# ok, so it really did happen.



## RAdams (Mar 20, 2010)

I know the rules.

 And even though the lid is unfinished, and the threads are broken, and the center is not big enough for a cartridge to fit into, and it isnt long enough for any other refill medium, IT IS MY FAVORITE PEN I HAVE EVER MADE!:biggrin: so far..


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## bgibb42 (Mar 20, 2010)

Ron, I'm right there with you.  Looks an awful lot like my several attempts at making a kitless pen.  Still working on it, my crayon pen excluded.  Keep up the, um....uh....good work.:biggrin:

PS.  You're a braver man than I for displaying your failures.


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## stolicky (Mar 20, 2010)

I think its great.  Thanks for sharing.  I'm sure I'll be right there within the next few weeks.


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## johncrane (Mar 20, 2010)

Try try try that's all we can do:biggrin:


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## Daniel (Mar 20, 2010)

Well now if a person can't overlook at little flaw or two, they should not be shoppin for hand made goods.


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## Rifleman1776 (Mar 20, 2010)

Finish it up. Johnson's daughter will love it.


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## workinforwood (Mar 20, 2010)

Yep, that's broke.  I have a few of those lying around that make your pen look like it's in mint condition!


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## PenMan1 (Mar 20, 2010)

Ron, that looks like caca. Unfortunately for me, it looks less like caca than my first attempt at kitless. Keep trying,and trying and trying. You will get there. Do you ever sleep?


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## RAdams (Mar 20, 2010)

PenMan1 said:


> Ron, that looks like caca. Unfortunately for me, it looks less like caca than my first attempt at kitless. Keep trying,and trying and trying. You will get there. Do you ever sleep?


 



Why does everybody keep asking me this queston? Is it because i post at any hour of the day or night which would give the impression that i am always awake? 

Yes, I sleep. Nightly in fact, or daily... Let's just put it this way, most days (24 hour period) i get some sleep. My body seems to have it's own clock that is more like 40 or 48 hours instead of 24. I usually sleep two or three hours a day. sometimes i get lucky and get a full 5 hours. I catch a 15 or 20 minute nap or two watching television in the evenings which usually regenerates me till around sunrise. Every now and then (once every week to week and a half) I will get a GOOD nght sleep (8 or 10 hours). WOOHOO Insomnia!


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## workinforwood (Mar 20, 2010)

Do you brush your hair after you do get some sleep?:tongue:


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## NewLondon88 (Mar 20, 2010)

workinforwood said:


> Do you brush your hair after you do get some sleep?:tongue:



No, BEFORE. Aren't you paying attention?  :tongue:


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## RAdams (Mar 20, 2010)

NewLondon88 said:


> No, BEFORE. Aren't you paying attention? :tongue:


 


NEITHER! 

I quit brushing my hair:biggrin:. Kinda defeats the purpose of it knotting into dreadlocks.  Yes, That is right! I will be a DREADED PENMAKER! The most Dreaded penmaker most of you know!


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## chriselle (Mar 20, 2010)

RAdams said:


> NEITHER!
> 
> I quit brushing my hair:biggrin:. Kinda defeats the purpose of it knotting into dreadlocks.  Yes, That is right! I will be a DREADED PENMAKER! The most Dreaded penmaker most of you know!



That's just dreadful.....:tongue:


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## Oldwagon (Mar 20, 2010)

Way to go Ron.You will get there.  Todd


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## RAdams (Mar 20, 2010)

Thank Ya Sir! I am tryin! I have another attempt going right now, but i think i have realized that i need to invest in a die holder before I am going to get much further than i am right now. I got really lucky on the threads on this one, and have not been able to reproduce. That's ok... I wanted to tick the wife off with the news of more tools!


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## workinforwood (Mar 21, 2010)

You have a drill chuck right?  You can get die holders to fit the MT on your lathe, but you can also get cheaper ones that simply chuck in your drill.  I vote for the cheaper one, because there's a few different sizes of Die's and you basically need a different holder for each size, so might as well not spend the extra money on a MT version in my opinion.  Another option of course is to just forget about the die and buy a few bolts instead.  If you have a drill chuck and a collet chuck, well bolts already have threads on them, you can chuck a bolt in a collet chuck on a wood lathe and cut the bolt into sections however long you want them.  You can then drill out the bolt with your drill chuck.  You tap the pen section to match the bolt.  You could turn the entire bolt into a nib section using a file, or you can just use part of the bolt for the thread part and make a plastic nib glued into the inside of the bolt.  All do-able on a wood lathe.


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## nava1uni (Mar 21, 2010)

Are you saying that you use the bolt as the nib holder and screw and glue it into the pen body?  Do the threads then extend to hold the cap also?  I think that I get this idea.  Being a visual learner do you have a picture of this and if so would you post it?


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## workinforwood (Mar 21, 2010)

I don't have a pic, you'd be better off searching through a bunch of Skips old threads.  What I'm saying is that a bolt is already threaded.  A nib on a pen like a jr gent has threads on it for a cap. So the bolt threads would be the threads for the cap to screw on to the pen.  The body of the pen can be tapped so that the threads of the bolt not only will allow the cap to screw on, but you can screw the bolt into the pen as well..so half the threads are in the pen body and the other half stick out to be used for the cap to attach too.  So, lets say the go 1/2" into the pen, then they stick out the end of the pen 2".  You leave a few threads close to the pen body and the rest of the threads you file down to become a rollerball nib.  I do believe all or most of Steves pens used to be made similar to this, using the existing bolt threads.  Now maybe you don't have a tap for that bolt so that you can tap your cap or tap your pen section?  You can take anothe bolt the same as the first one and make it into a tap with a grinder.  Simply secure the bolt and grind 4 channels across the threads.  Chuck the bolt and file the end down so it tapers and now you have a tap.  Another alternative to a bolt, is plumbing fittings.  Those are brass, which is real easy to turn with a chisel.  I have been using some plumbing fittings on the ends of my pens to cap them, so you unscrew the fitting and change out the refill.


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## RAdams (Mar 21, 2010)

GENIUS I TELL YA! That is a purdy good idea!! Now i gotta go dig up Steve's old posts.


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## workinforwood (Mar 21, 2010)

Look at all his posts in the Advanced pen making area..go way back like over a year and work your way forward.  There is a wealth of knowledge dished out just a little bit at a time.  It's pretty genius indeed.  He's making pens from dumpsters and with crappy tools that anyone could do with what they have right now and they look like a million bucks.  It proves that it's not the tools you have but rather the ingenuity in how you use them. He truly knows how to think outside the box and do it in a simple and understandable manner at the same time.


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