Just a lowly slimline......

[woodscavenger]

This is something new for me. I like it. Simple and classic IMHO. I like the way it feels and looks. It was a little tricky to figure out but I managed. I will do some more of these.

The wood it from Brazil, pau feo (sp?) with an ebony CB accent.

Let me know what you think.

 

[gerryr]

Very nice. I like the "no tip" look.

 

[YoYoSpin]

That's something you don't see every day...very well done!

 

[wpenm]

Well done. Very clean and black accents look very nice with the wood color.

 

[alamocdc]

I really like it, Shane! Nice work!

 

[Randy_]

I've been wondering when someone would do this. Nice job, Shane!!

 

[pastorbill1952]

Intersting, the no nib caught my attention. How do oyu stabilize the refill so that it will not have much movement when writing.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Why is the lowly Slimline so often ignored or castigated? It is probably the most versitile design out there. And many of our members prove that frequently. I like. And wonder about the nib thing too.

 

[woodscavenger]

I started with a pen blank and cut the top tube as usual and left the remaining length for the bottom tube. I drilled the bottom tube to the depth of a brass tube and glued it in. I put the bottom tube on a pin chuck and snugged up the tailstock. I marked on my tool rest the point at which the brass tube should end and a mark for how long a typical nib legth is (about 2cm). I turned a shape pleasing to my eye tapering toward the tip. Before separating it from the tailstock I did most of the sanding then I used a sharp skew and finished the cut. I then used the tip of my sharp skew to make a small indention in the end of the spinning blank to drill the hole for the refill. I found a drill bit that fit into the stock nib, used my hand drill (my only drill chuck was mounted to hold my pin chuck) and eyeball the right direction and slowly fed the drill bit into the blank until it bottomed out on the pin chuck. I did my finish sanding and then pulled it off the pin chuck. Then I used a drill bit in my hand drill to make a nice tapered bottom in the blank and extended the depth about 5mm. Then I used a drill bit just larger than the cross insert (remember the main body of the insert has a larger O.D. than the writing tip) and I carefully drilled a little deeper, checking frequently until the refill slipped in and out easily. There is no more play in the nib of this pen than any of my standard slilmlines. Sorry about the lack of measurements but it was all done on the fly and mostly by feel and eyeball.

 

[Mudder]

Nothing lowly about that pen!

Very nice work.

 

[Ron in Drums PA]

Nice!!!

 

[swm6500]

Good looking pen Shane. I like the look.

 

[JimGo]

Very nice Shane! I've often thought about this, but wondered if the wood would be too thin near the tip. Will you be writing with it? If so, I'd be curious how well it holds up over time.

 

[woodscavenger]

Wrote with it all day today. So far so good.

 

[arjudy]

Nice looking pen.

 

[Deere41h]

That's terrific....Nice job of think outside the box. I too am interested in how it will hold up with the thin wall about the nib. Keep us informed as you use it.

Could the wood be Pau Ferro (a Purpleheart family) from Brazil?

 

[woodscavenger]

The tip is actually fairly substantial if you look at it. I think it will survive but I wouldn't do it with any softer wood like buckeye burl or really any burl unless it was stabilized.

 

[jvsank]

Great looking pen

 

[Texas Taco]

Nice pen. Liked how you explained the way you did the no nib, made it sound easy. Just wish it could be that simple.

 

[BigRob777]

Shane,
Very nice. Was someone looking for a wood expert here? I couldn't find one, but I can chip in my own two cents (before inflation). Pau Ferro is also called by two other more recognized names. Morado, and the most popular name: Bolivian Rosewood. Not a true rosewood, it is a gorgeous wood that I wish I wasn't highly allergic to. I had to get rid of all of mine, as it makes me break out very badly. You aren't itching yet are you? I hope not. about 20% of woodworkers are allergic to it.
Once you put on that finish, it should be fine. Very nicely done.
Rob

 

[woodscavenger]

Thanks for all of the comments as well as edumacation[]

 

[driften]

Very nice looking pen! I hope the wood does not crack at the nib from pressure of using it.

 

[RussFairfield]

Very nice pen.
You can add strength to the wood at the tip by burying the stock pen nib inside of the wood. Here's how I do these....

Press the tip into the brass tube. Then hold the brass in a Jacobs chuck in the headstock, bring up the live tail center to surrort the tip, and turn the tip down to the brass tube with a file,

Grind the sides of a 1/4" spade bit to the form of the tip.

Turn the pen blank to round and straight between centers.

Hold it in a chuck for drilling. I use the No. 1 jaws in a Talon chuck. Drill the hole for the tube to the depth of the tube plus the new flat that is on the tip.

Run the tapered spade drill down the hole to form the seat for the tip.

Swap ends of the blank in the chuck and drill the top hole with a No. 46 drill. If the blank was turned straight it will center in the long jaws good enough to hit the hole in the end of the tip.

Proceed with the turning of the pen just like you described.

 

[atvrules1]

Sweet Shane. That looks sharp. Keep that style coming.