Copper pipe inserts

[pankajwillis]

Here's an experiment I have embarked upon myself.

 

I have a leather pen case, which is great but would not protect from impact. I have tried to look around to find an appropriate hard box to carry my pens. Either the boxes look too cheap & fragile, or too small or they are too big to fit my jeans pocket. One possible solution that might have worked could be those aluminium boxes to protect Nitendo DS etc. But the good ones seemed to be at least 2 inches thick, and to carry it in my jeans pocket would be stretching my pockets to the limit

 

I must add that I want to carry my pens in my jeans pocket, not in a separate bag, and not on my shirt.

 

So, while I was contemplating today - this is what I thought of.

 

Experiment:

 

Concept:

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Why not cut a copper tube, and insert those tubes in where the pen goes into the case. In other words, it would be basically leather exterior, and copper interior. You basically need to find a copper tube that is just the right radius that the pen would fit it, but not waste too much space.

 

 

Equipment:

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Luckily, Home Depot has curtain extender rods that just seem perfect for my 149s, and Pelican M1000. Also, cutting these rods is exceedingly easy. You can get one of those tube cutters (also from Home Depot, for 10 bucks).

 

Also should add that these rods are aluminium, not copper - which is actually much lighter, and also softer. But they seem to be strong enough, and certainly they will provide an extra layer of protection in absorbing any impact, and also they will be the first to take the strain, in case the pen case is getting stressed in the pocket when I'm sitting. Also, a sanding paper to smoothen the pipe where you cut it.

 

 

End Goal:

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So what I'm trying to do is, in my 2 pen mont blanc case, have 2 pipes inserted, so that the pipes are entirely inside the section where the pen's body goes. The pipes wont even show out at all. The clip of the pen can go where it normally goes (on the side wall).

 

 

Now, the challenge that remains is, when you want to clip your pen with clip outside the tube, and the rest of the pen (pen's barrel and the cap) inside the tube - the tube's metal would tend to scratch under the clip. I am trying to make a cloth lining for the inside of the metal tube, so that it would protect the pen from any scratches.

 

 

Ah the lengths I have gone. Maybe I should try the big aluminium boxes that are available for nintendo DS.

 

 

Pros and Cones

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The good thing about these inserts is that

1) they fit snugly inside my mont blanc cases, so I don't have to lug around an ugly box.

2) With any luck, they would fit any leather case - even those cigar cases.

3) They are not even visible once they are completely inside the leather case (not even when you open the case, unless you look inside the hole where the pen goes).

 

The cons I see are

1) If you don't put a cloth inside the tube, it might scratch the pen (if you are trying to clip on the tube). Otherwise I think it's going to be okay.

2) They might not be as strong as a dedicated metal box. But I think they should be able to take the first impact easily. And certainly absorb some stress on their own.

 

 

I have to say, after you get the equipment, it took me about 2 minutes to cut the tube to correct size pieces. And another minute to sand and smoothen the cut. I still have to design an interior cloth lining for it, but I am thinking if I insert a cloth in cylinderical shape so that both ends of the cylinder are out, and then fold the cloth on the outside and just stitch both ends in the center (kind of cover the entire inside and outside surface of the pipe with cloth, with the final stitch running like a ring on the outside).

 

 

Any feedback?

Edited April 30, 2009 by pankajwillis

[wykpenguin]

Why not a PVC pipe? It's lighter and cuts easier. Both will survive a drop and if a car runs over it, both will break just the same.

 

That said, my VP just rides clipped to my jeans pocket [so it has gained quite a few scratches] and has been well for more than 3 years [knocks on wood with fingers crossed]. A case or tube makes sense for screw cap celluloid pens. I have had screw cap pens unscrew in my pocket and celluloid and sweat don't really like each other. Good thing I was wearing black jeans and the pen had black ink.

[MYU]

Copper is a metal that oxidizes, and it has some heft to it. So, I'd vote for PVC too... maybe you can find some interesting colors, or an inconspicuous black.

[cfclark]

I think the copper-and-leather tube would really be overkill...which is exactly why you should pursue it. I'd buy one. How about copper with a leather exterior and velvet (or similar) interior?

[sdcurnow]

Vinyl or rubber tubing, either as the tubing itself or as a liner for the copper?

[eilu]

How about thin ABS plastic or similar, the kind used for vials? You can likely get vials of sufficient size from a pharmacy or lab equipment store.

[pankajwillis]

I need to come up with a liner for these pipes, to protect my pens from scratches. Cloth is good, but hard to put together. Also, the lining needs to be thin, because there's not much space left once a 149 slips in

 

Just thinking, maybe just cello tape on the inside and over the edge will be enough to protect from metal scratches?

 

(Oh also, I am not using copper pipe - I'm using an aluminum pipe, which is much more lighter).

 

Edited April 30, 2009 by pankajwillis

[pankajwillis]

Why not a PVC pipe? It's lighter and cuts easier. Both will survive a drop and if a car runs over it, both will break just the same.

 

That said, my VP just rides clipped to my jeans pocket [so it has gained quite a few scratches] and has been well for more than 3 years [knocks on wood with fingers crossed]. A case or tube makes sense for screw cap celluloid pens. I have had screw cap pens unscrew in my pocket and celluloid and sweat don't really like each other. Good thing I was wearing black jeans and the pen had black ink.

 

That's a good idea. I should have looked into PVC pipes too. Just that I had an aluminium rod handly at home for me to start experimenting

 

[WendyNC]

PVC is very inexpensive and as long as you smoothed the edges, I doubt there would be any risk of scratching, thus saving you the whole lining challenge.

[ZeissIkon]

One problem with PVC compared to thin walled metal tubing is that PVC is generally much thicker -- a piece that will fit in your pen case might not even have enough inside diameter to accept your pen, and you'll surely have issues with the clip going over the thick edge. You can get thin PVC -- ask for Schedule 10 -- but it's not very crush resistant compared to even soft copper pipe or aluminum curtain rod, and might still be on the thick side for comfort relative to some clips. Similarly, thin walled tubing from vials and such lacks crush resistance; may not be much if any better than just a leather pen case.

 

Another material that might be of interest is K&S brass tube, sold in hobby shops and craft stores; it comes in sizes up to just under an inch (which would accommodate a pretty "fat" pen), the wall is very thin, and it's quite a bit harder than thin walled aluminum tube. Not terribly costly; a pack of three 8-9 inch lengths of the largest tube should cost around $5 to $7.

[wykpenguin]

Epoxy glue and felt for the lining maybe. You would definitely want a glue that allows you to shift things around for a while before it sets.

[brianw06]

How about metal cigar tubes

[Merrib]

Just to put my 2 cents in, have you thought about plastic tubes that are used to store

toothbrushes ? They are cheap and I doubt if they will scratch the finish on your FP's.

Also they are easy to cut down to the length that you need.