New Concept - A Slimline-Sierra (Kitless ?)

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magpens

Member
Joined
Feb 2, 2011
Messages
15,913
Location
Canada
The idea for this concept started recently when I showed my way of modifying a Slimline in this thread:


I'll repost the photograph as a starting point for this new concept. . Here it is:

IMG_1410CR.jpg


As usual with slimlines, this two-piece pen pulls apart into two halves for the purpose of replacing the refill as I show here :

IMG_1415CR.jpg


When you look at this pic, the wide part in the top half does not have to be an integral part of the upper (top) barrel as it was made.
The wide part could, in fact be a separate piece. . "Brilliant revelation" lights up the creative cells in the brain !! . Flash ! . Flash !!
It could be just about anything you like ... so why not a pre-cast blank made by one of the IAP experts for, as an example, a Sierra pen.
So let's make it a Sierra blank, with the Sierra brass tube already in. . Here's how we'll modify the wooden parts to make this happen ...

IMG_1417CR.jpg


There you see the wooden end parts, made from Purpleheart (to match a color in part of the cast blank I have chosen for the middle part).
You also see some parts from a Slimline, namely the nib, the two so-called 7 mm brass tubes, and, between the tubes, part of the twist mech.
Eventually, the lower brass tube could get glued into the wooden part above it, as the upper tube is glued into the wooden part above it.

Here's another pic including the Sierra blank that I have chosen for the middle section. . This Sierra blank was made by an IAP member.

IMG_1418CR.jpg


I suppose it is clear that the two narrow parts of the wood pieces are sized to fit inside the Sierra blank with the fish image on it.
The lengths of those two narrow wood protrusions are not critical, as long as they don't bump into each other in the middle.
The diameters are important ... the diameters should match the internal diameter of the Sierra blank, to keep things nicely aligned/centered.
Notice that I have added two white acrylic bands to the ends of the fish blank. . These are not necessary, but I put them there just so that the image of the fish is "bracketed" and appears nicely centered. . These are not "oops" bands.

So let's have a look at a trial assembly of the pieces and see what we think.

IMG_1422CR.jpg


Looks promising, wouldn't you say ? . But the top and bottom wooden pieces could do with a little bit of shaping, it seems to me.
How about this ?

IMG_1423CR.jpg


Well, that's one possible shaping, but not the only one. . But let's go with that for now. . One consideration is that the top wooden piece, with its narrower extension that is inside the fish blank, has to act as the twist portion of the pen, to extend and retract the refill in the usual slimline fashion. . So we are going to have to glue the upper brass tube inside the upper wooden piece. . But do we have to also glue the fish barrel piece to the upper wooden piece ? . Actually, we do NOT have to do that.

So, realizing that fact leads to the concept of the center piece (the fish image) being removable and replaceable with a different barrel.

Note that the bottom (nib end) wooden piece also contains a so-called 7 mm brass tube and could be glued to that brass tube.
But the center barrel (the fish) does not have to be glued to anything. . It is held nicely centered between the two wooden end pieces with their narrow parts holding the barrel in place laterally. . The upper brass tube is a friction fit on the top of the central transmission. . So the parts of the pen are nicely held together by friction. . Refill replacement is done by pulling the top and bottom apart. . But until you have to replace the refill, friction does its job of holding the whole pen together, and the center decorative barrel is pretty much secure.

So let's think about a replacement for the fish barrel ... you might want to replace it with a different barrel when Fish Friday is over.
How about one of Marla's feather blanks, also made for a Sierra, and to which I have added some black end bands to make its length the same as the fish blank. . Just to emphasize, those black end bands are in no way necessary. . They just add a bit of visual appeal, perhaps.

For the weekend, then, we'll have a feather barrel on the pen. . Here it is, but now pictured with a different nose cone, this one tapered to match the taper on the slimline nib :

IMG_1427CR.jpg


If you wish, you can glue the decorative center barrel to the upper wooden piece. . In that case, you would be choosing between these two options, for example:

IMG_1431CR.jpg


There you have it ... the New Concept Slimline-Sierra. . We have now expanded the scope of your slimline modifications with a little lathe work.
You can have fish for Friday and you can have feathers for the rest of the week, if you so choose.

