How was this done?

[Wongster]

Hi Folks,

As I looked at pics of commercial pens, I begin to wonder how certain things were done and if its possible to replicate the process at home.

I wonder if anyone has any idea what this kind of pen was made? The silver encasing the pen barrel looks very nice!

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/484840716106021621/

Best regards,
Kyle

 

[duncsuss]

... this kind of pen ...

... okay, I see the photos now.

Typically those are made as a flat sheet of silver, the pattern pierced and engraved, then the sheet rolled and soldered to form a cylinder around the pen barrel.

(I expect there are other ways of making them too, that's the one used by a couple of people I know who do this sort of work.)

 

[Wongster]

Thanks Duncan.

I was searching online to see if I can find some progress pics. Couldn't figure out the search term to derive good results. I'm wondering about the thickness of the material used for such, workholding etc when making this.

Last week, I experimented with using my rotary table to engrave and VCarve a tiger face on a piece of Buffalo horn blank. Not very much of meat to work with (falcon kit from PSI) for vcarving actually. Filled out the vcarved with gold leaf rub n buff before sealing the entire blank with several layers of CA. I don't like the result of it and would like to try 3D milling instead, to have the image "embossed", before casting with clear Resin.

Wrapping the design around a blank would solve the problem of having too little meat on the blank to mill into.

Regards,
Kyle

 

[mredburn]

You could in the case of the pens you link to, have the design drawn in a cad program and then 3dprinted and then cast in metal. I have also done something similar by cutting green file-a-wax on a 4th axis rotary set up on a cnc mill. The pen in my avatar was made that way.

 

[PatrickR]

I'm curious about low tech options. Say purchase of prepunched sheets and wrapping. Or some type of jig to use a dremel. Or possibly trophy shops can engrave a tube 360*


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[mredburn]

It would be difficult to buy a pre punched sheet because the diameters and lengths would have to match specific pens. Or you could end up with thick borders that would have to be trimmed for each different pen. You might be able to buy a tube that you could make the pen fit into that you could use a dremel to cut out a pattern. Im not sure of trophy shops capabilities to produce a product.

 

[dogcatcher]

I am guessing it was carved out of jeweler's wax and then cast with pewter. Cleaned up and polished then cast in resin on the tube. I don't know if it could be done without some professional casting equipment. It might be possible, I have seen some fancy casting done without the professional equipment.

Because of the various tube sizes and lengths, every design would have to be carved for each specific kit. We have a friend that makes jewelry, but she only carves the proto type and then sends it off to be cast. But I really have no clue as to how all of this done.

 

[randyrls]

Many, Many, moons ago there was a line of "Filigree" pens made by Hut? The seller escapes me at the moment. They just slid on the outside of the pen and butted up against the fittings. Flat and not very attractive.

 

[BRobbins629]

Like some others I think this was carved in wax with a CNC then cast in metal. If you are a good enough carver it could also be done on a wax cylinder by hand. I have done similar, thougn not as nice. Once carved in wax, you do not necessarily need the casting equipment. There are several commercial places that will do that for you. Once cast, it will require some finishing and polishing but certainly doable with not much expense if you have the talent.

 

[Marko50]

The technique is called "Filigree"