Strange metals

[David Broadwell]

I've had a crazy fascination with custom pens, but not just any old custom pen (music nib, gold highlights, fancy finishes, etc..). I've wanted a custom pen, perhaps an eyedropper, made from strange metals.

 

Tungsten (just as dense as gold)

Uranium (-more- dense than gold)

and my favorite:

Titanium

 

Does anyone know if it is possible to custom machine metal blanks to accept a nib and feed section scavenged from another pen?

 

How can I find these special people, if not here?

 

Is it even legal to own depleted uranium?

 

DavidB

 

David,

 

I'm coming in late to this discussion, but thought I'd post anyway. Tungsten and depleted uranium make excellent tank rounds, not pens. I do machine titanium on a regular basis. Many think it's difficult to work, but I find that in most cases it's no worse than some stainless steels. I use solid and tube stocks, and in most cases combine it with synthetics to make a pen. That keeps the weight down. Titanium is lighter than steel, but at around 3/4 the weight it's still heavy.

 

I can also work in stainless steel, aluminum, damascus steel, mokume gane, bronze, and I have some small pieces of Timascus, a titanium laminate. I've also cast gold and silver. The pen in the attached picture has titanium trim that I carved and had engraved, along with an acetate cap.

 

Drop me a line if I can help.

 

David

[yciar]

I just got a box of old nibs and find that one claims to be made of Uranium.

Perhaps this is from before its incarnation as an explosive 'little boy'?

I can't seem to find any further information about it save what is inscribed

on its face: "Uranuim Metal; Grand & Toy; Toronto"

[richardandtracy]

I just got a box of old nibs and find that one claims to be made of Uranium.

Perhaps this is from before its incarnation as an explosive 'little boy'?

I can't seem to find any further information about it save what is inscribed

on its face: "Uranuim Metal; Grand & Toy; Toronto"

I would tend to be a little careful around these nibs then, but not because of radioactivity. Look at my previous answer on Uranium.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

[hbquikcomjamesl]

Bismuth might also be a nice choice for those who are less ambitious non-toxic and easily available.

But bismuth is an alpha-emitter! True, the half-life is a billion times the current estimated age of the universe, but it is an alpha emitter (one whose radioactivity was predicted [not surprisingly, given the half-life] long before it was observed) nonetheless.

 

The melting point is lower than that of lead, but higher than that of type metal or soft solder.

 

What about a bismuth pewter?

 

Hmm. If you wanted to cast a pen, you could always use Field's Metal. It melts in boiling water, and unlike, say, Cerrobend, it's non-toxic.

Edited April 18, 2011 by hbquikcomjamesl

[gwilki]

As soon as I read your post, I thought of Bruce Boone. I see that he has replied here. You owe it to yourself to go to his site and click on the link that takes you to his pens.

[ticoun]

aluminum bronze would be nice too. at a ratio of 96% copper/ 4% aluminum, it gives a nice golden color, and is more corrosion resistant than copper alone. of course, i'd need a lathe, and i'd need to build a better furnace to cast the bar(mine is only capable of melting aluminum, but i made it from 100% recycled materials.)...

[Inka]

+1 on "beryllium copper".

I have a hammer made from the stuff, apparently a recreation of those used during WWII to prevent sparks in explosive environments.

The hammer head is very hard, makes an unusual ringing sound when pounding nails.

There's an example of my hammer on display in one of The Smithsonian Institute museums from what I recall.

The company that made it I cannot recall their name, I think were based out of West Virginia or Virginia or close by, has long ago stopped production possibly due to the high cost of this material, if not the toxic nature of beryllium used in the alloy.

It's really a cool hammer, I mean it actually feels cooler to the touch than steel-head hammers, also looks cool, the color of beryllium copper contrasting against the heavily grained ash [or is it hickory? I forget and it's packed away] handle is really something special to behold.

Edited April 19, 2011 by Inka

[UltraMagnus]

A pen made from one of the more uncommon gold alloys, like blue gold (AuIn2) would be very cool.

[NoMoreGoodUsernames]

I must say it... This thread is absolutely insane.

Has anyone thought of making a pen out of iron asteroid material? That would be a real out-of-this world pen!

[richardandtracy]

aluminum bronze would be nice too. at a ratio of 96% copper/ 4% aluminum, it gives a nice golden color, and is more corrosion resistant than copper alone. of course, i'd need a lathe, and i'd need to build a better furnace to cast the bar(mine is only capable of melting aluminum, but i made it from 100% recycled materials.)...

At last. Someone else as mad as I am!

I made an aluminium furnace too, here:

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

[Chiro75]

Tom Anderson, the knifemaker, does pens out of titanium. Not sure he has ever made a fountain pen, but you can contact him.

[CLewis]

Beryllium copper creates very toxic dust which will probably turn off most pen turners It's definitely not the sort of thing which should be worked with in a home shop.

 

Aluminum bronze is beastly strong and would be a good choice if you could find someone willing to try drilling a deep hole in a solid rod of it. I tried it once. Never again. It's very hard and has a nasty tendency to grab onto drill bits. Just not a pleasant to machine alloy.

[hbquikcomjamesl]

Hmm. What about silicon bronze? Back at the University, I took a metal shop class in which I did a lost wax casting in the stuff (a wax seal with my initials).

[gordonf]

I've collected a few pens made of solid metals. They're all very heavy by customary standards.

