New Maker - Some Questions Though....

[Flyingwatchmaker]

Hi all, I've recently taken the deep dive into pen making, I've been a watchmaker for 15 years and looking for some new challenges that don't need quite so much money to make parts ;-) (I've made 5 watches so far, and looking at about $150k in equipment to go further)

 

Turning pens seemed like the next "easy" step, and I've got a wood lathe set up and ready to go, and I'm looking to make higher end pens with ideally completely custom parts (except maybe nibs)..

 

Does anyone actually make the receivers and reservoirs/transfer mechanisms, or is everything bought aftermarket? While I don't mind using quality components, making things is where I would like to be :-)

 

 

All the best

 

Tom

[AWLogue]

The only mechanism *that I know of* other than eyedropper and cart/converter with a wood lathe is bulb filler. Piston takes a metal lathe to cut the extremely high pitch threads for the piston.

[richardandtracy]

If you've even started a watch, then you are phenomenally competent, and will have no serious difficulty with something as simple as a pen.

 

The Onoto style vacuum filler is a good one for home making. Really the only bit to buy (neglecting nib & feed) is the neoprene seal, which are moulded and sold in the UK. Look here: http://www.custompenparts.co.uk/4-washers

Can probably mould from silicone rubber too after a bit of experimentation.

 

Sac fillers, eg the old Parker button fillers are possible to make at home. The sacs can be bought from silicone/latex or moulded at home from latex. All the rest can be made on a metal lathe or with a bit of sheet metal working (J bar).

 

A good book may be the 'Pen repair' book by Marshall/Oldfield et all as this gives many cross section diagrams which you could use as inspiration to do the design from.

 

Regards

 

Richard

[Flyingwatchmaker]

Thanks Richard & AWLogue, I'm likely to use a commercially available reservoir, I was more thinking of the feed, I think for the first few pens I make I'll yoink the nib/feed and reservoir from a Pilot Metropolitan (affordable, yet quite nice) and look more into how feeds are made, though it may not be economically viable depending on the tooling needed..

 

Thanks for the book recommendation too, given the number of people who like pens, there's nowhere near the maker resource base as some other devices :-)

 

(So many things I want to try though, and at least it won't take me 1-2 years per project)

 

Thanks again

 

Tom

[Aysedasi]

You might just get one of the many available #6 nib/feed sets as a basis - many custom pen makers utilise these. I swear by Knox nibs, particularly the broad obliques which I personally believe offer a far better writing experience than the Schmidt/Bock/Jowos that most seem to use....

Edited January 5, 2017 by Aysedasi

[bobje]

Aysedasi, a valuable piece of information indeed. Thank you for sharing that.

[Flyingwatchmaker]

You might just get one of the many available #6 nib/feed sets as a basis - many custom pen makers utilise these. I swear by Knox nibs, particularly the broad obliques which I personally believe offer a far better writing experience than the Schmidt/Bock/Jowos that most seem to use....

I hadn't heard of the Knox nibs, I'll look into them.. for my first few I've ordered a few of the #5 and #6 Bock feed/nibs, but I'll likely build up a collection to play with.. it's the sort of thing I tend to do ;-)

 

Thanks for the information! The more I find out, the more impatient I am to make many things.. I had hoped more of the things I've ordered in the last month or so had arrived, but I should be able to do some resin casting soon, to keep as much as possible "in-house" so to speak...

 

Tom

[Jamesbeat]

I recommend against polyester resin if you're going to get into casting your own blanks.

It machines easily, but doesn't thread well and isn't very durable.

 

A lot of people like alumalite but I don't have any experience with it.

 

Many designs will be tricky without a metal lathe, but since you have made watches, I almost feel like I'm not worthy to offer you advice!

 

From a fabrication point of view, a fountain pen is trivial compared to a watch.

 

I'd love to see some photos of your watches if you have some...

[Flyingwatchmaker]

I recommend against polyester resin if you're going to get into casting your own blanks.

It machines easily, but doesn't thread well and isn't very durable.

A lot of people like alumalite but I don't have any experience with it.

Many designs will be tricky without a metal lathe, but since you have made watches, I almost feel like I'm not worthy to offer you advice!

From a fabrication point of view, a fountain pen is trivial compared to a watch.

I'd love to see some photos of your watches if you have some...

 

HI James, thanks for the reply, polyester resins got struck off the list fairly fast, the smell and use of MEK aren't what I feel like playing with ;-), I've started playing with alumilite and like it quite a lot so far.. the designs I'm playing with so far should work well with taps and dies thankfully, and easier to cut some nice curvy shapes on the wood lathe :-)

 

I think I've managed to put a picture of my 4th watch on this post, also some of the alumilite I've cast over the last week, I should be able to make some nice eye dropper style pens with semi-transparent barrels with them, and will be evolving the design over the next few months..

 

Tom

[Jamesbeat]

Looks like you're off to a good start with those blanks.

 

The watch is breathtaking.

If you apply that level of craftsmanship to your pens, we're all in for a treat.