My First Kitless Pen

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d_bondi

d_bondi

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Joined
Jun 19, 2023
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727
Location
Utah
Hello Everyone,

I am relatively new to the IAP community and began posting/interacting only recently.
I started turning kit pens in November 2021 and began my journey with kitless in September (2023).
This is my first kitless pen and it was completed in October.
As I begin to share my work and ask for feedback, I thought that I would start at the beginning, so here we go...
  • Alumilite blank from JakobJanssenStudios (Etsy)
  • 143mm total length
  • 133mm uncapped
  • 15.5mm cap, 14.4mm barrel
  • Jowo #6 nib
Comments and feedback are welcome.
 

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d_bondi said:
Hello Everyone,

I am relatively new to the IAP community and began posting/interacting only recently.
I started turning kit pens in November 2021 and began my journey with kitless in September (2023).
This is my first kitless pen and it was completed in October.
As I begin to share my work and ask for feedback, I thought that I would start at the beginning, so here we go...
  • Alumilite blank from JakobJanssenStudios (Etsy)
  • 143mm total length
  • 133mm uncapped
  • 15.5mm cap, 14.4mm barrel
  • Jowo #6 nib
Comments and feedback are welcome.
Click to expand...
You my friend, are well on your way. Super job, very cool blank.
 
d_bondi said:
Thank you Michelle. I can only hope that I progress as quickly as you have!
Click to expand...
I still have a long way to go, but I've learned what I do know from MANY mistakes and hours spent at the lathe last summer.

You did a great job, well executed, now it's just repeating the process.
 
You really did a superb first pen!

You only used one blank, which is much better than I've done yet. I've got an increasing pile of mistakes and start-overs from over cutting the tenon, length too short, poor threading , etc.

I'd encourage you to add more figure to your section on the next one if you want to. There's actually more meat on the bone than appears if you want to remove some of it to make the pen more comfortable to write with you can.

Great job!
 
Todd in PA said:
You really did a superb first pen!

You only used one blank, which is much better than I've done yet. I've got an increasing pile of mistakes and start-overs from over cutting the tenon, length too short, poor threading , etc.

I'd encourage you to add more figure to your section on the next one if you want to. There's actually more meat on the bone than appears if you want to remove some of it to make the pen more comfortable to write with you can.

Great job!
Click to expand...
Thank you Todd!

I have completed a few more which I will post in the coming days or weeks and I have put a bit more shape on the section. #2 didn't go quite as smoothly when the part I saved for the section failed. There were some small bubbles in the casting where I was threading the tenon and it cracked badly, so I ended up making one out of black ebonite. I'll share that one soon.

Thanks for the feedback!
 
That's a great looking pen, especially for a first one. I do have a question though: Is that a triple start or single start? I'm probably wrong, but it looks like triple start. Is there a reason you chose one over the other? I know there have been lots of discussion about the advantages/disadvantages of both.
 
Lew said:
That's a great looking pen, especially for a first one. I do have a question though: Is that a triple start or single start? I'm probably wrong, but it looks like triple start. Is there a reason you chose one over the other? I know there have been lots of discussion about the advantages/disadvantages of both.
Click to expand...
Thanks Lew!

You are correct, it is an M13x.8 triple start. I chose it because it reduces the number of turns to cap and uncap the pen. This pen is still 3 turns to cap/uncap, but that is maker error, I made the tenon too long. I either needed a shorter tenon, or needed to drill some of the threads out of the cap.
 
Nicely done! That has to feel satisfying.

I buy a bunch of blanks from JakobJansenStudios. I love his dyed and stabilized burls, and his resin and pine cones.
 
derekdd said:
Nicely done! That has to feel satisfying.

I buy a bunch of blanks from JakobJansenStudios. I love his dyed and stabilized burls, and his resin and pine cones.
Click to expand...
Thank you Derek!
Yes, I have used quite a few of his materials as well have really liked them.
Stay tuned, I have already turned two (pairs) of his stabilized burl and Alumilite hybrids into kitless pens.
 
d_bondi said:
Thank you Derek!
Yes, I have used quite a few of his materials as well have really liked them.
Stay tuned, I have already turned two (pairs) of his stabilized burl and Alumilite hybrids into kitless pens.
Click to expand...
Looking forward to them.
 
ZanderPommo said:
It looks fantastic to me. That it's your first is frankly mind boggling.
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Thank you Alex.
It is in fact my first kitless pen.
Did I take some junk acrylic blanks and practice the different drilling tapping, threading, shaping, etc? Yes, I did a little practice first, but this is the first time I actually thought "Here is some material and I'm going to make a complete pen from it".
 
I am just 3 pens young into kitless variant . Starting of with ebonite instead Of any other material would make the approach more easier and friendly . Thread cutting is so smooth with ebonite that I practiced few times before attempting to make my first pen confidently. I turned and threaded the mandrels in aluminium myself .
 
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