A little work remains to be done. . I have to apply a finish to the wood pieces, and I have a little gluing to do.

For me, the slimline has acquired new life. . I like working with tube-in blanks made by others. . Here is a way to do that, even on a slimline.
But you could also use any blank material where I have used the tube-in pre-cast blanks. . I like the possibilities that this concept presents.

BTW ... please tell me which of the "nose cones" you prefer of the two that I presented: the tapered nose cone shown first on the feather blank, or the blunt nose cone with the depressed finger grip that is shown, again with the feather blank, in the picture immediately above.

And if you have any questions or suggestions, please let me know. . I love getting feedback. . Thanks for reading this lengthy thread !!

Some credits are due to the makers (both IAP members) of the Sierra-size barrels that I have used.

The fish blank barrel was made by EBorraga. . The feather blank barrel was made by Cricket, also known as Marla on some vendor sites.
 
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stuckinohio

Member
Joined
May 3, 2015
Messages
1,695
Location
Columbus Ohio
Very cool Mal!

I like this idea. Another good slim modification for sure. I thing the tapered nose cone is more appealing. I'm wondering if you could make the dished area of the cone a little wider to make the grip area wider? not too much room I suppose.
 

mark james

IAP Collection, Curator
Joined
Sep 6, 2012
Messages
12,720
Location
Medina, Ohio
This is a great new concept Mal. Many possibilities for different modifications. And your photos and narrative is excellent.

I prefer the tapered nib, and maybe a rounded closed end for the top blank. Maybe even an insert of some material in the top end.

Using pretubed blanks in this manner is also a nifty thought - well done. 👏 👏
 

RichAldrich

Member
Joined
Nov 26, 2007
Messages
1,040
Location
Colorado Springs, CO
The idea for this concept started recently when I showed my way of modifying a Slimline in this thread:


I'll repost the photograph as a starting point for this new concept. . Here it is:

View attachment 237752

As usual with slimlines, this two-piece pen pulls apart into two halves for the purpose of replacing the refill as I show here :

View attachment 237760

When you look at this pic, the wide part in the top half does not have to be an integral part of the upper (top) barrel as it was made.
The wide part could, in fact be a separate piece. . "Brilliant revelation" lights up the creative cells in the brain !! . Flash ! . Flash !!
It could be just about anything you like ... so why not a pre-cast blank made by one of the IAP experts for, as an example, a Sierra pen.
So let's make it a Sierra blank, with the Sierra brass tube already in. . Here's how we'll modify the wooden parts to make this happen ...

View attachment 237762

There you see the wooden end parts, made from Purpleheart (to match a color in part of the cast blank I have chosen for the middle part).
You also see some parts from a Slimline, namely the nib, the two so-called 7 mm brass tubes, and, between the tubes, part of the twist mech.
Eventually, the lower brass tube could get glued into the wooden part above it, as the upper tube is glued into the wooden part above it.

Here's another pic including the Sierra blank that I have chosen for the middle section. . This Sierra blank was made by an IAP member.

View attachment 237763

I suppose it is clear that the two narrow parts of the wood pieces are sized to fit inside the Sierra blank with the fish image on it.
The lengths of those two narrow wood protrusions are not critical, as long as they don't bump into each other in the middle.
The diameters are important ... the diameters should match the internal diameter of the Sierra blank, to keep things nicely aligned/centered.
Notice that I have added two white acrylic bands to the ends of the fish blank. . These are not necessary, but I put them there just so that the image of the fish is "bracketed" and appears nicely centered. . These are not "oops" bands.

So let's have a look at a trial assembly of the pieces and see what we think.

View attachment 237764

Looks promising, wouldn't you say ? . But the top and bottom wooden pieces could do with a little bit of shaping, it seems to me.
How about this ?

View attachment 237765

Well, that's one possible shaping, but not the only one. . But let's go with that for now. . One consideration is that the top wooden piece, with its narrower extension that is inside the fish blank, has to act as the twist portion of the pen, to extend and retract the refill in the usual slimline fashion. . So we are going to have to glue the upper brass tube inside the upper wooden piece. . But do we have to also glue the fish barrel piece to the upper wooden piece ? . Actually, we do NOT have to do that.

