btboone
Member
Here's a sneak peek at new pen I'm working on. I'm not sure this belongs in the penTURNING section, since it's not very round, but pen making maybe. The pen will be a trilobed fountain pen that curves, twists, and tapers simultaneously. The program was very difficult to write. It's taken me a couple weeks so far, and I'm still dialing it in. I hand wrote it from 2D CAD coordinates so that I can utilize more effifient toolpath code than what a CAM system would put out. The model's pretty close on shape to the design I had in mind. I'll need to buy new carbide cutters to be able to machine it in titanium. Finishing it to mirror finish will be a bear. I also still need to design the front part, which transitions from trilobe to round with threads on the nib end for the cap. That should be a project in itself. It will have a miniature trumpet bell type cap that just covers the nib, and it can act as a stand on which the pen can sit on a desk. The pen is reminiscent of a feather or a flame when standing upright. The corners and sides will all get smoothed down for a nice handfeel. This one has a curve meant for a right hander. It nests in your hand nicely when writing. I could hake an opposite curve for a left hander.
I still need to design the threads that connect the front part to this part. It will be tricky because orientation of the parts will matter. I imagine progress will be slow, as rings are picking up this month.
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