First attempt at closed end

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FGarbrecht

FGarbrecht

Member
Joined
Aug 22, 2019
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618
Location
NY
Here's a Churchill Fountain pen with closed ends, my first try at going beyond a standard kit. I cast the blanks from alumilite and used the center band, tubes and fountain pen guts from a Churchill kit. I measured everything and drew it out, including drilling depths, which despite my care I still managed to screw up. I made little jamb chucks from hardwood dowel and turned the closed end blanks on a collett chuck. Either my drilling was a bit off or my jamb chucks weren't completely centered or square, but the drill hole was slightly eccentric at the far end of the barrel, and as I shaped the end I cut through to the drilled out center. I was tempted to throw it all away and call it a day, but instead I cut off the damaged end and glued on another piece of blank. I turned it down to match and it came out great; I can't see the repair at all. Getting a halfway decent finish was pretty hard, and I'm not very happy with the finish on this, but I'm tired at this point, so I just put it all together and it came out looking pretty OK. Because of the eccentricity on the jamb chuck, I had a hard time getting tool marks out and getting a homogeneous finish but eventually got something that isn't too bad (wet sand 400 & 600, then Novus 3, 2, and 1). Please feel free to criticize and make suggestions!

closedend1 (1).jpg
 
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I think you deserve a lot of credit for this accomplishment !!! . It is quite a major undertaking to go from a standard kit (using mandrel & bushings, or TBC) to a closed end design (with improvised lathe mountings).

You have done a remarkably nice job, in my opinion !!! . Congratulations !!

This is a big step in the transition to kitless !!!
 
I might add that, to get tool marks out, I find it helpful to use a fairly coarse automotive/boat cut-polish between the sandpaper and the Novus.

There is quite a big transition in going from 600 grit to Novus 3. . I usually go up to 1500 grit and then use the cut-polish before the Novus 3.

I am not sure where the optimal transition is; I have a feeling it is below 1500 grit. . However, the Novus 3 seems to take over well from the cut-polish the way I have described.

Also, I am not sure about the coarseness of the cut polish. . I use a Mequiar's product. . I can get you the product name if you wish.

EDIT: The product has the number 49 prominently on the plastic bottle and it is called Marine and RV Oxidation Remover.
 
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magpens said:
I think you deserve a lot of credit for this accomplishment !!! . It is quite a major undertaking to go from a standard kit (using mandrel & bushings, or TBC) to a closed end design (with improvised lathe mountings).

You have done a remarkably nice job, in my opinion !!! . Congratulations !!

This is a big step in the transition to kitless !!!
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Thanks very much. I think I really surprised myself that I was able to pull this off, but the help here is phenomenal and the tutorials, etc. are really great resources. I am certainly cultivating a lot of patience with this art!

I love fountain pens (it's ironic that as a lefty, I can't really write with them without smearing ink everywhere), and I'd love to get to the point where I can go fully kitless.
 
I think this is great for your first attempt! Cut yourself some slack and call it a learning experience, just like we all have to learn any new skill.
 
not too shabby can't find any flaws. i would be very pleased if I produced this. did you use the lives center to stabilize the rotation?
 
FGarbrecht said:
I love fountain pens (it's ironic that as a lefty, I can't really write with them without smearing ink everywhere), and I'd love to get to the point where I can go fully kitless.
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Great looking pen so well done.

Chriselle https://www.penturners.org/members/chriselle.5842/ is a lefty too and can tell you how to write without smearing ink. I believe it involves holding the pen like us right handers do and not curled over the top of what you are writing. Once you get the hang of it you'll be able to use even the slowest drying inks.
 
That is a very attractive pen. I know every little flaw in my work, but I'll say what I've been told: "The flaws are not apparent from the pictures"

Well done. I suspect the learning curve for this was very valuable. Thanks for sharing your journey.
 
TonyL said:
not too shabby can't find any flaws. i would be very pleased if I produced this. did you use the lives center to stabilize the rotation?
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I did use the live center, but I probably parted off the end piece too soon because I had to do all the final end shaping and finishing steps with the end unsupported. I'll try to get more of the shaping and finishing done before parting off -- live and learn (and boy did I learn a lot with this one).
 
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