3rd pen - with a clip!

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Tortoise

Tortoise

Member
Joined
Jul 19, 2012
Messages
125
Location
Jackson, MS
Lots of disasters between my last pen and this one, including one that I ran out of matching blanks for. This one took multiple tries to get it right. My main problem was keeping the workpiece true and centered. Turns out I was moving things around in the collet too much. Lesson learned! I've included a pic of the tragedies -- 2 section attempts, one barrel attempt, all off-center. Comments welcome, as always!

Material: Liquid Metal acrylic
Nib: Meisternib #6 Steel
Dimensions:
  • Capped: 147mm
  • Uncapped: 133mm (includes nib)
  • Cap diameter: 16.62mm
  • Barrel diameter: 13.7mm at section, 15.2mm at widest
  • Section diameter: 12.7mm
 

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It turned out very nice in the end!

Yes, that's a lesson I think most of us probably learned (at least I did). Once you've got a piece in a chuck, don't remove it until you're finished with the piece. There is just no way to get things right after moving them.
 
Bowl Slinger said:
Very well done! :highfive:
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dalecamino said:
Excellent progress Renee. Your pen looks nice. Congratulations!
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johncrane said:
Congrats on your finished pen! i don't worry to much, my Disasters are many
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Thanks! I am certainly learning a whole lot from my disasters. I continue to be amazed at how many little details there are that have to be "just right" for a pen to come out properly. I've got a shoebox full of practice parts & mistakes for the few completed pens I've made, but each little plastic piece in there has taught me something.
 
Tortoise said:
.....Thanks! I am certainly learning a whole lot from my disasters. I continue to be amazed at how many little details there are that have to be "just right" for a pen to come out properly. I've got a shoebox full of practice parts & mistakes for the few completed pens I've made, but each little plastic piece in there has taught me something.
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Renee, Congratulations on your successes and failures, your comment reminded me of myself a few years ago. I started out putting my failures and experiments in a cigar box then two cigar boxes then they got their own drawer in my shop then when they outgrew the drawer they got their own tub under a workbench. Now the tub is heavy but it contains a lot of memories and I'll often sit and rummage through the pile of parts and now and then might pick back up where I left off on an idea!:biggrin:

I wish everyone would read your post so they would realize that designing your own pens is very doable and satisfying but it isn't as easy as gathering around 15 tools and making a pen one afternoon.

I'm looking forward to seeing more of your work.
 
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Texatdurango said:
Tortoise said:
.....Thanks! I am certainly learning a whole lot from my disasters. I continue to be amazed at how many little details there are that have to be "just right" for a pen to come out properly. I've got a shoebox full of practice parts & mistakes for the few completed pens I've made, but each little plastic piece in there has taught me something.
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Renee, Congratulations on your successes and failures, your comment reminded me of myself a few years ago. I started out putting my failures and experiments in a cigar box then two cigar boxes then they got their own drawer in my shop then when they outgrew the drawer they got their own tub under a workbench. Now the tub is heavy but it contains a lot of memories and I'll often sit and rummage through the pile of parts and now and then might pick back up where I left off on an idea!:biggrin:

I wish everyone would read your post so they would realize that designing your own pens is very doable and satisfying but it isn't as easy as gathering around 15 tools and making a pen one afternoon.

I'm looking forward to seeing more of your work.
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Thanks, George! I'll probably be up to a tub of parts in less than a year, but that's ok. I'm making refrigerator magnets out of a lot of them.
 
Renee: Only shoebox full of "learning"?? You're much better than me. I don't do many pens, but I'm on my way to filling a 5-gallon pail. :-)
Your work is very fine, indeed.
 
gwilki said:
Renee: Only shoebox full of "learning"?? You're much better than me. I don't do many pens, but I'm on my way to filling a 5-gallon pail. :-)
Your work is very fine, indeed.
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SDB777 said:
Well done, and thanks for the specs!

Scott (someday.....) B
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plano_harry said:
Fast learner indeed! Very nice results. Good looking pen
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Jim Burr said:
Beautiful Renee!!! Did you reverse paint stuff, paint tubes? You make it look so easy!!
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Thank you!

Jim, no tubes or paint. This is totally kitless. I certainly wouldn't call it easy, but it's not that difficult. It does take a lot of elbow grease, patience, and persistence, especially when things don't go as planned.
 
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