# Watch Part Pen



## johndrew (Sep 10, 2010)

I am new to making pens and the idea of using watch parts is very interesting.

Could I place the watch parts on a black piece of soft cloth, leave a gap in the parts for the backside.  take a picture and use it inside the pour? Would this give almost the same effect, and then the dup photos could be used in additional pens?


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## Russianwolf (Sep 10, 2010)

yes, you can do that. I recall someone a while back doing the exact same thing on snakeskin so he wouldn't waste materials while he was working on technique. Someone even mentioned this same concept recently with the "embossed papers" (for lack of a better term) so that they would still have a 3d effect.


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## ldb2000 (Sep 10, 2010)

Yes it can be done that way but it wouldn't have the same effect as real 3d parts cast in the resin . It would simply look like a photo cast in resin .


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## workinforwood (Sep 14, 2010)

The next problem is the seam.  You wrap a photo and there will be a seam and because the photo has all these gears and parts on it they won't match up at the seam.  A photo of a snake skin would work ok, because the skin is pretty much the same all around and so busy it blends itself together, but not watch parts.


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## btboone (Sep 16, 2010)

The next big step is to use gears that work...


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## alphageek (Sep 16, 2010)

btboone said:


> The next big step is to use gears that work...



Even with access to all the cool toys you have Bruce, my brain can't wrap around any way to make that work... Even with really tiny gears that don't need bending.

Not that its NOT possible, but that would be a mindblowing pen, thats for sure.


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## ed4copies (Sep 16, 2010)

C'mon Dean--small worm gears could be made to mesh.

Now, keeping them on the tubes???????????

And keeping KIDS away from them??????????


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## ldb2000 (Sep 16, 2010)

btboone said:


> The next big step is to use gears that work...


To take the concept one step further , the gears turn as you twist the pen to advance and retract the refill :biggrin:


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## btboone (Sep 16, 2010)

I could see a ring gear around the tube and 3 or 4 planet gears coming off 90 degrees to that contacting another ring gear.  It could be made to move when the pen was twisted.  It would definitely be a challenge.  One I wouldn't mind taking up if I had the time.  Maybe one day I'll retire and do cool stuff like that.


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## devowoodworking (Sep 16, 2010)

Something like this could be expanded upon...:wink:

http://www.kinektdesign.com/products.php


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## alphageek (Sep 16, 2010)

btboone said:


> Maybe one day I'll retire and do cool stuff like that.



OMG... says the guy who does the coolest stuff around for a day job (IMO).   When I grow up, I wanna be like you


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## BigguyZ (Sep 16, 2010)

devowoodworking said:


> Something like this could be expanded upon...:wink:
> 
> http://www.kinektdesign.com/products.php



Just use a small size one for the center band!  That'd work...


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## OKLAHOMAN (Sep 16, 2010)

Bruce can I spend a day in your brain?


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## Drstrangefart (Sep 16, 2010)

I'm wondering if you could glue small gears to the tube, then cast the resin on the tube. If I get access to resin casting at any point I'm gonna try it with maybe ants. Take the tube, coat it in medium CA, then plop gears on it or roll it across a bed of tiny parts. Then cast away.......


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## jttheclockman (Sep 16, 2010)

Drstrangefart said:


> I'm wondering if you could glue small gears to the tube, then cast the resin on the tube. If I get access to resin casting at any point I'm gonna try it with maybe ants. Take the tube, coat it in medium CA, then plop gears on it or roll it across a bed of tiny parts. Then cast away.......


 

That is done all the time. That is one way some of the castings are done. There is a whole many things you will be able to try when you learn to cast. Take things slow.


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## btboone (Sep 16, 2010)

There could also be a design where a centerband has sideways facing gear teeth, like a centerband with castellated notches up top. These could be hand filed. There could be a reduced diameter onto which the planet gears would be affixed by their axles, then a similar notched band above it. The gears would be exposed rather encased in resin, but the effect would be cool. This would actually work and wouldn't be bad to make. The gears could actually continue in stacks all the way up the cap or pen body. Rotating the ring at the end would drive all the gears all the way down.

Oops, I didn't see the link.  John, exactly like that concept.  It could be done in several rows and still would work as long as one end was fixed.


