Cellulose Acetate on New PSI Everyday Classic Pen Kit

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magpens

magpens

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I am excited about this new pen kit - maybe some others have already tried it.
It is the PSI Everyday Classic click ballpoint with stainless steel hardware.
The thing that makes it exciting is that it is the first kit to employ the Schmidt SKM-192 click mechanism.
PSI previously (earlier this year, I think) brought out a ballpoint clicker employing the Schmidt SKM-88 click mechanism.
These click mechanisms have been used previously by makers of custom (kitless, or bespoke) ballpoint pens.
They are available for purchase from a couple of small vendors in the US.
I kinda think that the use of the Schmidt click mechanisms is going to revolutionize ballpoint click pen kits.

This pen is dressed in vintage cellulose acetate. . This material also adds excitement to this project.
It is a little tricky to machine ... you have to keep your lathe speed really low for both drilling and turning and take very light cuts.
But once turned close to size (a couple of thou over) it responds so nicely to sanding and polishing.
Another nice thing is that you don't have to backpaint the blank because the material is very opaque.
And it does have a very nice glitter effect, which may not show in the photos as nicely as in real life.

I am going to try adding the photos by cut-and-paste because I'm not sure that our new software has the personal albums active yet.
So here goes ... I'll give you 4 views because I know you are going to want to fill your eyes with this gorgeous blank material !!

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Magnificent Pen Mal.
Outstanding Cellulose Acetate Blank, in Vintage Style and Glorious Colour.
Beautifully Turned and Fitted,
Great Companion to the PSI Click Pen Hardware.
 
A couple more pics ... trying a new prop ... your comments on the visual appeal of the prop would be welcome !

The new prop is a little brass abacus, and the reason is that it provides a way to hold the pen in any orientation without it rolling.
The brass beads of the abacus provide this stability ... whadya think ? ... acceptable ? ... or too much distraction from the pen itself ?

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Love the blank but find the outer rows and the brass axles of the abacus distracting . Easy to crop off the outer rows , but a bit more Photoshop work to hide the axles . My less than satisfactory solution to the rolling problem is to use something sticky on the underside of the pen .
 
I feel the brass wheels distract from the really gorgeous pen.
They tend to pull my eyes away from it.
Going to definitely try a couple of those kits, seems like everyone in my family loves clickers over twists.
 
Mal, it has a few too many Focal Points for me.
I found my brain wanted my eye's to focus on them, so that it could recognise and register that it was in fact an Abacus.
Not that I have ever used one.
Sorry my friend,
Brian
 
magpens said:
A couple more pics ... trying a new prop ... your comments on the visual appeal of the prop would be welcome !

The new prop is a little brass abacus, and the reason is that it provides a way to hold the pen in any orientation without it rolling.
The brass beads of the abacus provide this stability ... whadya think ? ... acceptable ? ... or too much distraction from the pen itself ?

View attachment 221097

View attachment 221098
Mal:
I think the background detracts from the pen. Wonder if a very thin piece of white fabric would work? Nice job on the barrel.
Click to expand...
 
Great idea to help position the pen but I find it a bit too distracting. Maybe try laying a piece of white silk over the beads. This way you could still utilize the beads without actually seeing them.
Just a thought.
 
Thanks for your comments, guys. . I'll try a piece of silk to cover the beads .... I think I have a piece of an old parachute around here ... somewhere !

@Dalecamino

Chuck ... this blank doesn't require backpainting because it is very opaque and the blank wall is sufficiently thick that brass tube does not show thru.
 
The pen looks great. I can only imagine the depth of color and shine in person. As for the abacus I do find my eye drawn away from the pen by it.
 
Very cool! I just bought the starter set. I'm glad to here the pen is a very good one. These pens will be given as gifts to the waiststaff at our favorite breakfast spot.
 
Great looking pen Mal...nice job on turning/finishing the cellulose acetate.

The kit has my interest. On a chat at PSI I was told that the kit is "plated" with stainless steel. I was hoping that it would be solid stainless. Does the kit appear to be a plated manufacture process?
 
magpens said:
Thanks for your comments, guys. . I'll try a piece of silk to cover the beads .... I think I have a piece of an old parachute around here ... somewhere !

@Dalecamino

Chuck ... this blank doesn't require backpainting because it is very opaque and the blank wall is sufficiently thick that brass tube does not show thru.
Click to expand...
Thanks Mal. I misread the word "Don't"
 
Hello Mal, the pen is gorgeous done up the way you have it, who wouldn't be interested in a pen that looks this nice. I agree with most of the other poster's, I find the abacus does distract one's eyes from the pen.

Len
 
@SteveG

SteveG said:
Great looking pen Mal...nice job on turning/finishing the cellulose acetate.

The kit has my interest. On a chat at PSI I was told that the kit is "plated" with stainless steel. I was hoping that it would be solid stainless. Does the kit appear to be a plated manufacture process?
Click to expand...

Thank you, Steve ....
I have a high degree of confidence that the kit is solid stainless ... at the price they charge that's pretty much a given !!! :confused: :eek:

@SteveG

Edit about 1.5 hrs later: . I just weighed the nib parts for both a stainless kit and a chrome kit (plated brass) . . The stainless is about 10% lighter and that agrees with the the data tables that I have for the densities of metals. . Of course, my "postal" scales are not terribly accurate at those small weights (~10 grams) but I am still pretty confident that the stainless steel kit is solid and not plated. . If it were plated, it would be plated on brass so that the weights would be almost the same for the two. . Come to think of it, I don't recall that stainless steel can be done as a plating.
 
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magpens said:
Edit about 1.5 hrs later: . I just weighed the nib parts for both a stainless kit and a chrome kit (plated brass) . . The stainless is about 10% lighter and that agrees with the the data tables that I have for the densities of metals. . Of course, my "postal" scales are not terribly accurate at those small weights (~10 grams) but I am still pretty confident that the stainless steel kit is solid and not plated. . If it were plated, it would be plated on brass so that the weights would be almost the same for the two. . Come to think of it, I don't recall that stainless steel can be done as a plating.
Click to expand...
The agree...stainless steel is not available as a plating material. I expect PSI is either offering actual solid stainless hardware, or they are using a plating that looks like stainless. Either way, I am going to get some of the kits, and will probably use a file on an unseen area of the hardware to see if brass is lurking underneath. The Schmidt mechanism is what has my interest. That combined with actual stainless hardware would be a winner for longevity of both function and appearance. Thanks for your input Mal.
 
@SteveG

Thanks for your correspondence on this kit, Steve. . I am really quite thrilled with it so far. . I hope that things work out for you to enjoy it also !!
 
I'm following. Curious for what Steve G comes up with. I love the mechanism in another kit (EDC, Stainless Steel). So his test for this will be interesting.
 
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