Help me build this pen

[John Fiorello]

Hi! Totally new to pen building and this forum, I've spent a week or so focused on learning as much as I can on the subject and the biggest barrier I have is how to get started building this specific type of pen (in the picture). I've been through all the getting started blogs and tools lists, but I just can't seem to find a kit (or whatever you'd call it) that just has the parts I'm looking for. Checking all the vendors linked here, most sell kits with wood, or parts for pens I don't want to try yet, so I thought posting here might help

Could you take a quick look at the picture and tell me if I can buy a kit that just has the things the arrows are pointing to? I'm also assuming there are barrels in the top and the bottom you can't see (but I don't know what size to buy because I think it depends on the click cap dimensions and the clip diameter. This pen uses the Jinhao ink cartridges.

1. It seems most kits screw the part #3 onto the part #5, but I was hoping to do a snap cap.
2. The nib section #4 is plastic (I'm ok with metal instead) but it screws into the #5 part, is that a separate part glued in to the brass tube? Or is it a sleeve that's glued/pressed into the wood section?
3. What is part #6 called?

I have all the tools I think I'll need except for the mandrel for turning, but even that seems like it might be optional if I'm building in two sections and using a live center. I'm glad to buy one if I need it, but they seem like they're different sizes and I'm not sure how to measure this to see what size it needs to be.

I'm going to try and turn on a Shopsmith (which I know is a bit big for this) with a chuck on one side and a live center on the other side. Does anyone here use one of those? I could use any getting started tips on that big of a machine.

Thanks, everyone, and looking forward to learning more about what I thought was going to be an easy hobby to try

Thanks,

JF

 

[egnald]

Greetings from Nebraska.

Take a look at this Magnetic Graduate Fountain Pen Kit from Exotic Blanks to see if it is close enough to what you are looking for. I have made many of the rollerball styles of that particular kit. I too like the magnetic cap; however, modifying it to add a custom finial or cabochon (item #1 in your picture) to the cap would be problematic. (The Junior type pen kits with screw on caps are usually much easier for taking the factory cap/clip assembly apart to add a custom cabochon to).

Another option may be this Vertex Supreme Fountain Pen Kit from Exotic Blanks, however I don't think there is a gold fountain pen version, just a gold rollerball. Also, it doesn't look like the cap assembly would be easy to modify for adding a custom finial or cabochon either.

Here are a couple of pictures of the Gunmetal Magnetic Graduate Rollerballs from Exotic Blanks that I made using hybrid blanks I also bought from Exotic Blanks.

Dave






For comparison, this is a screw on style that I modified to add the custom wooden cabochon to the cap. It is a copper Diamond Knurl Rollerball also from Exotic Blanks. The factory cap is simply a relatively flat disc that is plated like the rest of the pen. The flat disc was punched out and was replaced with a piece of the blank that was turned down. Clicking this link should take you to a post (How I Make a Custom Cabochon / Finial) that I made a little more than a year ago with pictures of how it was done.

 

[mredburn]

Its possible that is not a commercial kit but parts from one on a custom build. You can buy the #4 assembly from certain vendors. The clip could be something they had on hand laying around or they bought for this purpose. The Center band #3 could easily be custom made from Brass round stock bar. #6 is an accent ring that could also be custom made from Brass. Its possible to make these on the Shopsmith, it might seem unwieldly but it shouldnt be a problem. If you build one out of wood I would advise you to use brass tubes on the inside of the pen body and cap. Although you can do it without tubes they tend to have issues with stability and cracking.
Also #1 and #2 are one piece, the clip.

 

[John Fiorello]

Greetings from Nebraska.

Take a look at this Magnetic Graduate Fountain Pen Kit from Exotic Blanks to see if it is close enough to what you are looking for.

Thanks, Dave. Good to meet you! Beautiful pens you've made.

I took a look at your links and I like the idea of magnets, but it seems a bit too advanced for where I'm starting . If I understand correctly, you need three magnets: one on the cap, one to hold the nib section, and one to hold the cap when writing. I don't see how to attach the nib section to the magnet section though. Does it screw in? Or is it press fit?

As I've been doing more reading today, nib sections are threaded at the back, and nib assemblies are threaded too. Is that for different types of nib connectors? Or is the threaded nib assembly meant for a threaded nib barrel tube and the threaded section meant for the nib connector?

