Mellow Greetings from NE Ohio (Akron)

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jwtyler

Member
Joined
Jul 24, 2018
Messages
2
Location
NE Ohio
Warm Greetings to all Craftsmen here gathered!

I have been turning (in my father in law's shop) for 8-10 years and collecting fountain pens for as many years. In the past I have played around with the idea of "penturning" but wasn't particularly attracted to the typical "ballpoint" pen kits as pens.

Recently, my renewed deep delve into vintage pen restoration lead me down the primrose path to re-explore the idea of making pens. Only, this time the idea of making a true old school fountain pen.

In my research I discovered the popular youtube videos of the fountain pen master craftsmen and I was hooked on the idea. I read everything I could find about fountain pen manufacturing and current making methods. I watched every single video (many of them from your fine members past and present) that was available. I have scriven two notebooks of notes and drawings. Pen plans, tools plans, custom piston filler plans. So many plans..

Then I started buy tools. Taps and dies. lathe cutting tools (metal lathe), lathe tools (wood lathe), calipers.

Then I started buying blank material (slanted toward "traditional" pen coloring and style because of my pen collecting). Japanese ebonite, german ebonite, Acrylic...

I then made the leap into my FiL's workshop (a master Luthier wood shop,). I spent 6 hour failing miserably at making my first section. I went through 3 full black acrylic blanks. Using first the Jet wood lathe and then the Emco Compact 8 metal lathe.

I failed and learned I didn't know enough about precision lathing. So, I went back to the learning. I watched 100+ hours of precision metal and jewelry lathing videos. And reread the IAP library relevant articles.

More notes...

And finally, Aug 6th 2018 The First One was born.

6MqWnp2.jpg


It demonstrates that I have at least now the first level knowledge needed to create the cuts and operations to make a completely bespoke fountain pen. My level of self pride can scarcely be calculated.

So, I am here to learn, be criticized and enabled in this mad, mad journey into baroque chirography.

Good to be here after so very much lurking.

JW
 
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mark james

IAP Collection, Curator
Joined
Sep 6, 2012
Messages
12,720
Location
Medina, Ohio
Welcome to IAP from Medina!

There is an active Ohio IAP Chapter that meets fairly regularly in several locations in Northern/NE Ohio. Our typical home base is at Hartville Hardware.

I will add you to the contact list for reminders when we meet. There is some effort being made for our next meeting.

Have FUN!
 

jwtyler

Member
Joined
Jul 24, 2018
Messages
2
Location
NE Ohio
Thanks to all for the many greetings.

Seems to be a large Ohio contingent here!

@StanBrown Thanks! A large part of my life and some of my professional career has been as an author of one sort or the other. I am practically incontinently eruidite. Or in the vernacular I have "diarrhea of the mouth". :)

@Charlie_W Thanks, its an ugly thing. But every bit is me. And I learned so many things. Such as "Just any number of threads per inch are not attractive".


@MarkJames Fantastic. My PoC pen was born in Hartville! :) My Father in Law is a master violin maker in hartville. So I have access to an amazing array of tools there at Stearns Violins. Lathes, Mills, Buffers, blades, more blades, shapers and sanders. I haunt Hartville Hardware from time to time. While my wallet gently weeps.

JW
 
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