Fountain pen conversion for Wilfrid rollerball kit

[NGLJ]

William Wood-Write is now selling Wilfrid fountain pen nib + section to convert the rollerball kit. I purchased the nib + section to make a custom fountain pen. Since it was very affordable, I wasn't sure what to expect by way quality. The section is nicely finished. The nib is like a #6 size and writes like a fine point. I was pleasantly surprised how well it writes. I would never compare it a Jowo or Bock, and will have to see how it stands up.

The section to barrel thread is a somewhat unusual M8.5 x 0.75, which made for an interesting challenge. I obtained the tap and die without too much trouble. The ideal drill for the tap is 7.75 MM. At first, I looked for a letter bit that might work. A letter N is 7.67 MM, and although I could thread the Alumilite barrel, the hole was too small for the the straight piece before the thread to enter the hole. A letter O is 8.03 MM, which is too big, and an 8 MM bit is also too big. I got a 5/16" (7.94 MM) to work with sufficient thread to engage solidly. Then came the question of the Beaufort converter, which is 7.78 MM at the widest point. In theory it should fit with 0.08 MM (~3 thou) on each side. That assumes that you can drill a "perfectly centered" hole. In practice it was difficult to get it in. Any increase in the hole size would ruin the thread. Ink cartridges are no problem. I have to assume that a slightly narrower converter is needed in this case.

I went with an M12 x 0.75 thread for the cap to barrel. It might be possible to go with an M11 x 1 thread, and I might try that. A more common section to barrel thread is M9 x 0.75. Who would think that 0.5 MM could make such a difference! I only had enough material for the cap, and thus made the barrel from Ebonite.

 

[eharri446]

Where did you get the tap and die from? I have some pen nibs with that size thread.

 

[NGLJ]

Where did you get the tap and die from? I have some pen nibs with that size thread.

I found it on eBay.com. Price $13.58 US.

 

[Penultimate]

Well done.
How does the nib write? That's an amazing price for a nib and section.

 

[NGLJ]

William Wood-Write is now selling Wilfrid fountain pen nib + section to convert the rollerball kit. I purchased the nib + section to make a custom fountain pen. Since it was very affordable, I wasn't sure what to expect by way quality. The section is nicely finished. The nib is like a #6 size and writes like a fine point. I was pleasantly surprised how well it writes. I would never compare it a Jowo or Bock, and will have to see how it stands up.

The section to barrel thread is a somewhat unusual M8.5 x 0.75, which made for an interesting challenge. I obtained the tap and die without too much trouble. The ideal drill for the tap is 7.75 MM. At first, I looked for a letter bit that might work. A letter N is 7.67 MM, and although I could thread the Alumilite barrel, the hole was too small for the the straight piece before the thread to enter the hole. A letter O is 8.03 MM, which is too big, and an 8 MM bit is also too big. I got a 5/16" (7.94 MM) to work with sufficient thread to engage solidly. Then came the question of the Beaufort converter, which is 7.78 MM at the widest point. In theory it should fit with 0.08 MM (~3 thou) on each side. That assumes that you can drill a "perfectly centered" hole. In practice it was difficult to get it in. Any increase in the hole size would ruin the thread. Ink cartridges are no problem. I have to assume that a slightly narrower converter is needed in this case.

I went with an M12 x 0.75 thread for the cap to barrel. It might be possible to go with an M11 x 1 thread, and I might try that. A more common section to barrel thread is M9 x 0.75. Who would think that 0.5 MM could make such a difference! I only had enough material for the cap, and thus made the barrel from Ebonite.

Just realized that I misrepresented the nib. It isn't #6 size but #5.

 

[NGLJ]

Well done.
How does the nib write? That's an amazing price for a nib and section.

I didn't have high expectations but it writes quite nicely. There is good, even ink flow, and so far no sign of it drying out. It isn't as smooth as a Jowo, but that would be way too much to expect.

 

[Penultimate]

I didn't have high expectations but it writes quite nicely. There is good, even ink flow, and so far no sign of it drying out. It isn't as smooth as a Jowo, but that would be way too much to expect.

Thanks, maybe a little polishing would help smooth it out?

 

[duncsuss]

I didn't have high expectations but it writes quite nicely. There is good, even ink flow, and so far no sign of it drying out. It isn't as smooth as a Jowo, but that would be way too much to expect.

There's a 99% chance you can make it smoother than it is now, and likely comparable to a JoWo nib. Read Richard Binder's 10 commandments of "what not to do" first, followed by the downloadable PDF with his step-by-step of how to smooth a nib.