That's why I was hoping to find a kit with it all included so I would know it would all fit together

The Center band #3 could easily be custom made from Brass round stock bar.

Thanks, Mike. Good to meet you too!

The #3 part in my first post photo snaps into the #5 part, so I don't think that's something I could make from scratch right now. I appreciate your comment about using brass tubes for the pen body because I just ASSUMED that there were brass tubes in this pen. I didn't realize you could build it without them, so that's good to know.

The issue of finding the #5 part (and the #3 part that's fit to it) seems to be the limiting factor in figuring out which tubes to purchase.

On another thread, I saw that you can buy taps to thread the wood instead of using the #5 part for the nib section, but I don't understand how you'd keep the cap on if you did that.

And thanks for the info on #6 is. That sounds easy enough to make.

 

[mredburn]

#3 and #5 do not appear to be from a kit but rather something the original maker custom made. There are no visasable threads on #5 to screw #3 onto. . I suspect that the pen your wanting to duplicate uses only a premade clip and nib feed assembly and all the other parts are custom made.
Here is a link to front fountain pen parts. The front section and nib assemblies.

Fountain Pen Nibs & Sections

Fountain pen nibs, sections, and converters - everything you need to enhance your writing experience!

www.exoticblanks.com

Even #4 the section can be custom made. There are taps and dies for the nib assembly and the black part can also be a custom part. You can also make that front section and just glue the nib feed assembly into it. Makes it hard to change out later without making the front section.
As far as the tubes. The maker probably decided the outer dimensions of the body and cap and then picked tubes that would fit or used a pair of tubes he had on hand. Exotic blanks sell all types of tube sets. A popular size may be the JR Gent 2 tubes. If you decide how big a diameter you want your pen body and cap to be subtract .080 or 2mm from the diameter for the tube size. You can go with smaller tubes but larger ones will make your wood body very thin. I wouldnt recommend tubes under 10mm because the tolerances you have to work with are very small.

In your kit parts drawing The nib connector has internal threads for the front section and Outer threads for the cap center band. It is pressed into the tube at assembly.
Tapping wood directly is not recommended. I have done it and it rarely lasts. IF you can even get the wood to thread and not just get chewed up trying to tap it. Wood can be threaded but the fine threads we generally use are to fine for use in wood. If you had a metal lathe and could use single point tools you can thread it but those threads break off easily.

 

[bugradx2]

Personally? I'm impressed that you want your first pen to be a custom fountain pen.

Exotic Blanks and PSI sell various fountain pen component sets. I think many of us on this site are partial to Exotic Blanks because they are supplier agnostic and their customer service is top notch.

I would advise you head over there and look at the instructions for some of the models that Dave outlined above. You can also look at the instructions for fountain pens and the rollerball convertible (to fountain) pens too. Sorry I can't give you much advice past that as I've not gone down the fountain pen route much myself. I do have some rollerballs that I've made and they're quite fun.

 

[hooked]

I believe this is not a pen kit but rather a $3 temu fountain pen where the cap has been replaced with wood by a custom builder. Link here.

To reproduce this pen would likely be a custom job, not something you would find in a kit—exactly as is. You could come close with a Bullseye Apollo and some brass accents built on the blank. I would consider this an advanced build though.

Or maybe buy the Temu pen and butcher it for the parts if you are feeling adventurous.

 

[egnald]

Thanks, Dave. Good to meet you! Beautiful pens you've made.

I took a look at your links and I like the idea of magnets, but it seems a bit too advanced for where I'm starting . If I understand correctly, you need three magnets: one on the cap, one to hold the nib section, and one to hold the cap when writing. I don't see how to attach the nib section to the magnet section though. Does it screw in? Or is it press fit?

As I've been doing more reading today, nib sections are threaded at the back, and nib assemblies are threaded too. Is that for different types of nib connectors? Or is the threaded nib assembly meant for a threaded nib barrel tube and the threaded section meant for the nib connector?

