What, if anything, do you use to design your pens, especially when you're customizing them for a customer?
For example, I have a client who wants a firefighter themed pen for her husband. I'd love to be able to take a few different pen kits into a program, change the barrel to show different woods/acrylics, and show what kinds of other things I can add to the pen to make it special.
is there an easy way to do this? I know PSI has a "design" tool on their website, but it's pretty limited.
Not to be disparaging here on my favorite forum, but I have found few people want to disrupt the status quo by using only what we have or build kitless pens. I and a few others have been trying to get new things started here with little luck. There are a few great people here (BeeAMaker is one of them!) that are excited about making custom pens or launching this industry to the next level.
Here is what I am working on:
1. 3D printing parts to design new types of blanks - Autodesk 360 (freeware) design software
2. Polly Alloys can make badass pen parts IN the USA.
Custom Metal Injection Molded Parts and Components - PolyAlloys Injected Metals
3. 3D printing parts for either Cold Casting parts. I have had reasonable success with this but nothing I would put to market.
4. Lost Wax Casting. Once my Autodesk skills advance a little more I can CNC lost wax parts to cast pen kit parts.
CNC and 3D printers are getting so much cheaper for the hobbyist. The issue I'm running into is CAD/STL skills. I bought a book two days ago called Fusion 360 Operations Manual. This book has step by step tutorials to help you build items so you can learn the functions of the program.
Will anyone be able to compete with the 400lbs Gorilla, no, but that isn't really the point. The point is to be a Maker, create, push our hobby to new levels. Sure there are folks that just want to turn wood or other items, NOT a thing wrong with that at all. There are others who want to do more. For that, my hats off to you!
As far as firefighter pen kits:
Fireman's Ballpoint Pen Chrome w/Gunmetal: Pen Kit Making Supplies Berea HardWoods
Steve