So, realizing that fact leads to the concept of the center piece (the fish image) being removable and replaceable with a different barrel.

Note that the bottom (nib end) wooden piece also contains a so-called 7 mm brass tube and could be glued to that brass tube.
But the center barrel (the fish) does not have to be glued to anything. . It is held nicely centered between the two wooden end pieces with their narrow parts holding the barrel in place laterally. . The upper brass tube is a friction fit on the top of the central transmission. . So the parts of the pen are nicely held together by friction. . Refill replacement is done by pulling the top and bottom apart. . But until you have to replace the refill, friction does its job of holding the whole pen together, and the center decorative barrel is pretty much secure.

So let's think about a replacement for the fish barrel ... you might want to replace it with a different barrel when Fish Friday is over.
How about one of Marla's feather blanks, also made for a Sierra, and to which I have added some black end bands to make its length the same as the fish blank. . Just to emphasize, those black end bands are in no way necessary. . They just add a bit of visual appeal, perhaps.

For the weekend, then, we'll have a feather barrel on the pen. . Here it is, but now pictured with a different nose cone, this one tapered to match the taper on the slimline nib :

View attachment 237766

If you wish, you can glue the decorative center barrel to the upper wooden piece. . In that case, you would be choosing between these two options, for example:

View attachment 237767

There you have it ... the New Concept Slimline-Sierra. . We have now expanded the scope of your slimline modifications with a little lathe work.
You can have fish for Friday and you can have feathers for the rest of the week, if you so choose.

A little work remains to be done. . I have to apply a finish to the wood pieces, and I have a little gluing to do.

For me, the slimline has acquired new life. . I like working with tube-in blanks made by others. . Here is a way to do that, even on a slimline.
But you could also use any blank material where I have used the tube-in pre-cast blanks. . I like the possibilities that this concept presents.

BTW ... please tell me which of the "nose cones" you prefer of the two that I presented: the tapered nose cone shown first on the feather blank, or the blunt nose cone with the depressed finger grip that is shown, again with the feather blank, in the picture immediately above.

And if you have any questions or suggestions, please let me know. . I love getting feedback. . Thanks for reading this lengthy thread !!

Some credits are due to the makers (both IAP members) of the Sierra-size barrels that I have used.

The fish blank barrel was made by EBorraga. . The feather blank barrel was made by Cricket, also known as Marla on some vendor sites.
Great Work!
 

CjG78

Member
Joined
Feb 2, 2020
Messages
759
Location
Australia
The idea for this concept started recently when I showed my way of modifying a Slimline in this thread:


I'll repost the photograph as a starting point for this new concept. . Here it is:

View attachment 237752

As usual with slimlines, this two-piece pen pulls apart into two halves for the purpose of replacing the refill as I show here :

View attachment 237760

When you look at this pic, the wide part in the top half does not have to be an integral part of the upper (top) barrel as it was made.
The wide part could, in fact be a separate piece. . "Brilliant revelation" lights up the creative cells in the brain !! . Flash ! . Flash !!
It could be just about anything you like ... so why not a pre-cast blank made by one of the IAP experts for, as an example, a Sierra pen.
So let's make it a Sierra blank, with the Sierra brass tube already in. . Here's how we'll modify the wooden parts to make this happen ...

View attachment 237762

There you see the wooden end parts, made from Purpleheart (to match a color in part of the cast blank I have chosen for the middle part).
You also see some parts from a Slimline, namely the nib, the two so-called 7 mm brass tubes, and, between the tubes, part of the twist mech.
Eventually, the lower brass tube could get glued into the wooden part above it, as the upper tube is glued into the wooden part above it.

Here's another pic including the Sierra blank that I have chosen for the middle section. . This Sierra blank was made by an IAP member.

View attachment 237763

I suppose it is clear that the two narrow parts of the wood pieces are sized to fit inside the Sierra blank with the fish image on it.
The lengths of those two narrow wood protrusions are not critical, as long as they don't bump into each other in the middle.
The diameters are important ... the diameters should match the internal diameter of the Sierra blank, to keep things nicely aligned/centered.
Notice that I have added two white acrylic bands to the ends of the fish blank. . These are not necessary, but I put them there just so that the image of the fish is "bracketed" and appears nicely centered. . These are not "oops" bands.

