# Just curious...



## MDWine (May 30, 2019)

... but we know where that leads, huh?

How/where do 'kitless folk' get clips for pens.  Are you making these, or purchasing?


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## duncsuss (May 30, 2019)

There are many places to buy clips - Exotic Blanks, Richard Greenwald, Milans Pen Parts, Elliot Landes, I think that Berea Hardwoods might also sell them.

The real fun starts when you make your own clips from sheet metal - I've been using titanium alloy, other folks use nickel silver, stainless steel, etc, etc.


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## BRobbins629 (May 30, 2019)

I’ve made many by lost wax casting in silver. If you can carve the wax, there are many places who will cast for you. Recommend taking a jewelry class or two.  Just another rabbit hole, but fun and original.


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## Texas Taco (May 30, 2019)

BRobbins629 said:


> Recommend taking a jewelry class or two.



I'd never thought of that. I just might have to look into it. Thanks.


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## Pierre--- (May 30, 2019)

I would add Silver pen parts and Beaufort inks for out of the box clips.


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## jalbert (May 31, 2019)

Making them. Largely from stainless or bronze, but am in the process of purchasing equipment to allow me to start using silver for my clips and bands.


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## hokie (May 31, 2019)

I just finished making these three clips from Argentium silver. The raw material is that strip in front of them.






It was relatively easy to work and is able to be hardened (I'm sure that's relative too). It resists tarnish and is even purer in silver than sterling (.935 vs .925). I am hoping to install these on some of my pens soon to take them for a real world spin.


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## Penultimate (Jun 1, 2019)

Hokie, where did you get your silver?


Sent from my iPhone using Penturners.org mobile app


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## hokie (Jun 1, 2019)

Penultimate said:


> Hokie, where did you get your silver?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Penturners.org mobile app



Here ya go!... https://www.riogrande.com/product/argentium-silver-6-sheet-dead-soft/103214gp


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## Penultimate (Jun 13, 2019)

Cool, thanks. How did you harden it?
Thanks


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## MDWine (Jun 14, 2019)

I am very interested in the information about the raw materials.   I can find all kinds of metal, but I'm not quite educated on the "springy-ness" of the metal.  The stuff I am familiar with just bends, and doesn't offer much resiliency.  I am curious about making 'custom' clips.

Thanks for the info everyone...  I am at the bottom of my learning curve.  This will help tremendously.


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## hokie (Jun 16, 2019)

Penultimate said:


> Cool, thanks. How did you harden it?
> Thanks



In line with some of the videos on the subject I saw, I shaped the clip to the form I wanted and then basically baked it as high as my toaster oven would go (500-550F) for 1.5-2 hours. I then polished (polishing doesn't work well when dead soft). That's basically all that's needed. I don't believe sterling silver is even capable of being hardened, so I think the Argentium is a good choice.
I tested the spring after it was hardened and there's a decent amount there. I don't think I'd advise an owner of one of my pens to purposefully lift the clip far beyond its intended range, but it's definitely as firm as I think it needs to be.


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