Just curious...

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duncsuss

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Joined
Jun 29, 2012
Messages
2,151
Location
Wilmington, MA
There are many places to buy clips - Exotic Blanks, Richard Greenwald, Milans Pen Parts, Elliot Landes, I think that Berea Hardwoods might also sell them.

The real fun starts when you make your own clips from sheet metal - I've been using titanium alloy, other folks use nickel silver, stainless steel, etc, etc.
 

BRobbins629

Passed Away Dec 28, 2021
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Joined
Mar 8, 2006
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4,037
Location
Richmond, VA, USA.
I've made many by lost wax casting in silver. If you can carve the wax, there are many places who will cast for you. Recommend taking a jewelry class or two. Just another rabbit hole, but fun and original.
 

jalbert

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Joined
May 17, 2015
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991
Location
Louisville, KY
Making them. Largely from stainless or bronze, but am in the process of purchasing equipment to allow me to start using silver for my clips and bands.
 
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hokie

Member
Joined
May 29, 2017
Messages
284
Location
Falls Church, Virginia
I just finished making these three clips from Argentium silver. The raw material is that strip in front of them.

220215


It was relatively easy to work and is able to be hardened (I'm sure that's relative too). It resists tarnish and is even purer in silver than sterling (.935 vs .925). I am hoping to install these on some of my pens soon to take them for a real world spin.
 

MDWine

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Mar 22, 2005
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2,690
Location
Manassas Park, Virginia, USA.
I am very interested in the information about the raw materials. I can find all kinds of metal, but I'm not quite educated on the "springy-ness" of the metal. The stuff I am familiar with just bends, and doesn't offer much resiliency. I am curious about making 'custom' clips.

Thanks for the info everyone... I am at the bottom of my learning curve. This will help tremendously.
 

hokie

Member
Joined
May 29, 2017
Messages
284
Location
Falls Church, Virginia
Cool, thanks. How did you harden it?
Thanks

In line with some of the videos on the subject I saw, I shaped the clip to the form I wanted and then basically baked it as high as my toaster oven would go (500-550F) for 1.5-2 hours. I then polished (polishing doesn't work well when dead soft). That's basically all that's needed. I don't believe sterling silver is even capable of being hardened, so I think the Argentium is a good choice.
I tested the spring after it was hardened and there's a decent amount there. I don't think I'd advise an owner of one of my pens to purposefully lift the clip far beyond its intended range, but it's definitely as firm as I think it needs to be.
 
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