Si90
Member
I made this pen more of a proof of concept/practice piece to trial a couple of new techniques and materials - It's not my most favourite pen I have made, but in terms of the materials etc it's the one thats cost me the most to make.
The first thing is that it's the first pen I have fully silver soldered. This gives nice joints but does bring with it a few things to consider. The melting point is 660 to 730°C - thats hot and its's low temp solder. When you consider that there are a lot of joints in close proximity with very light weight/thin walled brass its's very easy to destroy the brass.
The rings around the pen are actually brass portholes intended for model boats. Each ring is 2 portholes soldered together.
The other issue is that it's almost impossible to stop brass from tarnishing. They look great polished but it would take a small amount of effort on the owners part to maintain this. I wanted to try and embrace the aged look and if possible enhance it so that you don't feel you have to keep it polished. I bent the thin rails and the ends of the tubes a few times to make them look old, used and beaten up. The pen was polished and then strategically heated to give it the aged look.
It's proved to me that I have to invest in a better way of holding parts firmly in position while soldering. Some of the parts moved so the cap isn't as straight or inline as well as I would have liked but again its made in "used condition"
My final conclusion is as my friend "Mr Skiprat" likes to keep reminding me
I would find it a lot easier to realise my ideas if I went kitless and had a metal lathe and mill. It's quite difficult, but not impossible to make some of the things I imagine out of stock pieces of brass and make them fit the kit parts I am using. Maybe thats for the future but for now here it is.
As always thanks for taking the time to look at my efforts. Sorry for a couple of the pics that are out of focus.
The first thing is that it's the first pen I have fully silver soldered. This gives nice joints but does bring with it a few things to consider. The melting point is 660 to 730°C - thats hot and its's low temp solder. When you consider that there are a lot of joints in close proximity with very light weight/thin walled brass its's very easy to destroy the brass.
The rings around the pen are actually brass portholes intended for model boats. Each ring is 2 portholes soldered together.
The other issue is that it's almost impossible to stop brass from tarnishing. They look great polished but it would take a small amount of effort on the owners part to maintain this. I wanted to try and embrace the aged look and if possible enhance it so that you don't feel you have to keep it polished. I bent the thin rails and the ends of the tubes a few times to make them look old, used and beaten up. The pen was polished and then strategically heated to give it the aged look.
It's proved to me that I have to invest in a better way of holding parts firmly in position while soldering. Some of the parts moved so the cap isn't as straight or inline as well as I would have liked but again its made in "used condition"
My final conclusion is as my friend "Mr Skiprat" likes to keep reminding me
I would find it a lot easier to realise my ideas if I went kitless and had a metal lathe and mill. It's quite difficult, but not impossible to make some of the things I imagine out of stock pieces of brass and make them fit the kit parts I am using. Maybe thats for the future but for now here it is.As always thanks for taking the time to look at my efforts. Sorry for a couple of the pics that are out of focus.
