Most common nib size and implications for all wood construction

[Defenestrar]

I'm wanting to acquire the tooling for a kitless and would like to start with what will be applicable to the broadest group of custom fountain users.

In addition to pen user preference, the nib size establishes the base everything else flows from and I'm wondering what minimum wall thicknesses have been successful for any of you who work in unsleeved wood. Is there much difference between domestic and exotic hardwoods? (I'm in the US for reference to domestics). Will a size six nib always make for a fat pen? What are reasonable barrel and cap ODs to shoot for? Or is this a pipe dream and I should make threaded parts out of resin/metal?

I'm sorry if the question seems repetitive. I appreciate the other tap/die threads I've found (and the library), but I can't quite get a feel for where common pen users are going to gravitate towards.

 

[Jarod888]

I do not believe you will have much luck with wood, without it being sleeved. Even, stabilized wood likely won't take the fine threads we use for pens.

The only exception may be box wood. It is known for being able to take fine detail.

 

[PatrickR]

The #6 is most popular. you would be able to make a slightly smaller pen with the #5, but not by much.
commonly a 8.25 hole is used for #5 and 9 for the #6.
threading wood - there are only a couple members here that do it. I have never tried and won't. Once you get past being able to cut them, there is the issue of uneven expansion and contraction. A piece turned perfectly round today will become elliptical with changes in the environment.
i have only made a few "kitless" pens for myself so I can't answer your other questions.

 

[Pierre---]

FP addicts see #5 as a tiny size, good only for tiny hands. # 6 is the most used size. #8 is not uncommon, but makes big pens, appreciated by some.

Contrary to what Jarod says (hope I won't get shot at ), I work unsleeved woods very often, without having experienced issues with threads getting oval. If the wood is dry enough and the diameters correctly chosen, it works for years: the wood is so thin that expansion and contraction are reduced to a minimum. My EDC fountain pen is wooden, it has 6 years now, I never had any problem.

I use boxwood sometimes but mainly other domestics - from a French point of view - like lilac, dogwood, olivewood, black locust, briar and others. I also thread a lot of exotic hardwoods (rosewoods of many kinds, snakewood, ebonies, lignum vitae, etc.) and what you Americans call domestic (DIW is just gorgeous).

If you are not used to thread wood, I would advice to keep .8 or 1mm between the bottom or the threads as a start. As for ODs, the beauty of kitless is that you choose whatever you want...

 

[Fred Bruche]

All wood kitless are not necessarily the easiest to make because, in order for the ink not to dry in the nib while the pen is capped, the cap needs to be sealed very tightly. This is much easier to do with a cap sleeved with resin, and as others have mentioned you can make tight threads that are part of the sealing process.
From another practical point of view, it would probably be easier to start learning the process of making kitless with some "plastic" blank (made using alumilite is a good one), then move to all wood later. An again since you are starting, I would go with a #6 nib, the sections are a bit easier to make in my experience, then diversify later.

 

[Pierre---]

As Fred says, getting used to kitless with resin is a good option.
But I do not agree about ink drying in the cap, for me the problem is not the tight fit of the thread : with a tight fit, the nib will dry all the same. Of course, a tight fit is not bad, but the point is to seal the wood inside the cap, so that it will not suck the humidity. A varnish or lacquer will do.

 

[Defenestrar]

Thanks Pierre for the thread pitch advice, and that ironwood is beautiful.

With respect to ink, I usually finish with a topcoat in CA since a pen is a high wear surface. Polyester (not to be mistaken for polyurethane) seems too much of a pain (UV curing on a curved surface) and I'm not aware of anything else in that wear class. Both are water tight and if ink drying is still a problem (i.e. low humidity of the interior wood cap is causing the cap to be a moisture sink) then I guess a quick interior seal layer wouldn't be hard. Maybe even a discrete o-ring? Or is that considered gauche?

I've seen o-rings before, but figured material (wood/resin) wouldn't be an issue for drying since I've only ever encountered straight threads on a pen (as opposed to NPT or other sealing threads).

 

[RichAldrich]

All wood kitless are not necessarily the easiest to make because, in order for the ink not to dry in the nib while the pen is capped, the cap needs to be sealed very tightly. This is much easier to do with a cap sleeved with resin, and as others have mentioned you can make tight threads that are part of the sealing process.
From another practical point of view, it would probably be easier to start learning the process of making kitless with some "plastic" blank (made using alumilite is a good one), then move to all wood later. An again since you are starting, I would go with a #6 nib, the sections are a bit easier to make in my experience, then diversify later.

Great advice!

 

[Pierre---]

Sealing interior is the solution. An O-ring could help, for instance if you make it so it butts the section front end: that would make the nib space smaller, I know some people who do that. I tried it once, but I must say it was tricky to set as I wanted to align the grain, and I did not find the difference to be huge, compared to sealing.