How to begin to learn nib grinding

[David0966]

Hello,

 

I would like to be able to make simple adjustments to my FP nibs.  My limited understanding is that I should consider getting a whole bunch of cheap nibs from (somewhere like?) Amazon.

 

I already have a lot of the equipment needed, and am accustomed to working to a fine degree of detail-if someone could direct me to an exact product, that would be great.   I need, I guess a type/brand of nib that is cheap, the characteristics are not too different from quality nibs, and then a pen to try them in....I suppose starting off buying 30 to 40 nibs would be reasonable-probably more as time went by.

 

Thanks, David

[BlueJ]

Stainless steel nibs or nib units (comprising nib, feed and housing) from Jowo are good starting points. Many pens are available which take these, including from Indian makers like ASA and Ranga and US makers like Edison. I have had several Jowo units reground for me by professionals with excellent results.

 

Less expensive options include Chinese brands like Jinhao and Majohn, and Indian companies including Kanwrite. Most of these are still of decent quality, though the Chinese nibs are not often available with the broader tip widths. Even when these arrive with minor defects you can usually correct them in the process of regrinding and adjusting them.

 

I have turned several very inexpensive or freebee FPs into very nice writers using nothing more than a loupe and a small power tool similar to a Dremel. Learning to grind your own nibs is a great way to get the exact writing properties you desire.

[dipper]

5 hours ago, BlueJ said:

...... using nothing more than a loupe and a small power tool similar to a Dremel....

Here is Shawn Newton doing exactly that. Note the frequent pauses for loupe checking.

 

I would like to obtain that fat grey grinding / polishing wheel for my Dremel. Does anyone know a seller?

[es9]

What equipment do folks actually use? I want to learn grinding as well. I’m leaning towards a setup like the one Richard Binder recommends. I’m personally pretty skeptical of the idea of letting a dremel anywhere near a nib. But it offers much more flexibility in terms of grinding angle/seeing what you’re doing. The 45-degree setup Richard Binder has seems like it would be much better at grinding sides. But something that sits flat, like a foredom grinder, seems like it would be better for grinding the top and bottom of a nib. 

[OCArt]

4 hours ago, dipper said:

I would like to obtain that fat grey grinding / polishing wheel for my Dremel. Does anyone know a seller?

Count me in as well, if we find a source maybe we can do a group buy. 

This is the set up I'm currently using. You can see the holder for the Dremel and the abrasive wheels I have 

 

 

[dipper]

12 hours ago, es9 said:

What equipment do folks actually use?

Here are some links....

 

First, the "Nib Grinding Station" page by Richard Binder, as already mentioned by @es9 in the post quoted above.

http://www.richardspens.com/ref/repair/dremelstand.htm

The page mentions two setups.

1 ) The more elaborate setup - - - "...you can mount several specialized grinding and polishing wheels on a fixed transverse shaft that is powered by an external motor" - - - though the included photo of a Montblanc nib grinder at work does not match that description?

2 ) The page is mostly about building the other option - a 45 degree mount for a Dremel. That is the method used by Richard Binder. The page lists the drums and cutting wheels that he uses, and how.

 

 

My second link shows the same Dremel method again. This is at the Edison Pen Co. during a tour by Goulet Pens.

Shaft angled up at 45 degrees, axis pointing away from the operator.

The video also shows some "off machine" manual steps on abrasive paper etc, as mentioned on the Richard Binder page.

A flexible shaft drive is used here, with the shaft hand grip end clamped in a bench vice.

The nib grinding action is one minute, starting at 3.00 min into this video.

 

 

My third link shows an example of a professional setup with multiple drums etc mounted on a raised shaft.
There are two photographs of Yukio Nagahara ("Nagahara Junior") at work in this blog post by FudeFan.

Despite multiple drums on a shaft there are still two shafts in use, swapped between the two photos. The removed shaft is visible in the foreground in each photo.

https://www.fudefan.com/2019/07/nagahara-bbx/

 

[BlueJ]

Speaking of abrasive paper, I do need to amend the "nothing more" in my previous post by saying that I do use the micromesh and mylar sheets supplied by Goulet Pens for final polishing of my home grinds.

[Stompie]

There is a chap on You Tube that posts some great simple videos on nib grinding amongst other things  

 

[es9]

Do folks grind with the nib installed on a pen? Or perhaps a dip pen nib holder of some sort? I’ve seen lots of videos with nibs not installed, but I wonder if more tuning/tweaking on the back end is then required.