# The Idiots Guide To Kitless Fountain Pens



## texasfootball21

I was wondering if I could get a little information on what tools it takes to make a Kitless fountain pen, as well as the procedure. 

Some of the kitless fountains on here are so nice I consider contacting the maker to check the price! I'd like to make the pens I'd be honored to own. 

I've been pen making for 2 years now. I make mostly Jr. Gents and have worked with quite a bit of acrylic as well as wood. I enjoy making acrylic pens much more then wood, for the most part. 

This is the pen that struck the new interest, along with the many other great looking pens I've seen:  http://www.penturners.org/forum/showthread.php?p=815256#post815256

Any advice is welcome, and remember, I know nothing on this subject. Keep it 
simple!

Thanks.


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## mrcook4570

texasfootball21 said:


> I was wondering if I could get a little information on what tools it takes to make a Kitless fountain pen



Imagination and ingenuity


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## dgscott

Practice and inventiveness. I'm making more and more, with fewer and fewer problems. The problems come specifically by having limited tools with which to work. I have a wood lathe, but not a metal lathe, so I have to cut threads with taps and dies by hand. Getting blanks into the die at a perfect 90 degree angle is challenging, although using taps in a Jacobs chuck on the lathe makes threading interior surfaces a little more accurate. A number of people on this forum have talked about using shims on mandrels to fix the blank solidly for turning, but I haven't tried that method yet. I learned the hard way that creating mandrels out of harder woods has its limitations in that it is difficult to get them centered perfectly in a chuck so that some of my blanks are fatter on one side than another.

Another issue I've dealt with (again, having no metal lathe or CNC mill) is discovering suitable materials that will take a thread cut by hand, but will remain sturdy enough to hold up under some pressure when turned relatively thin while exterior threads are being cut. I've found that TruStone is strong enough, as is Corian, but poly resin shatters too easily, at least in my unskilled hands. Wood is pretty much out of the question as even the harder woods won't tolerate the constant on and off wear of threads as the cap is screwed onto a barrel.

Finding nibs, feeders, and sections with known (and reproducible) thread patterns is a challenge. Lots of manufacturers will sell you units but can't tell you what size threads need to be cut in the barrel to accept them. The exception I've discovered (thanks to the consistent generosity and patience of craftsmen on another forum) are nib sections from Berea (the thread is 10x1).

I have to admit that I still go back to kits for a sense of immediate gratification, but I spend more and more time learning how to make kitless pens. 

I'll attach a (really bad) photo of my first near-success. It was not made for sale but for practice. It's kind of ungainly, but I was pleased that (1.) it actually resembles a pen, (2.) it's not absolutely horrible, and (3.) it works. I don't hold it up as an example of anything other than proof that with persistence, lots of fumbles, and advice and counsel from those here and elsewhere, progress can be made.

Doug


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## skiprat

texasfootball21 said:


> I was wondering if I could get a little information on what tools it takes to make a Kitless fountain pen, as well as the procedure.
> 
> 
> Thanks.


 
This may not be the answer that you are looking for but every possible aspect of kitless pen making is right here on this site. Also any future developments will also be here.:wink: 

But Mr Cook's answer is also correct:biggrin:

Going kitless is ( was for me anyway ) was mostly evolution and just seems to come to you when you want it to:biggrin:

One thing I can tell you is that there are no short quick answers.:wink:


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## BRobbins629

A good start is to take portions of kit pens and one by one start eliminating.  My first step was making a closed end pen.  Then try a custom finial or CB.  Before you know it, you will be kitless.


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## Dan_F

If you  have been turning pens for two years, I think that you have plenty of experience to take the next step. The biggest hurdle is how to cut the threads for the cap and barrel. There are basically three options here involving threads. Easiest and cheapest would be to go with single start basic threads. The downside to that most folks will say that you need about 4 or 5 turns of the cap to engage enough thread to ensure that it will not come off in your pocket.

The next level would be a multi start tap and die set. There have been two group buys now on this site for the multi start tap and die set. I got in on the first one. The cost was something just over $200 for the set, based on a group purchase of about 30 units. There may be some folks out there, who during this tough economic time, may be interested in selling theirs.

The best, but most costly and time consuming option, would be to buy a metal lathe with multi start threading capacity, and learning how to use it. That would give you much more flexibility, in that you could thread any size parts that you want, whereas with the tap and die set, you are limited to the 12mm size, the same as Berea's El Grande. This is the route that I would like to take eventually. 

The other piece of equipment I would highly recommend is some type of collet chuck utilizing ER32 collets , which will allow you to hold the blank for drilling and tapping operations. You will also probably want to pick up a standard tap and die set from Harbor Freight, which will most likely supply most everything else you need for threading, such as the 10mm section threads. 

That and a skew chisel or two pretty much covers the turning part. Oh wait, you will need a dial or digital caliper that measures in .001" increments. You will need this to size parts for threading, as well as many other operations. Harbor Freight is another good, cheap source for a dial caliper. 

Now making your own metal center band and clips is another issue, which may require additional tools and skills. Clips can be scavenged from kits, or the ball type clip that I used on the pen you referenced above can be purchased from Elliot Landes http://www.penmakers.com/used.html . There are several threads on this forum dedicated to cap bands, which explain various approaches to them.

I would highly suggest going through the entire "Advanced Pen Making" forum here, and reading every thread that pertains to kitless pens. That will give you a pretty good grounding on the subject. At least then you will know what specifically to ask in follow up. 

One annoying feature of this forum's software, is that it only shows you one months worth of threads, so you need to go to the bottom of the page and set to show all of the threads from the beginning. This will give you a thirteen page index.

It can be very rewarding to go beyond the bounds of kits, but certain aspects can also be somewhat intimidating. It does require a  willingness to experiment and learn new things, but that will pay off well if you take the bait. So read, have fun, ask questions based on what you have read, and take a chance!

Dan


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