That's why I was hoping to find a kit with it all included so I would know it would all fit together

John,

Let me try to answer some of the questions you had.
The kits that I use from Exotic Blanks include everything you need to make the specific pen along with instructions. To make the process easier, kit pens are built around brass tubes and most of the critical parts, like the magnets are already assembled as part of the components in the kit that all press fit into the brass tubes. On the Magnetic Graduate Fountain Pen kit for example, the kit includes the following:

The Upper / Cap part of the pen (2 pieces and the brass tube they press into):
- A Clip Assembly (the top of the pen cap and the clip)
- A Magnetic Band (the bottom of the pen cap which includes the magnet pre-assembled)
- An Upper Tube or Barrel (A brass Tube that the Clip Assembly and Magnetic Band press into)

The Lower / Body part of the pen (5 pieces and the brass tube they press into):
- Two Couplers (Identical Threaded Couplers that get pressed into the Lower Tube)
- A Lower Tube or Barrel (A brass Tube that the Couplers for the Nib and Lower Cap screw into)

- An Ink Pump for the Fountain Pen (can be replaced with a standard fountain pen ink cartridge)
- A Fountain Pen Nib (Nib and Section assembly that screws into one of the Couplers)
- A Lower Cap (that screws into the other Coupler)

The basic process is to cut a Blank (wood or plastic) to the sizes needed for the Upper and Lower Tubes / Barrels (slightly oversized). Drill holes through the Blanks. Glue the Brass Tubes into the blanks. Square the ends of the blanks to the ends of the tubes. Use calipers or optional bushings for the kit to turn the blanks down to the correct diameters. Finish the blanks as appropriate and desired (apply liquid finish, wet sanding, polish, wax, etc.). Then press the appropriate parts into the ends of the brass tubes. And you have a finished pen.

Most custom (usually referred to as kit-less or bespoke) require more (and more expensive) tools like threaded mandrels, taps, and dies, and require a lot more planning and meticulous steps to build. where the kits typically only require a drill bit (or two), some glue, and optionally a set of bushings along with a general purpose pen mandrel to use them with.

Since you are just beginning and we all want your experience to be a successful and satisfactory one, I would highly recommend that you make a couple of kits before venturing on to customizing and/or making kit-less pens.

And of course, welcome to the hobby!

Dave

 

[Mortalis]

That particular pen looks like an Round Top European from Berea. It does however appear to have a custom finial (end cap).
I would recommend the Berea Hardwoods kit as it will contain all you are looking for with the exception of the 'red' finial.
Personally, I would not start with a fountain pen. I would start with a single barrel pen such as a Vertex. The magnet is already installed in the cap so no need to 'assemble the magnet'. There are no moving parts so you do not have to be too finicky on the fit of the barrel over the transmission (the part that makes the refill go in and out).
If you decide to go with the Vertex with magnetic cap I do not recommend a fountain pen. I have made quite a few fountain pens and find that the magnetic close does not seal well enough to keep the tip from drying up.
Good luck.

 

[jrista]

There are a few "snap cap" pen kits out there. I've turned a few, and stopped bothering with them. At least as far as I have found myself, all of the snap cap pen kits on the market are incredibly cheap from a quality and build standpoint. They feel cheap and they look cheap.

The part of the cap that contains the snap functionality on all the kits I've found, leave the bare brass tube visible and exposed. There is no part that hides the ugliness of the brass tube, nor the often sharper edge that it usually has. I found on the first of these kits that I made, that the exposed brass tube was murder on the nib section, and that pen ended up being a tossaway due to scratches on the nib. I resorted to filing, sanding and polishing down the exposed brass to try and mitigate this issue, with varying degrees of success. In all cases, though, the exposed tubes just looked terrible. These brass tubes used in kits are not of a particularly "pretty" variety...

The snap functionality is also very cheap. Doesn't seem to matter the brand (whcih, I think, aside from some very minor cosmetic differences, are actually all made from the same manufacturer), the snap functionality is loud, clacky, brittle, and usually the caps don't seat nicely (they always angle off to one side or the other which is overtly notable.)

In comparison to some of the brand name snap cap rollerball pens I've owned, the difference is night and day. All of the snap cap brand name pens I have usually have some kind of white or black rubbery liner or insert in the cap, which both hides any unsightly innards, but also leads to a really rich and satisfying "thunk" instead of a clacky click when you push the cap onto either end. This, I guess, has become my marker for quality with regards to snap cap pens. I really like how the ones I own feel. I have long term aspirations of getting into kitless pen crafting, and crafting some snap cap pens with something like this, a nice soft rubbery liner that would both protect the pretty parts of the pen, and also provide that satisfying thunk, is one of my goals.

