New to everything!

[jah1138]

Hi all,

I'm a fountain pen user and collector... well, purchaser, really; I don't know if I'd call what I do collecting. I just love fountain pens. I write with them exlusively, and I own about 50 or 60 of 'em.

I recently decided to start making my own fountain pens because I have my own design ideas. I'd never touched a lathe before, so this is all new to me. After doing a bit of research I got a Jet 1015VS last month, and then I went through the process of learning how much other stuff I needed. (IAP was of course very helpful in this!) I finally put the tools into action last week, and if you don't remember your first time, let me tell you, trying to touch a cutting tool to a chunk of stuff spinning at 3,000 rpm for the first time is a little scary!

Anyhoo, so, the sum total of my turning experience as of this morning was rounding four pieces of scrap down to cylinders. I just got a tap for the Jowo #5 I was planning to use for my first pen, and today I went out with the idea of practicing drilling and tapping on some scrap. I grabbed the shortest, ugliest piece of scrap I had, and got started. Well, things kept working, so I kept going, and I before I knew it I kind of accidentally ended up with a miniature, ugly fountain pen.

It's just a one-piece eyedropper filled through the nib end. Super simple. But it's my first pen, and it writes! I love it!

This is going to be fun...

 

[Sly Dog]

It's adorable! . I haven't made many fountains outside of a few kits but there are quite a few folks here that post some amazing work. I think you're going to have a lot of fun! You're off to a good start.

 

[magpens]

SUPER GOOD for you !!!!!!!

You are doing excellent to get so far so quickly !!!!!!

Could you please take that pen apart and show us the guts of it ? .... I have yet to make an eyedropper fountain pen, so you can teach me !!

BTW, Alex ..... VERY warm welcome to IAP !!!

 

[PaulWitmer]

Alex:

First welcome to IAP from Barrie Ontario. That pen looks very cool and colorful. Very nice for your first pen. You're now hooked!! With 50 to 60 pens, you are a collector, and now that you can make your own, that number will quickly jump.

I would also love to see the inside of the pen as I've never seen an eye dropper pen before either.

Paul

 

[northway]

I've been thinking about trying kitless pens for years and you've inspired me to get some taps & have a go.

 

[Lucky2]

Alex, welcome to the I.A.P. forum, that's sure is a cute little pen you've made.

Len

 

[Angela S]

This is super awesome. I might try making one.

 

[GraiDawg]

talk about jumping in the deep end.

 

[jah1138]

Thanks everyone!

here are more photos... it's so simple, it's just a tube with a nib in it. No section, no nothing. I wanted to make a pen, and this was an easy way to start learning! I'm going to make a friction fit cap, but I need a bigger drill bit than I own...

You can see the stepped drilling for fitting the Jowo housing. Three drill bits and a tap for this, lol! And I forgot to add a little ring for the collar.

Ready to fill with Namiki Blue!

 

[jah1138]

This went so well I made another pen!

I really didn't expect this to go so quickly! Wait until I start trying to make caps and sections...

 

[jah1138]

SUPER GOOD for you !!!!!!!

You are doing excellent to get so far so quickly !!!!!!

Could you please take that pen apart and show us the guts of it ? .... I have yet to make an eyedropper fountain pen, so you can teach me !!

BTW, Alex ..... VERY warm welcome to IAP !!!

Thank you! I've added some additional photos of the "guts" as it were... although it's a one-piece pen, so maybe just "gut" .

 

[wolf creek knives]

Well, I can honestly say I know squat about fountain pen making other than through a kit that tells you everything. I've made two and sold them both. Thankfully the buyers didn't ask any questions. And this being your first attempt is GREAT. And yes, putting metal to a piece of material spinning at 3,000rpm can be a bit scary (just a little info up front, launching your tool across your shop after catching the item can be really scary too, I've done it a lot). So keep at it as I'm seeing some great work in the future even if I don't understand all the lingo. What the heck is a Jowo? And the eye droppers I use wouldn't fit in this tube for sure .

 

[Edgar]

Welcome from Texas, Alex.

 

[magpens]

@jah1138

Thanks, Alex ! . So is it as simple as that ? . No bladder to hold the ink ?

 

[jah1138]

@jah1138

Thanks, Alex ! . So is it as simple as that ? . No bladder to hold the ink ?

That's the beauty of the eyedropper filler -- the ink just goes in the body of the pen!

I drilled a 6mm hole about 2-1/2 deep, which would fit the nib unit plus about 1.5 ml of ink. (That's actually a fairly generous amount, compared with a typical fountain pen cartridge or converter.) Then I drilled and tapped to fit the nib unit, which is threaded so it can be removed and reinserted easily. Then you just fill up the pen body with ink, put the nib in, and start writing.

Most fountain pens have a separate grip "section" that holds the nib unit, and that screws into the pen barrel. That's a pretty complex piece, since it has to be threaded for the nib and for the pen barrel. I'm sure I'll get to that pretty soon!

 

[Ironwood]

Hi Alex, welcome to the forum.
You have certainly made a grand entrance with your first pens, I am impressed.

Looking forward to seeing more of your work.

 

[jah1138]

Hi Alex, welcome to the forum.
You have certainly made a grand entrance with your first pens, I am impressed.

Looking forward to seeing more of your work.

Thank you, Brad! I saw some of your pens, and I really love the wood barrels mated to acrylic sections and caps. Those are gorgeous!

 

[PaulWitmer]

Alex:

Thanks for sharing. I think I'm going to give it a try in the morning.

Paul

 

[Ironwood]

Thank you, Brad! I saw some of your pens, and I really love the wood barrels mated to acrylic sections and caps. Those are gorgeous!

Glad you like my pens Alex. I love making the pens with wood, but it's a lot more work than just using acrylic. I'm hoping to find time to make another one soon.

 

[Displaced Canadian]

Never get rid of your first pen. I have a section of shelf in my shop I call my inspiration wall and put some new, strange and different things I've tried up there to remind me of ideas I may revisit and things I've tried.