Golden Green and Black - and clip questions

[watch_art]

There's GOT to be an easier way to make a threaded finial to hold the little clip on. Oh my gosh. I spent way too much time fooling with the cap today to get it to work. And the finial is out of round too, but luckily it's out of round with the rest of the cap. Unless it's all the way down it sticks out over the edge of the cap.

This one and the blue one I listed earlier (pictured below) are the first two pens I created inner shoulders for the cap - that way the section snugs up against the lip in the cap rather than a step on the barrel.

It's all about proportion - and I'm still trying to figure out best way to make a clipped cap.

Any advice is more than welcome.
Thanks!

 

[alphageek]

Ok... I'm not into kit less yet, but why wouldn't you just glue it in? The only reason to thread is to be able to remove it. Would be so much easier as a tendon I would think.

 

[watch_art]

Hmm... not a bad idea. Simple --- I like simple.
Thanks!

 

[Timebandit]

Hmm... not a bad idea. Simple --- I like simple.
Thanks!

Until you need to replace that clip.......Dean and shawn, the main reason you want a threaded finial is for the ease of repair. Say you sell this pen and the customer decides he is going to clip it on his thick leather jacket or a whole note pad and snaps the clip. How will you replace it? If you glue it you are screwed. Now if you thread it, you are screwed as well, but in a good way. You now have access to replace a clip in under 30 seconds. Now you might be able to use some shelac to glue it in as it can be heated and released later, but i would be afraid that it would get worked loose with repetitive clip use. A general rule is that you never want to glue anything permanently.

 

[alphageek]

Justin... That makes perfect sense.

The only thing I would say against that is the number of "hidden" clips where they are glued into a slot, etc. I also have a limited edition Monteverde - no way to take apart it either.

 

[Timebandit]

Justin... That makes perfect sense.

The only thing I would say against that is the number of "hidden" clips where they are glued into a slot, etc. I also have a limited edition Monteverde - no way to take apart it either.

Believe it or not Dean, most of those clips are not glued in. They either use a little screw that screw sup into the finial of they have tabs that are bent over or there are a few hundred other ways to probably do it, but i assure you that very few are permanently glued it. I have several old pen repair books that document how to remove lots of these devices to remove the clips. You would be supprised.

 

[alphageek]

Oh, I fully believe you Justin... By glued into a slot, I meant the documents here on how to do hidden clips - not the pros... I'm sure there is A TON of cool tricks available to the pros that would be a bunch of work for us!

 

[Timebandit]

Oh, I fully believe you Justin... By glued into a slot, I meant the documents here on how to do hidden clips - not the pros... I'm sure there is A TON of cool tricks available to the pros that would be a bunch of work for us!

Gotcha:wink: and i bet that Monteverde comes out to

 

[alphageek]

Oh, I fully believe you Justin... By glued into a slot, I meant the documents here on how to do hidden clips - not the pros... I'm sure there is A TON of cool tricks available to the pros that would be a bunch of work for us!

Gotcha:wink: and i bet that Monteverde comes out to

I hope to NEVER have to know!

 

[BRobbins629]

I'm with Justin on this. When I want a finial for a clipped pen, I first turn the cap blank round, then drill on the lathe for the main hole and then turn it around and drill and tap for the thread I use for the finial. Then I mill or file away the recess needed for the clip. I make most of my clips to fit with 1/4 -20 threads. I then make the finial, cut the threads on it, screw it into the cap and turn the whole thing as if it were a closed end pen. Takes a little more time than a clipless, but not much. Also gives you the opportunity to switch clips.

 

[hewunch]

I really like the shape on the cap at the top. The cap seems long, and the taper too skewed to the top. That said, the shape of the top of the cap with the shape of the clip IMO really work well.