Innovative 3D Printed Eyedroppers

[arrScott]

One of my favorite pens is 3D printed, but it's made of a porous material, so can't be used as an eyedropper. (Alas! If it was eyedropperable, I'd have it filled with a favorite ink and basically always inked.) Interesting to see this project, and I hope it shows the way to one stream of future pen-making.

[ColdDeadHand]

Huh. I'm the type of person who always asks "why?". The additive pens guy has asked "why not?"

Looks like a cool experiment and I hope 3D printing continues to influence the hobby.

[llothar]

In case anyone wants to buy one we have now a second batch open with a new Ribbon design (along with the double Helix). We learned from the shortcomings of the first batch and improved the design.

 

http://additivepens.com/uploads/1/0/4/7/104709943/img-6120_orig.jpg

Edited July 28, 2017 by llothar

[KellyMcJ]

I'm liking these pens more every time I see them. The new cap design is certainly a big improvement!!!!!

[888007888]

Received my Double Helix pen a few hours ago. Did a quick water flush and filled it to the brim with Emerald of Chivor ink. Fitted with a two tone #6 JOWO medium nib. It's a great design. Amazing really. Can't wait to use it at work. So far here at home the nib is super smooth and glides effortlessly across the page. Thanks! I do worry about longevity as I feel it could snap where the grip and threads are connected. I'll keep it in a hard case and enjoy it while i write the first fill dry. Very excited about this pen. I haven't been this excited about a new pen in a while.

[mhguda]

Shortcomings? there are shortcomings? What are they? I have one from the first batch (the bubbles design) and I absolutely love it. The one issue I'm having with it is the ink seems to evaporate off water, so after a time it becomes more concentrated. Sometimes that creates blurping, so I've learned to top off with water when the ink is very very saturated.

I've also been meaning to ask: what is the function of the little ball bearing in the barrel? is it to ensure good flow? and how exactly does that work?

[llothar]

The function of the ball bearing is to pull the ink out of the furthest bubbles. It may not be strictly necessary, but I personally grew anxious when there was nearly no ink by the nib while two last bubbles were quite full.

[mhguda]

Thanks for confirming my suspicion. I have not as yet drawn down the ink to that level, because of the blurping and saturation, but it helps to know.

And it seems to work quite well.

[DrDebG]

Question for you that have purchased these?

 

How do you like them? Are they working as you would expect? What are the things your really like about them? What are the things you dislike? Would you recommend them?

 

They look really interesting. I am surprised I missed all of this last May (of course it was likely because I was traveling a lot then).

[mhguda]

I got one of the very first batch. I absolutely love the pen. Wholeheartedly recommended. I am still trying to see the ink move from compartment to compartment in the barrel. They have a magic trick there that prevents you from seeing how the ink flows down into the nib/feed system, it just does. And there is some evaporation, so that when I've not used it for a few days (or longer - you know how it goes sometimes) the ink gets more concentrated. Sheens like a banshee until I relent and add a little water into the barrel.

Oh and these guys were very nice to deal with. Good communication up until I got the pen. I am a happy customer!

[kestrel]

I bought one of the original production batch double helix pens. I'm a biologist/biology teacher so the the design was simply too good to pass up. The pen is a good writer, looks amazing when inked (I used Chivor Emerald) and attracts a lot of attention in public. It requires a bit of TLC because of the materials used and you never, ever pick it up by the cap because the closure is not terribly firm. Cleaning it is a pain but the green stain makes the helix look more interesting. It holds a lot of ink. I put in 2 mL on the first fill and it wasn't even half full. Because there is air space between the helix and the body of the pen I have had no problem with the usual eyedropper foibles like burping. Communication with the manufacturer during the initial production run was very good. I am happy with the pen.

[robert1962]

I happened to see on of these at a Seattle Pen Club meeting a couple of months ago. It was quite attractive with ink in it.

 

Some of my favorite pens have a bit of whimsy. As long as form does not adversely function, why not have some fun?

 

If I provide a "sample", can I get one in my DNA code? It would help me put more of myself in to my writing.

 

Bob

[EMQG]

I happened to see on of these at a Seattle Pen Club meeting a couple of months ago. It was quite attractive with ink in it.

 

Some of my favorite pens have a bit of whimsy. As long as form does not adversely function, why not have some fun?

 

If I provide a "sample", can I get one in my DNA code? It would help me put more of myself in to my writing.

 

Bob

 

What do you mean by your DNA code? My (albeit limited) understanding of DNA is that it's not the shape of the double helix that changes, it's the components that make it up.

 

You'd have to have a lab do the analyzation anyway, which wouldn't be cheap.

[Ian the Jock]

:D

Genuine tears.

 

Ian

[kestrel]

 

What do you mean by your DNA code? My (albeit limited) understanding of DNA is that it's not the shape of the double helix that changes, it's the components that make it up.

 

You'd have to have a lab do the analyzation anyway, which wouldn't be cheap.

Correct. The double helix in DNA has the same shape in all of us but varies in the sequence of nitrogen bases that form the "rungs" across the middle, the adenines, thymines, cytosines, and guanines.

 

It is relatively easy to extract and purify some DNA using ordinary household supplies and cells from the subject of choice. High school students do this with bananas, strawberries, and occasionally themselves. An enterprising individual could incorporate some of his or her own DNA into a small vesicle in a pen, perhaps in the cap jewel. Even that has been done, already. Krone sold a LE Abraham Lincoln pen a few years ago that contained some of Lincoln's DNA in one of the jewels.

[Precise]

Did you have a functional reason for the helix? Or is for visual effect?

 

Alan

[dcwaites]

I happened to see on of these at a Seattle Pen Club meeting a couple of months ago. It was quite attractive with ink in it.

 

Some of my favorite pens have a bit of whimsy. As long as form does not adversely function, why not have some fun?

 

If I provide a "sample", can I get one in my DNA code? It would help me put more of myself in to my writing.

 

Bob

 

As others have said, the shape of all of our DNA is the same, just the sequence of nucleotides is different, and even then, the vast majority is identical, otherwise we wouldn't be human.

 

However, you can innoculate your ink with your DNA. It's called spit...

[bleair]

I purchased a double spiral model a month ago.

I like this pen as a new design.

 

The downsides:

- with the pen not completely full I find my iroshizuku ink has enough capilory action to not flow down the narrow sprials to feed the nib (though easy solution hold the pen fully in hand and your hand heat will push the ink down)

- The pen body is nice and polished however I can see that the body is not perfectly straight.. I assume this is an aspect of 3d printing a long "straight" piece. This doesn't hurt the writing experience, it's purely visual, but I notice it every time I look at the pen.

- I'd rather the pen cap was clear/polished. I know 3d printing can't do this - would require a polishing step.. still

 

The upsides:

- really neat looking design

- love that someone is trying new things

 

Edited November 16, 2017 by bleair

[robert1962]

 

What do you mean by your DNA code? My (albeit limited) understanding of DNA is that it's not the shape of the double helix that changes, it's the components that make it up.

 

You'd have to have a lab do the analyzation anyway, which wouldn't be cheap.

Are you serious? My fear is that you are!

 

Bob

[Ian the Jock]

I'm still laughing. :D

 

The giveaway was "to put a bit more of me into my writing"

 

Ian