# Lou's tap end results - looking for examples?



## PenAffair (Oct 27, 2009)

Hi Folks,

I'm trying to find some pictures of pens anyone has done with Lou's holders/feeds using the taps he sells, to see whether I want to get a tap and try it myself.

I can't find any pictures. If you can point me to any previous posts, or show pictureds of one's you've done, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks. Russell.


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## dgscott (Oct 27, 2009)

I posted one back on September 9 entitled "Labor (Day) of Love" where I used Lou's tap, nib and holder. Not sure how to copy a link here, but I'm sure you can search for it.
Doug


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## ldb2000 (Oct 27, 2009)

Here's the link to Doug's post ,
http://www.penturners.org/forum/showthread.php?t=51091

Russell , remember that the taps and dies are ONLY for the nib/feed holder to the front section not for the cap and body of the pens


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## PenAffair (Oct 27, 2009)

Thanks for that guys,

Yeah I had thought about the body, but forgot about having to fit a cap over it :redface:

I,m getting some of Lou's nibs to replace the standard kit ones mainly. Is there any advantage to having the feed & holder if you're not making completely kitless then?

Thanks again. Russell.


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## ldb2000 (Oct 27, 2009)

Yes , you can make the front section out of matching material to the rest of the kit or contrasting materials . The kit sections are only available in black plastic , at least for the ElGrande kits . The thread on those sections (section to pen body) is 10X1 mm which is a common tap size so making those sections are easy to do .


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## PenAffair (Oct 27, 2009)

Thanks Butch. Finding taps & dies that work in wood is tricky in Australia, at least in my experience. Carbatec has some, but they're not cheap.

Maybe I need to do a bit more research before I start trying my own taps.

Russell.


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## rstought (Oct 28, 2009)

That was a very nice example, but I am curious as to whether the large nib holder or the small nib holder is being used?

The reason I ask is that my own experiences in trying to build a custom front section using the large nib holder (and being constrained in cap size by the group buy taps and dies, which as you know were produced using the El Grande/Churchill specifications) have thus been failures.  Producing a section small enough to fit into the cap (7/16" diameter) and drilling it out in order to use the large nib holder leaves VERY little material left over (about 1/32" thick walls), so the resulting section is rather fragile and shapeless (straight up and down, rather than contoured to prvide a comfortable grip).


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## BRobbins629 (Oct 28, 2009)

PenAffair said:


> Thanks Butch. Finding taps & dies that work in wood is tricky in Australia, at least in my experience. Carbatec has some, but they're not cheap.
> 
> Maybe I need to do a bit more research before I start trying my own taps.
> 
> Russell.


You don't need to tap the wood - make a plastic or ebonite "tube", drill and glue the wood as you would for a brass tube and tap the plastic.


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