Does anyone make their own nibs?

[Mickey]

I love Titanium nibs and have swapped a few from one pen to another. I really needed a better source for Ti nibs, so I decided, that being trained as a metalsmith I should try and make my own. I have made a couple and am generally very happy with them, but using the finest jewelers saw blade that I can find still makes a rather wide slit. They work but I would love to make a narrower slit. Does anyone know where to get a even finer blade than a jeweler's supply house? Does anyone know how nib slits are cut in the real world? Thanks

 

Flattening the end of the nib, as when one flexes a flex nib, opens the tines. Wouldn't adding curve to the end of the nib (if the basic geometry is similar) move the tines closer together? In other words, wouldn't it be possible to cut the slit as thin as you can with your present tools, and do the final contouring of the nib so as to bring the tines closer together? (Then do the final annealing or tempering?)

 

Just a thought. When in doubt, ask St. Clem.

yes, I do that so the spacing at the tip is good but the slit ends up being a triangle (a very thin triangle mind you, but still a triangle)

 

I was led to believe the slit in a flex nib is not dead straight, otherwise the tip halves would not touch. That is, that it is a very narrow triangle. Even if I what I was told is incorrect, a narrow enough triangle should still serve if the ink contacts the slit at a point where capillary action can be established and maintained.

 

You could always use the technique you already use of bending the tines, but over adjust so the tips actually cross, then use a thin film abrasive to get the spacing correct.

Edited March 12, 2011 by Mickey

[beginnersmind]

I love Titanium nibs and have swapped a few from one pen to another. I really needed a better source for Ti nibs, so I decided, that being trained as a metalsmith I should try and make my own. I have made a couple and am generally very happy with them, but using the finest jewelers saw blade that I can find still makes a rather wide slit. They work but I would love to make a narrower slit. Does anyone know where to get a even finer blade than a jeweler's supply house? Does anyone know how nib slits are cut in the real world? Thanks

 

Flattening the end of the nib, as when one flexes a flex nib, opens the tines. Wouldn't adding curve to the end of the nib (if the basic geometry is similar) move the tines closer together? In other words, wouldn't it be possible to cut the slit as thin as you can with your present tools, and do the final contouring of the nib so as to bring the tines closer together? (Then do the final annealing or tempering?)

 

Just a thought. When in doubt, ask St. Clem.

yes, I do that so the spacing at the tip is good but the slit ends up being a triangle (a very thin triangle mind you, but still a triangle)

 

I was led to believe the slit in a flex nib is not dead straight, otherwise the tip halves would not touch. That is, that it is a very narrow triangle. Even if I what I was told is incorrect, a narrow enough triangle should still serve if the ink contacts the slit at a point where capillary action can be established and maintained.

 

You could always use the technique you already use of bending the tines, but over adjust so the tips actually cross, then use a thin film abrasive to get the spacing correct.

Well, it is just an aesthetics thing. I look at all the other nibs out there and want mine to be as perfect. They must use hardened paper to cut the slits!

[fountainbel]

Impressive work, my sincere congratulations !

As for the making the slit narrower, "wire EDM" would do.

Although the actual slit does not look far off to me.

Please keep us posted !

Francis

[WendyNC]

I'm guessing that if you made these in TWSBI size (which I believe is a #5 nib) that they'd sell around here.

[Mickey]

Just a thought. When in doubt, ask St. Clem.

 

Well, it is just an aesthetics thing. I look at all the other nibs out there and want mine to be as perfect. They must use hardened paper to cut the slits!

 

What about cutting the slit with a tungsten carbide chisel? Then polish as necessary.

 

(I'm disappointed no one noticed my invocation of St. Clement, patron saint of blacksmiths and iron mongers.)

Edited March 12, 2011 by Mickey

[opitzs]

Wow, I would definitely take one for my TWSBI!

And the slit looks good to me, too.

 

I envy your skill...

[Silvermink]

I've had the feeling for a while that nib making is a bit of a lost art outside of the few companies that still make them, so it's nice to see someone taking a shot at it.

Edited March 13, 2011 by Silvermink

[beginnersmind]

Impressive work, my sincere congratulations !

As for the making the slit narrower, "wire EDM" would do.

Although the actual slit does not look far off to me.

Please keep us posted !

Francis

Thanks for the compliment! What is "wire EDM" ?!

[beginnersmind]

I've had the feeling for a while that nib making is a bit of a lost art outside of the few companies that still make them, so it's nice to see someone taking a shot at it.

Thanks, actually it is not that huge a deal. For me the "difficult" part is shaping the curvature. Which is probably done in half a second by a stamping press at the big companies. Anyone who has taken an intro to jewelry class at your local adult school could do the rest easily. Start with a nib you like. Draw the outline on a piece of paper (rock the nib from one side to another, outlining where it comes in contact with the paper). Cut out your paper template, elmer's glue it to a sheet of gold, steel, or titanium of the right thickness. Drill out your breather hole, and cut out the outline of the nib with a jeweler's saw. Now you shape the curvature by hammering with a nylon or rawhide mallet against something hard and cylindrical. Once the shape is how you would like it and the curvature matches the feed you will use, polish it (or not) cut your slit starting at the breather hole working toward the tip. Pinch the two tines past each other each taking a turn being the top (get your mind out of the gutter!), and that is it.

Edited March 13, 2011 by beginnersmind

[beginnersmind]

Just a thought. When in doubt, ask St. Clem.

 

Well, it is just an aesthetics thing. I look at all the other nibs out there and want mine to be as perfect. They must use hardened paper to cut the slits!

 

What about cutting the slit with a tungsten carbide chisel? Then polish as necessary.

 

(I'm disappointed no one noticed my invocation of St. Clement, patron saint of blacksmiths and iron mongers.)

