# Just a concept at the moment...



## skiprat (Apr 28, 2010)

....but I hope to make it this weekend. 

Instead of getting drunk sitting downstairs in the hotel pub, I'm sitting in my room playing with ideas for a new ( for me anyway) type of cap. I guess you could call it a Bayonet fitting. It works like many quick-connectors that are available mainly for the electrical industry.

Just inside the cap, there will be two small pins ( the yellow bits). These will slide along grooves milled into the front section of the nib. They will get so far and then push the spring loaded red bit further onto the body of the pen. They will stop when they bottom out in a groove cut around the nib. Now the cap can be turned either clock or anti-clockwise so the pins then line up with short blind grooves cut towards the front of the nib. 
The spring will hold the cap back. 

I'm planning on making the nib ( all the green part ) and the cap from stainless steel. I'm not sure what to use for the blank body yet ( the blue section), but I probably will use a nice bit of Bakelite or perhaps a 3D Maze blank from Creative Dimensions ( Charlie and Co ) 
I can't remember if that 3D blank is B2B or Wasp shaped? If it's not B2B, then unfortunately I won't be able to use it as the red bit will need to slide over it.
The red part will probably be a piece of knurled aluminium as it will be the area where the pen is held. 
The two visible grooves in the nib for the cap pins need only be about a millimeter deep.

If anyone can think of any possible pitfalls or other ideas to make it better then I'd love to hear them.:biggrin:

.....now roll on the weekend

I'm working at a shared RAF / USAF Comms base at the moment and there are two Yanks that must have been exposed to the radar too long:biggrin: Great guys but both nuttier than a squirrels breakfast!!!!:biggrin:

Sorry for waffling on....:redface:
Me thinks it time for a pint...


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## gawdelpus (Apr 28, 2010)

Neat Idea ,and quite technical to produce I would think  . I would suggest instead of grooves for the pins to lock into when inserted and twisted ,you might consider small indents to locate the pen in closed position ,only to stop damage if someone tries to "unscrew cap" without first pushing against the spring pressure the cap would then pop out of the indent easily for turning and removal. I may have misread it entirely though hehe, Have fun with it ,cheers John


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## BRobbins629 (Apr 28, 2010)

I've always wanted to do a bayonet cap but never got the time.  I'll be waiting in with anticipation.


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## RAdams (Apr 28, 2010)

Oh that is so cool. I really like that whole concept! I think it would make for a very "industrial" looking pen. Have you considered using an M3 blank? I think the right M3 would push this pen over the edge! I will also be watching with much antici.. antisi... I will be excited to see the results.:biggrin:


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## skiprat (Apr 29, 2010)

gawdelpus said:


> Neat Idea ,and quite technical to produce I would think  . I would suggest instead of grooves for the pins to lock into when inserted and twisted ,you might consider small indents to locate the pen in closed position ,only to stop damage if someone tries to "unscrew cap" without first pushing against the spring pressure the cap would then pop out of the indent easily for turning and removal. I may have misread it entirely though hehe, Have fun with it ,cheers John


 
John, I like your thinking:biggrin: Thanks!!

I changed the taper on the nib ( sharper ) , made the body longer, and swapped the deep latching indents to short round ones.


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## workinforwood (Apr 29, 2010)

This is what you do when you have way too much time on your hands!  I thought about something like this some time back, but I couldn't get past how to put pins in the cap and grooves in the section.  It was getting to the point of "I am too busy for this", so I quickly gave up.  I know your version will be awesome Steve.  If anyone can do it, you can.


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## penmaker56 (Apr 29, 2010)

Visconti came out with that a couple of years ago when they introduced their "Divina" series of pens.


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## skiprat (Apr 29, 2010)

penmaker56 said:


> Visconti came out with that a couple of years ago when they introduced their "Divina" series of pens.


 
Similar Richard. Their 'female' portion of the Bayonet remains visible though and they have the 'male' portion sprung. My spring is in the body and the female portion is mostly hidden. I think that if I used their method then I don't think I could get it fine enough to feel comfortable to hold. If I made it from anything but metal, then I also think the exposed bits would be vulnerable to chipping. 

I've always loved the Visconti styling. 
Incidently, has this happened to anyone else.....
....I once visited the Visconti site and from then on, all the pop-up ads on other completely different sites have been with Visconti pens


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## mredburn (Apr 29, 2010)

You might consider making the retaining pins in a bushing that is epoxied or press fitted into the cap. It would have the advantage of bieng able to drill and insert the guide pins in the bushing where they could be soldered/epoxied in. and the when inserted in the cap they couldnt back out. Of course depending on your welding/brazing skills the pins migh not show on the outside of the cap as it is designed now.  The negative part of the bushing idea would be it would effect the design, by reducing the dimensions of the pen body at the nib area.  If the bushing was no taller than the pins say 2mm the interior of the bushing could be milled so as to form the pins. In this case they would be more of a locking lug than a round pin.

Mike


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## GaryMadore (Apr 29, 2010)

Great: Now we can do Pen Drill!

Company! Fix Caps! ... Presennnnnnnnnnt PENS!

heh

Cheers!

Gary


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## CabinetMaker (Apr 29, 2010)

skiprat said:


> ....but I hope to make it this weekend.
> 
> Instead of getting drunk sitting downstairs in the hotel pub, I'm sitting in my room playing with ideas for a new ( for me anyway) type of cap. I guess you could call it a Bayonet fitting. It works like many quick-connectors that are available mainly for the electrical industry.
> 
> ...


Neat idea but I think you might want to think about putting the spring in the cap instead of the body.  Seems like it would make for a cleaner looking body.  Keep in mind that I am an engineer and not a particularly gifted artist so take this advise with a rather large grain of salt.  In fact, given the level of your work I seen while here, I'll just shut up and look forward to seeing the finished pen!  Have fun.


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## skiprat (Apr 30, 2010)

Hey hey !!! It's the weekend:biggrin::biggrin:

Here are a couple of the parts I've made so far. I made a change to the nib. Instead of having a groove for the cap pins to ride in, I made a flat spot. It does give it a strange look but we'll see...:biggrin:

More later.....unless I wreck it


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