 

Each has qualities I really like, and I wouldn't part with any of them. Sorry, no photos, but maybe the specs, makers, and details may be of interest. I wouldn't call any of these materials "strange", but all of these pens will last for a long, long time.

 

Tungsten

 

· Inkling Bomapen D6 ballpoint pen manufactured from a sintered bar of tungsten, which is extremely dense and difficult to machine. The alloy is 93% tungsten, combined with nickel, iron, and copper

 

· Weight is approx 139 grams

 

· Standard B5 (⁵/₁₆” diameter) & D6 (³/₈” diameter) Bomapens pens had a grey tungsten carbide finish, Bomapen logo, and serial number. This pen was special ordered with polished finish, no logo, and no serial number. Its dimensions are slightly different from “production” D6 pens.

 

· Uses Cross ballpoint refills

 

Stainless Steel

 

· Parker Duofold Replica fountain pen in stainless steel

 

· Made by Chris Thompson of Tulsa, OK in 2002

 

· The alloy is steel combined with chromium and nickel.

 

· Ordered with a modern Parker Centennial medium nib, bandless cap, no knurling on blind and barrel caps, original Parker engraving on its barrel. Original Parker clip.

 

· Weight is approx 100 grams

 

Titanium

 

· Duofold-style rollerball pen in titanium

 

· Made by Rick Hinderer of Wooster, OH in 1998

 

· This material is likely “commercially pure” titanium, not an alloy

 

· This pen has a titanium barrel, cap, section, and clip with mother of pearl disc inlaid on the cap

 

· Weight is approx 60 grams

 

· Uses Mont Blanc rollerball refills

 

· Rick Hinderer is well known for making custom folding knives. I was told he made three of these pens.

 

Bronze

 

· Parker Duofold Replica rollerball pen in bronze

 

· Made by Chris Thompson of Tulsa, OK in 2005

 

· The alloy is typically 86% copper with zinc, tin, and iron added

 

· Ordered with a bandless cap, knurled blind caps, special section to fit Parker ballpoint refills, original Parker engraving on its barrel.

 

· Weight is approx 141 grams

 

· Uses any Parker ballpoint style refill - gel, ceramic ballpoint, capped rollerball, etc.

 

· Brass internal sleeve / spacer to secure refills added

 

Brass

 

· C. E. Levi custom fountain pen in brass

 

· Ordered oversize with no bands or barrel taper and brass section. Looks like a solid rod of brass when capped. Seams where caps mate to the barrel are almost invisible.

 

· Weight is approx 133 grams

 

· Fitted with “Lifetime” two tone fine nib from a late ‘30s – early ‘40s Sheaffer Balance pen

 

· Uses button filler / sac system.

 

C. E. Levi went out of his way to help me - great to work with, and absolutely beautiful work!

 

 

[jniforat]

Mr. Ralph Prather has made "51" Dj's from Titanium.

[djkpens]

i made a cap and barrel out of titanium tubing that i got from ed landy in miami [probably 6-4]

the wallthickness allowed for boring out the inside for cap and turning down outside

for cap to slip over pressfit ends of sterling and a slip on clip

with a parker 75 front end --a very lightweight pen

also tried heating the tubing orange hot and hot forging --ha ha

 

the tubing //lathe idea works

the lathe i used 17x 67 turanado --south bend

[ticoun]

Aluminum bronze is beastly strong and would be a good choice if you could find someone willing to try drilling a deep hole in a solid rod of it. I tried it once. Never again. It's very hard and has a nasty tendency to grab onto drill bits. Just not a pleasant to machine alloy.

 

depends a lot on the al/cu ratio. 4%al/96%cu is quite hard, but 2.9%al/97.1%cu is so soft that you can bend it with your hands.

 

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f121/cxevalo/alBronze29v4.jpg

picture by cxevalo on backyardmetalcasting.com

2.9%al/97.1%cu at the top

4%al/96%cu at the bottom

 

one could also sand-cast a hollow tube out of it, then turn it to the required bore and diameter.

Edited April 26, 2011 by ticoun

[dozuki]

You guys are nuts and its great. You must have somoe awesome turning equipment. Here I thought I was being "out there" when I made a pen out of copper wire and solder. It looks cool but tends to tarnish, uh I mean pick up character. This is a very informative thread even if I never plan on working with these material. Knowledge is very valuable and light weight.

[djkpens]

palladium would be workable and cases could be fabricated from raised sheet

i have a large thin gauge sheet of tantalum -came from a pallet of nasa lab surplus [boeing]

this material was used for the dyna -soar space vehicle -predecessor to

the now retired shuttle

i havent tried fabricating with this yet and do not know if it can be silver soldered

============

niobium would also be a possible metal to consider

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zirconium also

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the research, materials procurement or replacement value and metals lab fabrication

experiments [success or failure ] would have to be passed on to

a customer --learning curve

a connect at olin /winchester or munitions fabrication facility might be helpful for depleted U-238

or you could go to iraq and ask for spent projectiles that are spattered about the landscape

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how about a cast mercury pen that has to be kept in liquid nitrogen

or cast sodium

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[hbquikcomjamesl]

Hmm. A sodium (or potassium) pen. That would ignite on contact with the ink inside. Or the sweat on your hand.

Edited April 27, 2011 by hbquikcomjamesl