I had 3 pens planned this year but just before they announced the contest I got very busy and ended up not having enough time to do any of the three.I figured I needed at least a wee to 10 days to build each one. I actually made this pen in two days. Not only that but I screwed it up and redid on the second day.
This is my entry in the fountain pen class. Its silver and ceboplast. the pen is under 1/2 in diameter. I used 3/8 K&S tubes for the bottom barrel and 7/16 for the top. The outer diameters of the pen are .480 for the cap and .425 for the pen. That means the cap walls are .021 (thousandths) thick (apx .05mm) .480-.4375=.0425/2=.02125 . The pen walls are .025 thick. That also includes the glue and paint. K&S tube are exact on their dimensions. You get the Idea they are super thin.
I started out painting the tubes white and dying the epoxy blue. That was a mistake. THe Ceboplast I used was the teal blue one. It was a gift From Mike Roux. (Blu wolf) When I turned the pen down the white really came through and turned it more of a green than blue. I wanted a blue pen. Mike offered me an additonal rod if I needed it and I took him up on the offer. Thanks Mike, I bought some deep blue spray paint and painted the tubes blue as well as dying the glue. You can see in the first picture the differences in the colors of the blanks.
I made the pen so it would take a convertor. Because the inner diameter of the brass tubes is .0345 and I need .3125 for the connector piece to fit through, the silver would have been to thin of a wall thickness to hold together. APx .015 walls.
I solved this by making the connector and soldering an 11/32nd brass tube into it. The connector is tapped 8.4x.75mm on the inside and 10mm on the outside for the cap threads.
I used a Bock #5 feed assembly for the pen.
Pictures of the finished pen starting with a comparison with the first set of tubes. It came out a little darker blue that the pictures capture more like the first picture. Its a very simple design.
I dont expect it to win but I wanted to make sure I put an entry in regardless. And although I had hoped to make this pen an "over the top" pen it will have to do as it is. Its my 50th pen.
This is my entry in the fountain pen class. Its silver and ceboplast. the pen is under 1/2 in diameter. I used 3/8 K&S tubes for the bottom barrel and 7/16 for the top. The outer diameters of the pen are .480 for the cap and .425 for the pen. That means the cap walls are .021 (thousandths) thick (apx .05mm) .480-.4375=.0425/2=.02125 . The pen walls are .025 thick. That also includes the glue and paint. K&S tube are exact on their dimensions. You get the Idea they are super thin.
I started out painting the tubes white and dying the epoxy blue. That was a mistake. THe Ceboplast I used was the teal blue one. It was a gift From Mike Roux. (Blu wolf) When I turned the pen down the white really came through and turned it more of a green than blue. I wanted a blue pen. Mike offered me an additonal rod if I needed it and I took him up on the offer. Thanks Mike, I bought some deep blue spray paint and painted the tubes blue as well as dying the glue. You can see in the first picture the differences in the colors of the blanks.
I made the pen so it would take a convertor. Because the inner diameter of the brass tubes is .0345 and I need .3125 for the connector piece to fit through, the silver would have been to thin of a wall thickness to hold together. APx .015 walls.
I solved this by making the connector and soldering an 11/32nd brass tube into it. The connector is tapped 8.4x.75mm on the inside and 10mm on the outside for the cap threads.
I used a Bock #5 feed assembly for the pen.
Pictures of the finished pen starting with a comparison with the first set of tubes. It came out a little darker blue that the pictures capture more like the first picture. Its a very simple design.
I dont expect it to win but I wanted to make sure I put an entry in regardless. And although I had hoped to make this pen an "over the top" pen it will have to do as it is. Its my 50th pen.