kitless

After taking an almost 3 year break, completely dismantling my shop, and a host of events that kept me busy. I’m back at it this was made over the last two days. I used a custom ebonite blank that I ordered from a maker I found on Instagram. His Facebook page is below. I don’t know if he is a...

Hello Everyone! It has been a while since I posted a pen. Heck, it had been a while since I got into the shop and made a pen. This is a commission that I just finished. It is true Brazilian Rosewood (Dalbergia Nigra), fully sleeved with Nikko Japanese Ebonite. The section is the same...

Hello, question for the kitless makers here: I have the Proxxon radius cutting attachment for their PD400 lathe. I want to cut a radius at the end of the pens I turn, to give them less of a "square" and more professional look. However, I don't seem to get the positioning of the tool right. Is...

Finished two more kitless pens. Walnut as well as B&W Ebony. I really like how the Ebony turned out. the texture is like something out of an impressionist \ post-impressionist painting. Van Gogh comes to mind. Black Ebonite sleeves with Bock #6 gold plated nib. CA finish.

As a woodworker who makes only small turned objects, it's quite funny how I often use very expensive woods which are not available for the general furniture maker (except for maybe in veneer form or for very small details). It's also funny how the premium woods which are used for high-end...

Hi folks, I'm hoping to tap into your collective and generous knowledge to try and tackle my finishing problem. I've been searching around reading various threads about sanding and buffing pens, but haven't found anyone encountering the same problem when sanding/polishing resin. Please redirect...

Hello, So far, I've been making relatively simple kitless pens, as you can see in the first photo attached. The entire barrel and cap being made from a single material (usually wood in my case), without any hardware such as accent rings or clips. This simple design has its artistic advantages...

This is my second kitless pen and it was also completed back in October. It is made from a pair of hybrid blanks (I did not cast them) of Red Mallee Burl and "Galaxy" Alumilite resin. The resin had many little bubbles/voids in it (which you can see in one of the pictures) and this gave me a...

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...

Hello, When trying to thread two pieces together tight, some of my threads will sort of "slip" on each other, and no matter how much I keep engaging them, they won't stop spinning and won't lock on each other. What can cause such a problem and how would you solve it? My threads are made from...

This one I'm very proud of. The Burl wood, with the toffee-colored ebonite and the rose gold nib, all give this pen a look which I think is quite romantic!

Hey folks, I've almost hit the 1 year mark in my kitless pen making journey. I've been enjoying it immensely (when I can get the time to do it) and having so much fun! It's such a creative outlet that I'm always thinking about and looking forward to doing. Now for the point of this post. I...

Redheart, Yellowheart and Bocote. I definitely learn with time, but that whole kitless thing is a much tougher journey than I thought it will be. How do you CA finish kitless pens without glue getting stuck to the ebonite parts? I tried to tape them, but the tape ended up glued together to the...

Hello, I'm looking for the simplest technical drawing software in existence, preferably a free / online one. Something which will allow me to quickly draw and edit kitless plans, sections, rings etc. Drawing in Office Word or with regular photo editing software is a true pain... What do you guys...

This is an Alien inspired pen made from M3 I got at this years Mid-Atlantic Turner’s Expo from McKenzie Penworks. I don’t remember where the clip came from other than I got it from a table at a pen show. The nib is a black Jowo #6. I am always interested in your feedback. I’m thinking it needs...

Hello, I'm looking to replace my mini wood lathe with a Sherline metal lathe, in order to be able to work with metals and make more accurate cuts as well. I'm planning on drilling in woods, plastics, rubbers, as well as non-ferrous metals like Aluminum and Brass for my kitless work. I saw that...

Back in the shop after a few months of dealing with the inevitable chaos that creeps into life from time to time. I’m pleased with how this came out. Feedback is always welcome.

I've been making a few kitless pens out of ebonite lately – and I've noticed something with this material that I don't really see with other materials I've used. When I go to screw the cap onto the body, the threads get reallyyyyy tight and "sticky". I've included a video for reference. I know...

Finished this one up over the weekend. This is my very first attempt at putting a pen clip on a kitless pen – and the amount of creativity required to turn all of the different parts was crazy. I had to make my own mandrel, with threads on the outside of one end, and threads on the inside of...