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Topsy

Topsy

Member
Joined
Oct 6, 2016
Messages
21
Location
Switzerland
Hello,

I've had the goal to turn pens for a while now (I'm not entirely sure why or how I got that into my head though!).
I didn't really like any FP or ballpoint kits much and only really tried one (and messed it up :tongue:) so continued turning razor kits, which I've been doing from time to time for about 1.5 years.

A few weeks ago I finally managed to get a kitless pen right, just in time to take on holidays. :island:
Took me 6-7 tries but I'm quite happy with them!

Here's two:

iau2GHwl.jpg


BLEgPDal.jpg


Brass roll stop waiting to accumulate some patina :)
uIZIwmCl.jpg


rWuyTaIl.jpg


YsrHKY4l.jpg


The blue pen has an aluminium roll stop sealed with clear coat until I can get my hands on some stainless.


I'd say the next thing to improve is the polish of the threads.. Haven't experimented a lot yet with that aspect!

Also, many, many thanks to both Renee from Scriptorium Pens, Shawn from Newton Pens on instagram for answering any questions I had and to the Kitless Pen Makers group on Facebook! :smile:
 
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Very lovely pens !!!!!

What material did you use for the bodies, caps, and sections ?

Also, what thread size for cap-to-body ? Thanks.
 
cbutzon said:
Those are beautiful! I can't believe you started with kitless -- madman!
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Thanks! Not the first time I've heard that :tongue: I tend to do some.. interesting things from time to time. :biggrin:

Funnily enough the first thing I got the hang of were sections for some reason, though everywhere I read people said that they're the most confusing part.
Barrel was probably the hardest due to the inside and outside thread and lathe size limitations.

Jim15 said:
Those look great.
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thewishman said:
Nice work - they look good.:smile:
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mark james said:
Excellent work. Well done.

Thank you for sharing.
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tomtedesco said:
Very nice.
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Thanks a lot for the kind words guys, very encouraging! :)


magpens said:
Very lovely pens !!!!!

What material did you use for the bodies, caps, and sections ?

Also, what thread size for cap-to-body ? Thanks.
Click to expand...

Thank you!

The black one is black european acrylic, cap, body and section.
cap/body thread is 13x.75mm.

Overall length is 140mm closed and 158mm posted.

The blue pen is "Erinoid Topaz", cap/body thread 12x.75mm.
Overall length is also 140mm, however due to me using a 12mm thread it can't be posted as well as the black one.

Section/body thread is 10x.75mm on both of them.

Nibs are Bock #5
 
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TattooedTurner said:
That's impressive!
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Thank you!

OZturner said:
Glorious Pens Geoffrey,
Excellent Profiles and Proportions
Attractive Blanks,
Beautifully Threaded, and Finished.
Congratulations,
Brian.
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Thank you, though I'm not really happy with the finish on the threads yet, but I'll get there. :)

magpens said:
Hi Geoffrey,

At which beach were your pen pictures taken ? . Just curious.
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Senigallia, Italy. I think it's know for it's very fine sand (which gets everywhere but is so nice to walk on!)

Ambidex said:
Those beauties are your first?? So when you first learned to play chess did you beat Fischer or Spassky? :wink:
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Maybe I would have if I would have been alive when they were playing.
Might be the reason why no one ever bothered to teach me chess properly! :tongue:

As I said in my post, they're the first that are presentable.
I collected my failures today and took a photo:

2rJc4nXl.jpg


0: Can't find them. Basically a section screwed into a blank cutoff
1. stray section, got a bit hot and started blubbling so I didn't bother trying to thread it.
2. working section with short barrel. Works as eyedropper without a cap. Which isn't very useful.
3. Barrel, too thin for a cap thread.
4. Barrel with cap thread, as you can see very straight. Cap way too thin.
5. Wanted to use just one orange blank and put black finials on the end. Not sure what I thought, screwing the finial in would have been more intelligent than glueing it around the orange.
6. Functioning pen made of leftovers. Slightly crooked.
7. This one is too long and has a mangled cap thread. Fairly straight though.
8. This one is straight on the outside but the barrel is drilled to crookedly that it broke the converter I tried :eek:
9. & 10. Subjects of this thread.
11. Got it in my head the other day that I need to make a demonstrator.. Haven't got anything to polish the inside yet but otherwise it's completely sound. :)
 
For the demonstrator ID polishing check out the following video:
http://edisonpen.com/index.cfm/2014/03/29/behind-the-scenes-making-a-menlo-pump-filler

After wet sanding I use a cotton gun cleaning mop with polishing rouge for the final finish. I chuck it in the lathe on a short cleaning rod. They come in multiple calibers (diameters).

447ed73be306884e92448ce456eded69.jpg


I use a little liquid polish on my threads working the cap on and off followed by a very light buffing.

Danny


Sent from my iPhone using Penturners.org mobile app
 
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More4dan said:
For the demonstrator ID polishing check out the following video:
Edison Pen Co – Behind the Scenes: Making a Menlo Pump Filler

After wet sanding I use a cotton gun cleaning mop with polishing rouge for the final finish. I chuck it in the lathe on a short cleaning rod. They come in multiple calibers (diameters).

447ed73be306884e92448ce456eded69.jpg


I use a little liquid polish on my threads working the cap on and off followed by a very light buffing.

Danny


Sent from my iPhone using Penturners.org mobile app
Click to expand...

Thanks Danny!
I may have been barking up the wrong tree a bit trying to think of some micromesh for internal polishing, as that's what I use on the outside before finishing with polish and cloth.

And thanks for the hint about the threads!

Much appreciated!
 
Topsy said:
As I said in my post, they're the first that are presentable.
I collected my failures today and took a photo:


Failures are needed for improvement.
They are what points us in the direction we need to follow.
I embrace my failures as they are needed lessons. Just my opinion.

Oh, beautiful pens! :smile:
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