In any case, there are some snap cap pen kits out there that you might try. If you are into modding the kit, then you might be able to overcome the shortcomings and problematic aspects. Look for "Flat Top" from Berea. I've made a couple of those, they should have most of the parts you are looking for. Craft Supply USA used to sell a similar kit, I suspect also a Berea kit but it had some slight cosmetic differences, same exact design underneath though. I thought there was a third option, but I am not finding it. I suspect the kits are low quantity sellers as they are just cheap.

If you want to try some higher quality options, there are several magnetic cap pens out there. I'm partial to the Vertex line, which are very nice. You would want the Vertex Supreme to be able to turn both the cap and body (the normal Vertex just allows you to turn the body, the cap is all metal.) There are a few other magnetic cap pens as well that might do (although, most, outside of the Vertex Supreme, only allow the body to be turned.)

 

[John Fiorello]

A popular size may be the JR Gent 2 tubes. If you decide how big a diameter you want your pen body and cap to be subtract .080 or 2mm from the diameter for the tube size. You can go with smaller tubes but larger ones will make your wood body very thin. I wouldnt recommend tubes under 10mm because the tolerances you have to work with are very small.

Mike, this info is really helpful!

In your kit parts drawing The nib connector has internal threads for the front section and Outer threads for the cap center band. It is pressed into the tube at assembly.

So, it sounds like what I need to find is a nib connector that has a snap-on mating to the center band fixed ring that also accepts the nib assembly/section.

I've been watching videos and reading links here from another post to learn what goes into making the nib section... Looks fun but hard, so starting with a pre-made assembly looks like a safe bet for the first try.

Thanks for the tips on threading the wood, I'll try and avoid that for my first pens.

Exotic Blanks and PSI sell various fountain pen component sets. I think many of us on this site are partial to Exotic Blanks because they are supplier agnostic and their customer service is top notch.

Thanks, bugradx2. I've seen their name come up over and over on this forum. They have a lot of good stuff.

I believe this is not a pen kit but rather a $3 temu fountain pen

Absolutely. I just scrapped off the finish on the cap, and the pen was a gift from Amazon from one of my daughters, so I'd guess it's exactly the same pen from China.

I hadn't thought about buying one and taking it apart for the parts... but I think there's probably better components to use if I'm making one myself. It's interesting that such an affordable pen to sell would be so difficult to make, you would think it would be the opposite!

Let me try to answer some of the questions you had.

Dave, your drawings and explanations are REALLY helpful, thank you!

The ink I've been buying are the Jinhao international size refills. When I'm shopping for nib sections, they don't seem to list their bore size. These are 2.6mm. Is there another standard or language that means the same size?

One of the things that took a while for me to find out what I was trying to do was the term "kit-less" which meant nothing to me. But eventually I found a thread that explained it when searching for custom or bespoke

I would recommend the Berea Hardwoods kit as it will contain all you are looking for with the exception of the 'red' finial.
Personally, I would not start with a fountain pen.

Thanks for the tip, Mortalis! I'll check them out.

Unfortunately, I'm sold on the fountain pen idea, so I'm stuck with that for now

There are a few "snap cap" pen kits out there. I've turned a few, and stopped bothering with them.

Jrista, this was a really helpful summary! Thank you for sharing!

 

[Mortalis]

Thanks for the tip, Mortalis! I'll check them out.

Unfortunately, I'm sold on the fountain pen idea, so I'm stuck with that for now

I've also found that the snap cap version of a fountain pen tends to leak ink into the cap every time you snap the cap onto the pen. Makes for quite the mess and a ruined shirt or pants pocket.
If you are intent on making a fountain pen then I would advise a screw type top. They provide much more air tight cover.

 

[d_bondi]

Welcome to the forum John!

If you are going to go to the trouble to make a pen, either kit or kitless (more advanced), you should at least consider using a converter, and not prefilled cartridges. One of the great joys of writing with a fountain pen is all of the different bottled inks that are out there.

Schmidt K-5 Converter

Another note on the threading wood. I'm not saying nobody does it, but ALMOST nobody does it. If you are successful, it will likely not hold up well over time. The kitless pens that I (and most others) have made use another material to sleeve the wood. In my case, I use ebonite. Here is an example of one of my pens. The only manufactured purchased part in this pen is the Nib/Assembly and the K-5 Converter. The Cap, Section, and Barrel are hand made.

