make sterling springy without bending as easily. Yellow metal (brass or whatever you pick) wouldn't be much cheaper overall, and I think wouldn't need the heat treat, not real sure.

 

So - go custom. It's expensive, but loads cheaper than having clips made by the thousands.

[18111]

I've been having a same problem as well, but few days ago I ordered my first 3D printed clips for testing. They should be arriving around end of the month. I don't expect them to be perfect but hope to get acceptable result. I'll post separate thread for more info in a moment.

 

Yoshi