# Anyone making your own clips?



## RogerBean (Sep 28, 2012)

In the realm of custom FP’s it doesn’t take long to run up against the limitations of the availability of appropriate clips.  Both in terms of style and size.  I’m beginning to appreciate some folks attraction to clipless pens.  

Anybody have any good sources of info on making your own clips?  Other than investment casting?  It would seem to be an exercise in die-making... or am I missing something here?

Roger


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## wood-of-1kind (Sep 28, 2012)

See our very own Mike Redburn (mredburn), he makes/sells some very fine "silver" pen clips and other fine pen components.


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## mredburn (Sep 28, 2012)

Depends on the effort your willing to put into it. I have made clips out of 1/8 thick  aluminum making a tab on the bottom and cutting a hole in the cap for it to pass through and then gluing it in.  I have done that in wood as well.  You can cast them, or make them out of bent stainless steel welding rod. You can cut them out of brass and copper plate. cut the shape with the ring and bend it, but making the rings concentric is difficult. EXotic blanks carries extra clips as well as Indy Pen Dance and the Classic Nib. If you were unaware of that. There is a company that makes only clips for pens but the minimum purchase as I understand it was the deal breaker.


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## BRobbins629 (Sep 28, 2012)

I've made clips by lost wax casting silver, hand cutting with jewelers saw and filing silver and other metals, with a dremel tool on stainless steel, on a bench grinder with damascus and stainless, and even hand carved some wooden ones.  All you need is a litttle imagination and time.  The hardest part is figuring an attachmenet method but there are many including soldering a ring like cut out, pins, tabs, screws, etc.  Alot depends on whether you want to make a few as a hobby or many as a business.


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## azamiryou (Sep 28, 2012)

Since you mention die-making, I take it you're thinking in terms of shaping sheet metal. A die is useful if you're making a bunch of the same shape. If you're doing one-offs, you can make any shape using only hammers and simple forms. Bending, cutting, soldering, and filing/grinding are other ways to make 3D shapes from sheet material.

If you want completely free-form shapes, casting is the way to go - but you don't have to do the casting yourself. You can make wax models and send them off for casting.


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## skiprat (Sep 28, 2012)

Although I have made a few clips, I don't think they are often worth the effort to make. Unless of course you need something totally unique to suit your specific pen.
I do believe that the vast majority of pens need a clip, even if they are unlikely ever to be used.
My theory is that if I was to sell a custom pen it would hopefully demand a price that would warrant buying a suitable kit even if it was just for the clip and refill / fp feed. 

I think that most modern platings are good enough to last and there is a wide variety to choose from. 

For a 'general' clip I would rather pay $20 to rob one from a kit than spend ages trying to make one. 

Now, if I could buy just the 'ring and tag' part of the clip then I'd be far more inclined to make all my own clips.:wink:


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## Ed McDonnell (Sep 28, 2012)

For invisible mounting, I spend a lot of time mangling the rings on clips to get them to fit and work on the pens I'm making.  It would be so much easier if I could find good clips with tabs instead of rings.  But, in searching, I've found that unless I want silver clips, there isn't much out there with tabs instead of rings.  Silver isn't my first choice for what I'm doing, so I've been trying to make my own.

My experiments in making resin / metal hybrid clips has not been successful so far.  I think durability would be an issue.

I've moved on to trying to make some from metal.  My early experiments look like they were dragged behind my truck for a couple of miles to shape them.  The good news is that I can only get better.

Ed


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## PenMan1 (Sep 28, 2012)

I've made a couple, a couple of different ways (bent wire and lost wax). My end result was.....Well, lets just say they looked like home made clips (and that's being very "loose" with my language).

I agree totally with Skip! If I'm gonna spend a day or two making a custom pen, it's worth paying for a high end clip!


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## PenMan1 (Sep 28, 2012)

As Ed suggests, a high end clip with a tab instead of all the "doodahs" would sure open up a world of design possibilities.

I wouldn't even mind buying these as "raw" brass clips and then having them plated the way I need them (expensive, but I think worth it).


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## Russianwolf (Sep 28, 2012)

PenMan1 said:


> As Ed suggests, a high end clip with a tab instead of all the "doodahs" would sure open up a world of design possibilities.
> 
> I wouldn't even mind buying these as "raw" brass clips and then having them plated the way I need them (expensive, but I think worth it).



clips are usually spring steel, not brass.


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## PenMan1 (Sep 28, 2012)

I "think" I'd rather have brass with just a simple "mounting tab" at the end. With the tab, I could adjust the tab to control how my clip fits the instrument.

I realize this could account for failure at the tab bend.... I'm just trying to get "outside the ring".

Additionally, with brass, I could have a clip wide at the top with a wide tab. With snips, a file and a buff wheel, I could make the top of the clip any with I need, before plating? Just trying to get away from "the usual"- it may not be possible.


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