Any "hacks" For Metal Grips?

[Zookie]

I'd get some of those grippy sleeves that they sell at the dollar store. They make them for pencils in all sorts of colors.

[City74]

Skateboard tape

[Honeybadgers]

"for a $4 pen... buy a $300 hobby machine lathe"

 

[Honeybadgers]

"for a $4 pen... buy a $300 hobby machine lathe"

 

 

I mean, if you wanted, a needle file and a sharpie could be used for a spiral cut.

[Bibliophage]

Plasti-dip (that's the actual name) is pretty thick stuff. You'd want to try using the spray paint version, which is thinner, or thinning down the canned stuff a little.

 

Growing up, we used it for replacing handles on wrenches, pliers, and adding grip to screwdrivers. That was the original intention of it so it goes on pretty thick and cushioning. Not bad for the main body of the pen, but terrible for the section.

 

Thin, clear, heat shrink might be your best bet.

[OmegaMountain]

If that section is polished stainless, a Scotchbrite pad will provide enough abrasiveness to brush it radially. I would not try to brush it lengthwise with the pen because it will be harder to make it look even that way. A larger micron micromesh will be able to facilitate this as well. They sell kits to help brush scratches out of stainless watches and that's what I use. You can even use the finest polishing fabric stuff in the kits to polish resin. If the section is chrome plated, I don't know what to tell you. The metal beneath it if it's chrome plated is likely to be lower grade so I don't know if I would try to remove the plating....

[Tseg]

Latex gloves?

[Honeybadgers]

Latex gloves?

 

 

Sweaty hands. Trust me.

[txomsy]

Varnish or shellac should work. You can simply apply a thin layer of transparent varnish and that should be enough. No need to do anything intrusive. Easy to replace or clean if repented or if you need to reapply.

[Ron Z]

I have a picture somewhere, but I can't find it...

 

I have bead blasted metal sections. The beads crater the surface without removing any of the plating so that the metal retains some of its shine instead of turning a matte gray. This gives enough texture that you have some traction, and section doesn't slip in your fingers, all without uglifying the pen. I charge about $45 to do it.

[Sailor Kenshin]

I should've mentioned that the pen was around 4$ on ebay. I am willing to buy a second pen to test some of these ideas. I'll probably start the plastic-dip route first since it seems less invasive. If that doesn't work I'll consider asking a jewler to sandblast it. I don't need the entire section to be grippy, just the part that I would rest my fingers.

Very low-tech, very reversible: application of washi tape on the section. This will also tell you if heat-shrink tubing will work.

[Honeybadgers]

I have a picture somewhere, but I can't find it...

 

I have bead blasted metal sections. The beads crater the surface without removing any of the plating so that the metal retains some of its shine instead of turning a matte gray. This gives enough texture that you have some traction, and section doesn't slip in your fingers, all without uglifying the pen. I charge about $45 to do it.

 

Pictures? I might be interested in having it done to my conklin nozac.