So let's have a look at a trial assembly of the pieces and see what we think.

View attachment 237764

Looks promising, wouldn't you say ? . But the top and bottom wooden pieces could do with a little bit of shaping, it seems to me.
How about this ?

View attachment 237765

Well, that's one possible shaping, but not the only one. . But let's go with that for now. . One consideration is that the top wooden piece, with its narrower extension that is inside the fish blank, has to act as the twist portion of the pen, to extend and retract the refill in the usual slimline fashion. . So we are going to have to glue the upper brass tube inside the upper wooden piece. . But do we have to also glue the fish barrel piece to the upper wooden piece ? . Actually, we do NOT have to do that.

So, realizing that fact leads to the concept of the center piece (the fish image) being removable and replaceable with a different barrel.

Note that the bottom (nib end) wooden piece also contains a so-called 7 mm brass tube and could be glued to that brass tube.
But the center barrel (the fish) does not have to be glued to anything. . It is held nicely centered between the two wooden end pieces with their narrow parts holding the barrel in place laterally. . The upper brass tube is a friction fit on the top of the central transmission. . So the parts of the pen are nicely held together by friction. . Refill replacement is done by pulling the top and bottom apart. . But until you have to replace the refill, friction does its job of holding the whole pen together, and the center decorative barrel is pretty much secure.

So let's think about a replacement for the fish barrel ... you might want to replace it with a different barrel when Fish Friday is over.
How about one of Marla's feather blanks, also made for a Sierra, and to which I have added some black end bands to make its length the same as the fish blank. . Just to emphasize, those black end bands are in no way necessary. . They just add a bit of visual appeal, perhaps.

For the weekend, then, we'll have a feather barrel on the pen. . Here it is, but now pictured with a different nose cone, this one tapered to match the taper on the slimline nib :

View attachment 237766

If you wish, you can glue the decorative center barrel to the upper wooden piece. . In that case, you would be choosing between these two options, for example:

View attachment 237767

There you have it ... the New Concept Slimline-Sierra. . We have now expanded the scope of your slimline modifications with a little lathe work.
You can have fish for Friday and you can have feathers for the rest of the week, if you so choose.

A little work remains to be done. . I have to apply a finish to the wood pieces, and I have a little gluing to do.

For me, the slimline has acquired new life. . I like working with tube-in blanks made by others. . Here is a way to do that, even on a slimline.
But you could also use any blank material where I have used the tube-in pre-cast blanks. . I like the possibilities that this concept presents.

BTW ... please tell me which of the "nose cones" you prefer of the two that I presented: the tapered nose cone shown first on the feather blank, or the blunt nose cone with the depressed finger grip that is shown, again with the feather blank, in the picture immediately above.

And if you have any questions or suggestions, please let me know. . I love getting feedback. . Thanks for reading this lengthy thread !!

Some credits are due to the makers (both IAP members) of the Sierra-size barrels that I have used.

The fish blank barrel was made by EBorraga. . The feather blank barrel was made by Cricket, also known as Marla on some vendor sites.
Very very cool mate
 

Dieseldoc

Member
Joined
Oct 28, 2017
Messages
1,509
Location
Livermore, Ca 94550
This is a great new concept Mal. Many possibilities for different modifications. And your photos and narrative is excellent.

I prefer the tapered nib, and maybe a rounded closed end for the top blank. Maybe even an insert of some material in the top end.

Using pretubed blanks in this manner is also a nifty thought - well done. 👏 👏
Mark : Diamonds , Chevron on a slimlne??
 

leehljp

Member Liaison
Joined
Feb 6, 2005
Messages
9,314
Location
Tunica, Mississippi,
I thought I was loosing my mind. ( Duh, Well I am) I posted on the other thread without realizing there were two threads. I went into this thread to edit my post and suddenly, it was gone. OH, wrong thread! :oops: 😄

There are three things that I would like to see also:
1. Nose cone alternatives to the slimline with a couple of different diameters available
2. Different clips, these are available
3. Clip END cap as opposed to the flat top.

With what you have shown Mal, plus a two or three other alterations, the slimline could easily be the chameleon of the pen world, or maybe the "shape shifter" would be a better name. Unlimited possibilities. Totally customizable!
 
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