# Kitless Clip



## soligen (Jan 24, 2011)

As I have been taling the kitleaa journey, it just doesnt seem right to put a kit harvested clip on my first kitless pen. So, I've neel looking through past threads for clip ideas.

I think a good place to start is a bent wire clip.  I've seem examples of brass and SS.  I know I can get brass rod easily, but brass is not the right color for this pen.  

I dont know where to get SS wire or rod locally (perfer local becasue I dont want to buy enough that shipping costs make sense).  Also, I'm uncertain about the workability (bendability) of SS.

So, here are the question:

Will aluminum wire/rod work, or is it too soft? (I have a local source for it)

Where type of place would be a good place to look for SS wire/rod?

What are the ins & outs of effectively bending the rod? - espectally SS rod.

Thanks


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## guylaizure (Jan 24, 2011)

I have been able to get ss rod at the local hobby store.I have also seen ss wire.Look for a hobby store that sells rc cars and planes.I have a hobby store a couple of miles away from me in Farmington that carries it.I will try to find their number.


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## skiprat (Jan 25, 2011)

You can get the stainless wire from your local car exhaust shop.
Just take in a slimline or two and they will give you a few lengths:biggrin:

If they make stainless exhausts, then they will use stainless mig and tig welding wire.  I use 1.6mm dia wire. 
A bent 1.6mm   rod will of course total 3.2mm. Any more than this is not springy enough unless the clip is very well anchored in a strong anchor point. 
I have used a single 2mm dia ss arc welding rod, but it is very difficult to secure so that it doesn't spin in it's fixing hole.
I don't think brass or aluminium offer any springiness and are too soft.

Good luck


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## workinforwood (Jan 25, 2011)

Keep watching me make my fountain pens....hopefully this weekend I get to making my clips.


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## soligen (Jan 25, 2011)

Thanks everyone

Guy, I checked a local hobby shop that fits your description. That is where I found the tubes I needed, but the wire they have does not look like stainless. It is called Music Wire (I think) from KS engineering. Tempting to try it anyway, but they were out of the 1/16"

Steven. Thanks I'll try that. 1.6mm is very close to 1/16", so that confirms gut feel on size.

Jeff. I love your tutorial thread (and your past ones). You can bet I'm "watching"  . Will it be a wire clip? Just in case I wanna get materials to copy cat :biggrin::biggrin:. I already changed my approach based on your thread, but I didn't use the plumbing coupler (great idea though).


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## jskeen (Jan 25, 2011)

Welding supply places carry 316 stainless in wire form and rod form for mig/tig welders and usually sell it by the pound.  You might pick up a couple of feet super cheap.  Or trade a pen for a "sampler pack" of the different diameters.  I lucked into a bundle of 316 stainless tig rods years ago, and they have been super handy to have around.  Everything from unlocking cars to hanging stuff to pins for just about anything that needs a pin, it's great to have around just in case.  especially when it's free!


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## workinforwood (Jan 25, 2011)

I'm going to make my clips for these pens from brass, whatever size I have laying around will work perfect. Doesn't really matter if you have a metal lathe, but a collet chuck and a drill chuck and a dremel will be required. The metal lathe helps a lot, but where there's a will, there's always a way. brass will bend, and if you get it to the right thickness, it will have some spring..if it's too thick it won't have spring and if it's too thin it will have too much spring which will cause it to just bend out of shape with use..so you need to find the sweet zone. I find it good to be thicker than 1/16 but less than 1/8.  Ace Hardware has the little blue propane bottles on sale right now..2 for $5..you need those. You need heat to bend metal.  Of course..you are only 80 miles away..you can come watch.


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## ThomJ (Jan 25, 2011)

Welding supply houses have stainless TIG rods


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## MatthewZS (Jan 26, 2011)

That music wire is a VERY tough spring temper that I wouldn't fiddle with.  If you have an ace hardware near you they almost all have a little display full of SS, aluminum, brass, copper, tin .... all in rod, wire, tube, square, sheet, etc......

Most good RC hobby shops will also have this also.  

Welding supply shops will also have brass and bronze rod, I think stainless steel wire AND rod.

Also, tho local is usually best, www.smallparts.com will allow you to buy one single piece of foot or two wire in a variety of metals, very cheap and the shipping is minimal too.  And when I say variety.....  They have ALL sorts of metals that could be fun to work with.


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## Muggsy1776 (Jan 26, 2011)

Dennis did you try Great Lakes hobby shop on Van Dyke?


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## soligen (Jan 26, 2011)

Muggsy1776 said:


> Dennis did you try Great Lakes hobby shop on Van Dyke?


 
Yes, thats where I got my tubes, but they dont carry the stainless.

Also tried Ace, but the lcoal stores dont hae the stainless.

I Grainger carries it, They are having it brought to the local store .. should be here Friday


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## soligen (Jan 26, 2011)

workinforwood said:


> Of course..you are only 80 miles away..you can come watch.


 
That's a wonderful offer, thank you.  Not sure I can fit it in with the other stuff I have going this weekend.  I need to check a few details.  What day will you be working on it?

Should heat be used when bending stainless too?


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## btboone (Jan 26, 2011)

I used titanium wire from Small Parts Inc.  I made bending dies from Delrin rod to get the bends uniform.  Titanium is springy, and stainless can work equally well.


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## workinforwood (Jan 27, 2011)

Saturday is my plan



soligen said:


> workinforwood said:
> 
> 
> > Of course..you are only 80 miles away..you can come watch.
> ...


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## Sylvanite (Aug 1, 2011)

Is there a preferred alloy for making clips?  I see several different types of stainless welding rod - 304, 305, 308, 309, 316, etc.  For marine use, I know 316 is more corrosion resistant, but does the alloy matter for pen clips?

Regards,
Eric


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## soligen (Aug 1, 2011)

I dont really know. I use the 1/16 stainless rod from K&S engineering. I would doubt it matter much, but I can't say as I dont know much about alloys. The K&S stuff I have works fine.


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## snyiper (Aug 2, 2011)

Not sure what material it is but on wiper blades they have very thin long pieces of metal I think is stainless holding the rubber. I use these to fasion lock picks and tension tools this may work and could be free!!!!


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