# Need creative ideas



## Penultimate (Dec 27, 2017)

Greetings
I purchased this piston fill assembly from Richard Greenwald and need some advice on how to make a pen. Do you have any ideas how to use the ink window tube as is? I was thinking about turning a body to fit over it with a set of ports that would go thru the body to the clear window. Or, I could turn down the 0.05" wall thickness a little and slip a body over that. 

Also, the web site says that the threaded portion is for a JOWO 6.4x.6 nib. Does anyone know where to get one? Most of the sites I visit don't list that thread size. 

I appreciate any comments, you guys are a very talented group. 
Thanks in advance
Mike





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## magpens (Dec 27, 2017)

That is a Jowo #5 nib.

Here is where I got the info, including tap drill size (metric, decimal, fractional)

http://www.penturners.org/forum/f21...up-buy-2017-a-149632/index14.html#post1938712

Bock #5 (M6.4x0.6) M5.8 0.228 15/64


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## Gregory Hardy (Dec 29, 2017)

Lamy does something like that - though the body is cast plastic (and a really mediocre pen!), the idea of a "machined window" through the barrel to make visible the ink window works...

https://www.jetpens.com/Lamy-Lx-Fou...uNyaR1BdtGcn2DBIM2RUJCfaFeKubtRRoCTsEQAvD_BwE


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## Penultimate (Dec 29, 2017)

Hi Gregory
That's where I got the idea. I received that pen as gift. You are right it isn't a great pen. I used it for one ink fill and it is now in storage. 
Thanks
Mike


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## duncsuss (Dec 29, 2017)

I started building a pen around these parts a while ago, but got distracted and haven't quite managed to find my way back there. "Look, a squirrel!" sort of thing.

Anyway ... I've glued the long tube into a piece of ebonite that comes down the outside to the window. I've glued the narrow part into another piece of ebonite, and will shape that into the nib grip section. I'm going to cut threads for the cap on that piece of ebonite.

The cap: I'm thinking of adding a ring of clear acrylic to the open end, bored out to clear the threads, so that it will still be possible to see the ink window when the cap is on. Not certain how that's going to work out.

The piston actuator: well, I'll work something out. Probably a simple blind cap glued to the twisty bit of the piston.

One of these days I'll get back to it ... good luck with yours


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## jalbert (Dec 31, 2017)

I think you would probably be best off by making a removable blind cap that screws on the back of the barrel to cover the piston knob rather than trying to glue a knob over top of the existing knob. It looks like you're basically going to be skinning an existing pen with another material, cutting cap threads on it, and then making a cap for it. I'm not sure how you're going to hold that on a mandrel though, as it looks like the section doesn't unscrew. I guess you could always make a little short mandrel that screws into the front of the section and use a live center to support the back end of the barrel.


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## jalbert (Dec 31, 2017)

I figured I should probably elaborate on the blind cap idea, as a pic is worth 1000 words. This one is for a button filler pen, but the same concept would be applicable to that piston filler. As you can see, the back end of the pen has threads cut on a smaller diameter tenon, and there is a black cap that screws on it it that covers the button (or knob in your case).


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## Penultimate (Jan 1, 2018)

Duncan and John
Thanks for the ideas. Since I'm on vacation I got to spend some quality time with CAD. I think I have a design that might work similar to your ideas. 

I'm going to turn the black part to 7/16 OD. Then slip a body over it with a 1/2" OD. The body will be slightly proud but that's OK. I' make it a smooth transition. The back of the tube will be threaded 7/16-20NF for a blind removable cap like John's pen. 

On the section side, the molded-in threads are too big for my #5 nib. However, after the threads the diameter necks down so I can bore it and tap it. That will give me a nice space for a section. 

Duncan, I was going to cove the ink window with the cap. I like your clear ring on the cap. Can I use your idea?

Thanks so much for you support. 
Mike


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## duncsuss (Jan 2, 2018)

Penultimate said:


> Duncan, I was going to cove the ink window with the cap. I like your clear ring on the cap. Can I use your idea?



Mike, you most certainly can use it -- in the end, I wimped out on that part of my plan (in the interests of getting the thing finished on New Year's Day instead of spending the next month polishing the inside of the clear acetate )

I'd love to see if the idea actually works :biggrin:

Here's the one I made, incorporating John's idea of a blind cap that screws off instead of being glued to the piston actuator.


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## Curly (Jan 2, 2018)

Have you given any thought to asking Richard about ways to use the assembly? I'm pretty sure he would help you out. He has some taps so if he doesn't have the recommended one then he will know where you can get it.


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## duncsuss (Jan 2, 2018)

I forgot to mention: the nib unit that I installed in this pen is one of a few that I bought from a random eBay auction.

The nibs are Bock -- that is, they have the Bock logo embossed/engraved in them. (They also say "Iridium Point".) The feed does not have a nipple to push into a cartridge/converter, which makes me think they were made to be used with piston or button or lever fill mechanisms.

Holding the nib and feed together is a band which is threaded -- and happens to fit perfectly into the threads in the mouth of this piston tube.

Let me know if you'd like one of these, I'm sure we can work something out. (It's possible that Richard has changed the internal threads, but I doubt it.)


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