Grinding A 1.1 Down To A Broad

[Bill Wood]

I use a few of the stock 1.1 mm from the usual etailors - all have been smooth - but I'd like to narrow them a bit. I'd like to see the ways our nib folks are doing this. By hand with a stone? - slowly with a dremel ? - Mylar?

 

Grinders weigh in - many thanks,

 

-Bill W

[gerigo]

Bill

 

Are you an experienced grinder? Would love to understand your approach because unless I am mistaken, the 1.1 nibs are usually stainless steel and don't have any tipping. It would mean you'd just have a narrower stub. To technically get a broad, you have to retip it.

[Bill Wood]

Bill

 

Are you an experienced grinder? Would love to understand your approach because unless I am mistaken, the 1.1 nibs are usually stainless steel and don't have any tipping. It would mean you'd just have a narrower stub. To technically get a broad, you have to retip it.

Somewhat experienced Gerigo. I usually work with a 1.1 and trim them down a bit. I believe the Jowo have some tipping. I'm finding the 1.1 are just a little too broad. I could just as well grind a broad to a CI but I find them difficult to get them really smooth, so I just narrow down a 1.1. It works for me. I might be wrong about the tipping, I've never really thought about it.

[Iollan]

The 1.1s are untipped. If you're going to rework nibs to a CI or even your own stubs, the better way to go around it would have been to start from a stock Broad nib.

 

Getting a round point from a stub is possible, but in this case of starting from a Jowo 1.1, non-optimal. For one thing, it's bare steel at the tipping. For another, while the stub has the horizontal width to work with, it doesn't have the vertical height to result in a properly done Broad. A Japanese F or M might be possible. The understanding required is no different from getting a round point from anything else; tools used, while important, are secondary.

I use a dremel for all my nibwork.

[Bill Wood]

The 1.1s are untipped. If you're going to rework nibs to a CI or even your own stubs, the better way to go around it would have been to start from a stock Broad nib.

 

Getting a round point from a stub is possible, but in this case of starting from a Jowo 1.1, non-optimal. For one thing, it's bare steel at the tipping. For another, while the stub has the horizontal width to work with, it doesn't have the vertical height to result in a properly done Broad. A Japanese F or M might be possible. The understanding required is no different from getting a round point from anything else; tools used, while important, are secondary.

I use a dremel for all my nibwork.

Thanks Iollan. Agreed that a broad to start with is the way to go. Thanks for the input. I just have to practice a bit.

[FarmBoy]

Use a series of hard felt wheels with cutting compound to remove material as needed. Keep the nib cool to avoid problems.

 

High speed small diameter tools driven by a Dremel tool would not by my choice.