Beginning Nib Tuning

Tuning your fountain pen’s nib if you don’t know what you’re doing.

www.richardspens.com

The only item which can be a little pricey is the x10 loupe - but the Belomo brand that he recommends is very high quality at a fair price. The other items are available from Indy-Pen-Dance.

[edit to add: one that looks like THIS not one that has a built-in light]

If you decide to try this, I recommend buying a few ridiculously cheap fountain pens from Amazon or eBay - I got a six-pack or $10. At that price I had zero fear of utterly screwing up the nibs, and was surprised at how smooth they were after following Richard's instructions. So much so that I use two of them every day, alongside one I made myself with a JoWo nib.

 

[NGLJ]

There's a 99% chance you can make it smoother than it is now, and likely comparable to a JoWo nib. Read Richard Binder's 10 commandments of "what not to do" first, followed by the downloadable PDF with his step-by-step of how to smooth a nib.

Beginning Nib Tuning

Tuning your fountain pen’s nib if you don’t know what you’re doing.

www.richardspens.com

The only item which can be a little pricey is the x10 loupe - but the Belomo brand that he recommends is very high quality at a fair price. The other items are available from Indy-Pen-Dance.

[edit to add: one that looks like THIS not one that has a built-in light]

If you decide to try this, I recommend buying a few ridiculously cheap fountain pens from Amazon or eBay - I got a six-pack or $10. At that price I had zero fear of utterly screwing up the nibs, and was surprised at how smooth they were after following Richard's instructions. So much so that I use two of them every day, alongside one I made myself with a JoWo nib.

Thanks for the tip. I haven't tried anything like that, but it sounds like it is worth giving it a try.

 

[NGLJ]

William Wood-Write is now selling Wilfrid fountain pen nib + section to convert the rollerball kit. I purchased the nib + section to make a custom fountain pen. Since it was very affordable, I wasn't sure what to expect by way quality. The section is nicely finished. The nib is like a #6 size and writes like a fine point. I was pleasantly surprised how well it writes. I would never compare it a Jowo or Bock, and will have to see how it stands up.

The section to barrel thread is a somewhat unusual M8.5 x 0.75, which made for an interesting challenge. I obtained the tap and die without too much trouble. The ideal drill for the tap is 7.75 MM. At first, I looked for a letter bit that might work. A letter N is 7.67 MM, and although I could thread the Alumilite barrel, the hole was too small for the the straight piece before the thread to enter the hole. A letter O is 8.03 MM, which is too big, and an 8 MM bit is also too big. I got a 5/16" (7.94 MM) to work with sufficient thread to engage solidly. Then came the question of the Beaufort converter, which is 7.78 MM at the widest point. In theory it should fit with 0.08 MM (~3 thou) on each side. That assumes that you can drill a "perfectly centered" hole. In practice it was difficult to get it in. Any increase in the hole size would ruin the thread. Ink cartridges are no problem. I have to assume that a slightly narrower converter is needed in this case.

I went with an M12 x 0.75 thread for the cap to barrel. It might be possible to go with an M11 x 1 thread, and I might try that. A more common section to barrel thread is M9 x 0.75. Who would think that 0.5 MM could make such a difference! I only had enough material for the cap, and thus made the barrel from Ebonite.

I decided to try the M11 x 1 option, and I am glad that I did. The section to barrel connection looks more in keeping with the diameter of the section. I added a Beaufort clip, secured with a screw on Ebonite finial. I liked the black Ebonite barrel with the previous pen, and decided to repeat it, and the contrast with the gold section. The cap is 12.8 MM and the barrel is 10.8 MM. The cap is a different variant of the Pearlux (Alumilite) blanks from William Wood-Write.

 

[NGLJ]

I enlisted my wife in an experiment. A few weeks ago I made her a fountain pen with a Jowo #6 with medium nib, which she really likes and uses every day. She told me that it brings back memories of her youth when fountain pens were very much in vogue, and ball point pens hadn't stolen the market. She has no knowledge about fountain pens, and can only make judgement based upon what she sees and experiences when writing.

Having recently made pens using the Wilfred kit, I asked her to use both pens on a daily basis. After a few days, I asked her for her observations. Firstly, she noticed right away that the Wilfred has a fine nib, compared to the medium Jowo, and she likes that, as I do. I asked her to compare the writing experience, and she said that she did not notice a huge difference between the two, other than the nib size. I then asked, "if you could only have one of the two pens, which would she pick?". Interestingly she picked the Wilfred, and not just because of the fine nib. My own experience with the Wilfred is also very positive. Despite the obvious great value of the Wilfred, it is important to recognize that it may not last as well as the Jowo. She will continue to use both, and we shall see!