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## Drstrangefart (Sep 17, 2010)

jttheclockman said:


> Drstrangefart said:
> 
> 
> > I'm wondering if you could glue small gears to the tube, then cast the resin on the tube. If I get access to resin casting at any point I'm gonna try it with maybe ants. Take the tube, coat it in medium CA, then plop gears on it or roll it across a bed of tiny parts. Then cast away.......
> ...


 

Seemed like it would make sense. I'm working at a natural pace for me. Right now my dad has all the equipment, so I gotta wait until I'm at his place to do anything. Also, a clever excuse to hang out with the old man. But, I do plan on setting up my own turning station and learning a lot more.


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## ldb2000 (Sep 17, 2010)

btboone said:


> There could also be a design where a centerband has sideways facing gear teeth, like a centerband with castellated notches up top. These could be hand filed. There could be a reduced diameter onto which the planet gears would be affixed by their axles, then a similar notched band above it. The gears would be exposed rather encased in resin, but the effect would be cool. This would actually work and wouldn't be bad to make. The gears could actually continue in stacks all the way up the cap or pen body. Rotating the ring at the end would drive all the gears all the way down.


 
Make the pen finial operated and use different ratios for the rings so that the different rings turn at differing rates .


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## btboone (Sep 17, 2010)

To really do it right, you would have the centerband spline to the pen body and internal threads up towards the nib, so that all the gear turning actually does lock the cap to the body.


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## Russianwolf (Sep 17, 2010)

btboone said:


> To really do it right, you would have the centerband spline to the pen body and internal threads up towards the nib, so that all the gear turning actually does lock the cap to the body.



So get to work Bruce.:tongue:


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## btboone (Sep 17, 2010)

I'll do it in my "spare" time.


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## btboone (Sep 17, 2010)

Actually, it wouldn't be too tough to laser cut the gears from wood or acrylic.  Wouldn't be as strong or look as good as metal, but it could be done pretty easily.


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## bensoelberg (Sep 17, 2010)

For the record, I really like where this thread is headed.  As cool as the watch part pens are, a functioning gear pen would be amazing.


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## btboone (Sep 17, 2010)

The gears wouldn't have to be strong, as they're just along for the ride.  The unscrewing of the top end of the cap would be 1:1 ratio on the threads, and no torque actually goes through the gearing.  Think of that as a normal cap.  The centerband would stay oriented to the pen body because of the splines.  The gears inbetween would rotate in opposite directions on the different rows.

It's also possible to invert the whole mechanism and have the threads at the centerband and the end cap not rotating relative to the pen body, but I don't think that would be as straightforward.


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## workinforwood (Sep 17, 2010)

Drstrangefart said:


> I'm wondering if you could glue small gears to the tube, then cast the resin on the tube. If I get access to resin casting at any point I'm gonna try it with maybe ants. Take the tube, coat it in medium CA, then plop gears on it or roll it across a bed of tiny parts. Then cast away.......



Sounds like a ground breaking idea.  I like the thought of casting gears on a pen.  You may need to bend the gears a bit so the form to the tubes, but I'm sure you can do it.  It would be like a watch, but a pen.  You could even mount the watch face on the tubes too, that would be even nicer!


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## Padre (Sep 17, 2010)

Could not a movable centerband gear, with two facing fixed gears do the job?


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## Drstrangefart (Sep 17, 2010)

workinforwood said:


> Drstrangefart said:
> 
> 
> > I'm wondering if you could glue small gears to the tube, then cast the resin on the tube. If I get access to resin casting at any point I'm gonna try it with maybe ants. Take the tube, coat it in medium CA, then plop gears on it or roll it across a bed of tiny parts. Then cast away.......
> ...


 
I'm not concieted enough to refer to any of my ideas as groundbreaking, but bending gears, watch faces, and stuff seemed natural for casting. Imagine wrapping a moth around a tube then casting it..... The idea lends itself to a lot of exploration.


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## workinforwood (Sep 17, 2010)

Drstrangefart said:


> workinforwood said:
> 
> 
> > Drstrangefart said:
> ...



yea, well I'm not a serious enough person to do anything but "bust your balls!" :biggrin:


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## Drstrangefart (Sep 18, 2010)

workinforwood said:


> Drstrangefart said:
> 
> 
> > workinforwood said:
> ...


But, but, but..... I don't wanna have my balls busted..... I may have fulfilled my genetic obligation and now they're for display more than anything, but I am kind of attatched......


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