 

[d_bondi]

I've also found that the snap cap version of a fountain pen tends to leak ink into the cap every time you snap the cap onto the pen. Makes for quite the mess and a ruined shirt or pants pocket.
If you are intent on making a fountain pen then I would advise a screw type top. They provide much more air tight cover.

John - @Mortalis makes an excellent point here. One of the issues with ANY fountain pen is keeping the nib sealed in an air tight cap. Threaded caps are superior here. Also, back to the idea of threading wood, IF you were successful here, the wood in the cap would suck the moisture out of the nib/feed/housing and dry up the pen.

 

[sorcerertd]

Welcome to IAP! Chances are that you are going to make quite a few pens. I don't want to discourage you from diving into the deep end if you really want to, but doing so might discourage you from wanting to pursue penmaking. Even if you are a natural, I doubt many would suggest starting with custom end cap/finial pieces. Once you get a feel for the process, you'll have a better idea what you might want to customize, and be better prepared to work through how to make it happen. A single barrel pen is a great place to start.

As far as fountain pens go, I have to agree that I would not really trust a magnetic cap. It would probably be safe as a desk pen that gets used often enough to keep the ink flowing (at least a couple times a day?). You definitely don't want the cap to come off in a pocket! I have made a couple of these snap cap pens, but they probably are not a good starting point. Also, as @jrista said, the tube and end grain of the wood is exposed on the cap, and the section is plastic, which makes them look and feel "cheap". There's a reason why you can't find many snap cap fountain pen kits. Many of the kits have a triple start thread, so you don't have to twist it much to remove or replace the cap.

 

[John Fiorello]

I've also found that the snap cap version of a fountain pen tends to leak ink

That's good to know. I use fountain pens at my home office and regular office, but have never carried them with me. The threat of an ink stain is something I hadn't considered. Thanks!

you should at least consider using a converter, and not prefilled cartridges

You know, I have a few converters lying around but I've never used them because, well, I don't know how to use them, and I don't have ink bottles. I do have several colors of ink tubes but hate using them because I only want them for a moment, not for regular use. I guess that's why they have the converters! I'll think about this for sure.

I really like that pen you made, and I like that it doesn't have that metal top that many of them normally do.

the wood in the cap would suck the moisture out of the nib/feed/housing and dry up the pen.

That makes sense. The two pens I have must have a barrel inside the cap that I just never noticed.

Many of the kits have a triple start thread, so you don't have to twist it much to remove or replace the cap.

Thanks, Todd. I had seen that term on a few pages but didn't understand what it meant. That's been my main hesitation in doing a screw top, I see so many threads and just assumed it would be 6 turns to get the top off, 30 times a day. That's the second "pen world" term I had no idea about that clears up so many issues!

On your comment about the cap, I'm sure I could make a plug out of wood, but does grain direction matter? If you don't suggest capping the (what the drawing calls the nib barrel finial) with end grain, would the side grain expand/contract enough to break it free? Or do people use a CA glue to seal that grain so it doesn't breathe?


Thanks, everyone, for all your input. I'm feeling much better about building my first pen!

 

[sorcerertd]

On your comment about the cap, I'm sure I could make a plug out of wood, but does grain direction matter? If you don't suggest capping the (what the drawing calls the nib barrel finial) with end grain, would the side grain expand/contract enough to break it free? Or do people use a CA glue to seal that grain so it doesn't breathe?

It's a different kit entirely, though. This is what I mean by exposed grain and tube on the one I was talking about

 

[John Fiorello]

It's a different kit entirely, though. This is what I mean by exposed grain and tube on the one I was talking about

Oh, ok. Yeah, Todd, I see what you mean. I don't think that will be an issue. And it's one of the things I love about wooden pens!

 

[sorins]

Hi John,

With the risk of being too harsh, my impression is that you try to run before knowing how to walk.... You try making a bespoke (it looks like one) pen but you have no knowledge of basic tools names. I'm sorry, this is by no means disrespect to you, but just what I see.
Just buy some kits and start making kit pens, after 5, 10, 15 different kit pens you may want to jump in the "bespoke world", which is, indeed, much more rewarding, but also challenging. When you'll start on bespoke, choose first some basic and simple design, snap or magnetic caps are not the easiest jobs. Otherwise, you'll waste lots of material and time, and you'll be much more disappointed that you probably already are reading my comment . You'll find tons of videos on YT for bespoke pens.