Chisel...hmm, that sounds interesting. Tungsten carbide? That sounds very specialized(?). Wow, 12 years of Catholic school and I had no idea about St. Clement so much for my parent's investment. Maybe my ignorance of that is why I stress out about forming the nibs.

[Mickey]

Just a thought. When in doubt, ask St. Clem.

 

Well, it is just an aesthetics thing. I look at all the other nibs out there and want mine to be as perfect. They must use hardened paper to cut the slits!

 

What about cutting the slit with a tungsten carbide chisel? Then polish as necessary.

 

(I'm disappointed no one noticed my invocation of St. Clement, patron saint of blacksmiths and iron mongers.)

Chisel...hmm, that sounds interesting. Tungsten carbide? That sounds very specialized(?). Wow, 12 years of Catholic school and I had no idea about St. Clement so much for my parent's investment. Maybe my ignorance of that is why I stress out about forming the nibs.

 

Tungsten carbide might be a bit of over kill, but any tool steel hard enough to work titanium would serve.

 

As for St. Clem., or more properly Pope Clement I, his day seems to have been celebrated more in England than elsewhere. (The RAF chapel in London, designed by Christopher Wren, is St. Clement, Danes.There's also a St. Clements, Cheapside.)

 

Don't feel bad your Catholic school education neglected him. I only know about him because St. Clement Danes is an easy walk from the Drury Lane Theatre, which I've been researching.

[fountainbel]

Impressive work, my sincere congratulations !

As for the making the slit narrower, "wire EDM" would do.

Although the actual slit does not look far off to me.

Please keep us posted !

Francis

Thanks for the compliment! What is "wire EDM" ?!

 

Attached the Wikepedia link revealing the "wire EDM" process.

As mentioned there, one can use a wire of 0.1mm obtaining a slit of 0.12mm wide.

BTW, What is the width of the actual slit?

Francis

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wire_EDM#Wire_EDM

[Mickey]

Impressive work, my sincere congratulations !

As for the making the slit narrower, "wire EDM" would do.

Although the actual slit does not look far off to me.

Please keep us posted !

Francis

Thanks for the compliment! What is "wire EDM" ?!

 

Attached the Wikepedia link revealing the "wire EDM" process.

As mentioned there, one can use a wire of 0.1mm obtaining a slit of 0.12mm wide.

BTW, What is the width of the actual slit?

Francis

http://en.wikipedia....re_EDM#Wire_EDM

 

Probably not the best solution for manufacture on the cottage industry scale. Interesting, though.

[Wile E Coyote]

I love Titanium nibs and have swapped a few from one pen to another. I really needed a better source for Ti nibs, so I decided, that being trained as a metalsmith I should try and make my own. I have made a couple and am generally very happy with them, but using the finest jewelers saw blade that I can find still makes a rather wide slit. They work but I would love to make a narrower slit. Does anyone know where to get a even finer blade than a jeweler's supply house? Does anyone know how nib slits are cut in the real world? Thanks

 

 

MSC Industrial Supply has solid carbide slotting saw blades down to 0.002" which is almost 1/4 the thickness of your jeweler's saw (vs. 1/128=0.0078).

[D Armstrong]

Those are nice nibs, especially for just noodling around. Titanium is a good choice for durability, and don't forget that you can heat treat them and turn them into rainbows. In fact, the idea of rainbow nibs would probably go like wildfire here.

 

Just a thought on slit sizes, though. A properly adjusted nib slit is a long triangle; it is an important part of the capillary action that draws the ink down toward the tip. To be honest, I would stop worrying about measurements, and shoot for what writes well, and reliably.

[beginnersmind]

Attached the Wikepedia link revealing the "wire EDM" process.

As mentioned there, one can use a wire of 0.1mm obtaining a slit of 0.12mm wide.

BTW, What is the width of the actual slit?

Francis

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wire_EDM#Wire_EDM

Thanks, very cool, I should have majored in Industrial design. Those guys get all the fun toys!

[beginnersmind]

Those are nice nibs, especially for just noodling around. Titanium is a good choice for durability, and don't forget that you can heat treat them and turn them into rainbows. In fact, the idea of rainbow nibs would probably go like wildfire here.

 

Just a thought on slit sizes, though. A properly adjusted nib slit is a long triangle; it is an important part of the capillary action that draws the ink down toward the tip. To be honest, I would stop worrying about measurements, and shoot for what writes well, and reliably.

Thanks, for the comments. The nibs do work well so you are right I should stop fussing. Funny, I never thought of making them colors. Especially since I took a whole course in college about anodizing aluminum and Reactive metals. I knew someone who made a DIY anodizing set up with a model railroad transformer and a cup of soda. Good idea!

[richardandtracy]

There is a book on EDM here: http://www.camdenmin.co.uk/engineering-practice-skills/the-edm-how-to-book-p-2112.html where the author reckons it's possible to make an edm machine for $100 in 2005 money. I've got the book and think that it's more like £100 in the UK at the moment. The design could also be adapted for use of wire with a continuous wire spool feed for not a lot of extra cost or design effort. I do not know, and can't guess, how much the wire would cost. I gather wire can only run through the EDM once before being replaced.

 

I contacted the author about using a 12v drill/driver instead of a servomotor to reduce cost, but it appears the backlash in the gearbox is too high.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

[skipwilliams]

The blade that slits nibs that I've seen is an ultra thin round blade. It's so thin that it's flexible. I'm sure you could find them if you searched hard enough. Maybe asking some of the Indian makers would be a good start?

 

Skip

[fountainbel]

You should be able to "shear" the slit with a good metal shear, at least as long as there is no iridium on the nib tine top.

Surely worth a trial I think.

Francis