Aluminum Rollerball

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gwilki

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Joined
May 20, 2007
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Ottawa, ON, Canada.
This is my first kitless rollerball. There are no kit parts in it. The only non-aluminum part is the clip, which is stainless steel welding rod. The cap is friction fit on the two o-rings, which also give some grip when you are using it. The knurled barrel end unsrews to replace the refill. The threads there are 10mm x .75. The open end of the cap is knurled to give some grip when removing the cap.

All comments and criticisms are welcome. This is a true learning process for me.
 

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Excuse me while I go kick my lathe...:) I really like the o-ring design for a friction fit, unique and nicely executed. First try or not, well designed and a great pen.
 
HOLY CRAP!:eek: That's awesome! I just spent all afternoon trying to figure out a way to make a snap-style cap and came back in the house feeling a little down. Then I get on here and see this! So simple and effective, now I gotta go smack my head against the wall. Great looking pen, too!
 
That is really very clever and I love it!!! The dual purpose of the o-rings ( grip and cap holding ) is sheer brilliance. Very impressive!!!:wink::biggrin:

I also want to know why that isn't in the Freestyle contest:confused:
 
I thank you all for the compliments. As for the contest, the cap/clip joint is not up to snuff yet. I've looked at Skip's and I'm not close. I've played with getting it drilled just right and I've not quite got it. If/when I do, I'll consider entering.
The comments about the o-rings are funny, because I used them mainly because I couldn't figure out how to do the threads for the cap so that they would look good. The o-rings are an easy solution and they seal the rollerball so that it doesn't dry out. At least, that's the idea.
Thanks again.
 
Grant , that pen does belong in the Freestyle contest . Fit and Finish are only 50% , Design/Style and innovation are the other 50% . There's no good reason not to enter , and who knows , you might just win something .

Here's a snipit from the contest
Originality of the pens concept
Workmanship
Functionality (remember it must be a usable, working pen)
Overall "WOW factor"


Each of these qualities will carry equal weight during the judging so keep that in mind as you plan, prepare and finish your entry.
 
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Grant,
I saw this post last night at home, but I had to see it on the BIG screen at work. Fantastic work, I really like the knurling at the ends.
 
Thanks again, everyone. I looked at the contest rules, and I still have some time. I want to play with the cap to try to improve it. I have one other idea for a clip, not using wire, that I want to try if I have the time.
Mac: Borrow away. I was lucky. I have lots of o-rings to service my scuba gear. I just picked out two that would fit.
Cris: The knurling is really easy. I've had an el-cheapo knurler from Busy Bee gathering dust for a while. I made a holder to fit into my Jet mini tool post and it does the job in seconds.
 
modified

Thanks for all the compliments.

I made a new cap and clip and I think the proportions are better. I added about 1/4" to the cap, and made the clip from lighter ss wire. Overall, I think it gives it a better look. I really gained a new appreciation for those of you who work in metal. This was very time consuming - fun, though.
 

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