# Closed end pen from Open end kits???



## mikeschn (Oct 30, 2016)

I haven't made a closed end pen yet, but hopefully soon...

But I have a general question regarding making closed end pens...

Can one just get a regular kit, like a Baron Rollerball, and make it closed end? Would the cap post? 

Just wondering! 

Mike...


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## randyrls (Oct 30, 2016)

mikeschn said:


> I haven't made a closed end pen yet, but hopefully soon...  Can one just get a regular kit, like a Baron Rollerball, and make it closed end? Would the cap post?




Mike;  The short answer is YES.  The Baron is my favorite pen to convert to closed end.  I have even made double closed end Baron kits.  When drilling the blanks, make sure to measure accurately and drill to precise depth(s).  Remember the rollerball has a spring in the lower barrel, and you must drill the hole to match. Also the upper barrel needs a clearance hole for the ink fill point or fountain pen nib. 

Hmmm.  Looks like I don't have any pics of any of the closed end pens.:frown:

These are the drilling dimensions I used for my blanks.  No guarantees, but these depths should get you in the ball park.
Dimensions:
		Cap:  Tube Length = 1.810"
					Tube Drill Size = 11.5mm   (0.452")    Depth = 1.814"
					Center Drill Size = 25/64" (0.390")    Depth = 2.034"   0.220"

		Nib:  Tube Length = 2.089"
					Tube Drill Size = 9.5mm   (0.374")     Depth = 2.097"
					Center Drill Size = 1/4"  (0.250")     Depth = 2.851"   0.750"


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## mikeschn (Oct 30, 2016)

Cool! Thanks Randy... 

Mike... 

P.S. If you come across any of your closed end Barons, I'd like to see a pic! :wink:


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## budnder (Oct 30, 2016)

*Pictures of Baron/Sedona Closed End Efforts*

Here's a search link which returns some nice closed end Baron/Sedona eye candy

Once I got the the drilling depths down, I found them to be pretty straight forward to make. I use a collet to hold the body while I do the finial on the end. They obviously take a bigger blank, something like 7" as I recall, and that's why I probably don't make more of them - seems like I'm always working with something that's not straight enough or big enough to get 7".


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## its_virgil (Oct 30, 2016)

Any rollerball or fountain pen can he made as closed end..even the cap. You will need to experiment for the cap to post. Once you get the process down it is quite easy. And, no special tooling is needed. check out my closed end pen articles  at http://www.RedRiverPens.com/articles
There are others in the library also.
Do a good turn daily!
Don


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## mikeschn (Oct 30, 2016)

Nice articles on closed end pens. Thanks Don!

Just wondering a little bit more about the posting of the cap. How much of the inside of the cap actually touches the pen? Is it wobbly when posted, or is it snug? 

Mike...


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## magpens (Oct 30, 2016)

Mike,

As I understand, you want to use a standard "open end" kit and make a closed end pen.
And you would like it to be postable.

That means you will have to buy the postable version of the "open end" kit.
That means there will be two sets of external threads on separate pieces in addition to the internal cap threads.

One of those external thread sets will be for "posting" while the other for "capping".

You will have to find a way of incorporating the "posting" thread set while at the same time making the end closest to them into a closed end.

I have never done that, but it seems to me that what you will have to work out will be very specific to the kit you choose.

I am very interested in what you are proposing to do and hope you will keep us "posted" !

I have done a postable kitless pen, and that involved cutting two sets of external threads. . Here are a set of pictures:

http://www.penturners.org/forum/f13/ready-not-i-had-show-137859/

You are probably aware that you can now buy closed end pens in kit form (but they are not postable). . Here is an example of one that I did:

http://www.penturners.org/forum/f13/first-closed-end-pen-psi-kit-majestic-jr-139213/


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## its_virgil (Oct 30, 2016)

Post the cap on the end of the barrell with a friction fit. Using the posting threaded hardware and you no longer have a closed end pen. Do some experimenting and decide if you really want the cap to post. Not all normal kits are available in posting and non posting options.
Do a good turn daily!
Don


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## Charlie_W (Oct 30, 2016)

Using a friction fit for posting the cap may result in burnishing or a rub mark where the cap posts on the end of the barrel.
 As Don(Virgil) said, you may not want to post the cap.


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## mikeschn (Nov 1, 2016)

So does it make sense to turn the id of the cap to a certain angle that would most closely match up with the apparent angle of the body of the pen where it would post? 

So instead of posting of just a sharp corner, you are spreading the posting out over a larger area?

How would one do that? Some kind of a tapered drill? 

Mike...


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## duncsuss (Nov 1, 2016)

mikeschn said:


> So does it make sense to turn the id of the cap to a certain angle that would most closely match up with the apparent angle of the body of the pen where it would post?
> 
> So instead of posting of just a sharp corner, you are spreading the posting out over a larger area?
> 
> ...



That's an interesting idea. Perhaps a purpose-built reamer would do; I think I'd use a straight drill (or series of straight drills to different depths) first, then ream the corners away to get a smooth taper.

So far all I've done is round over the internal corner (so it's not "sharp").


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## mikeschn (Nov 2, 2016)

How about a tapered pin reamer? 

The reasonable priced ones come in sizes up to #10

taper pin reamers

Mike...



duncsuss said:


> That's an interesting idea. Perhaps a purpose-built reamer would do; I think I'd use a straight drill (or series of straight drills to different depths) first, then ream the corners away to get a smooth taper.
> 
> So far all I've done is round over the internal corner (so it's not "sharp").


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## Anglesachse (Nov 2, 2016)

A Supplier here in Germany sells a version of the Panache as a Closed end.

He has added small caps to the kit, these are a press-fit int the tubes. A shoulder stops it going to far and it has a 5mm intern thread.

This means you can use one of the bushings and the thread of the mandrel to hold the blank.


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## duncsuss (Nov 2, 2016)

mikeschn said:


> How about a tapered pin reamer?
> 
> The reasonable priced ones come in sizes up to #10
> 
> taper pin reamers



Interesting! It looks like the taper amount is 1 in 48 on the diameter (the metric ones are listed at 1 in 50); that has to be halved to get the taper angle on each side, so it really isn't much taper at all.

Go ahead, be the pioneer and report back what you learn :biggrin:


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## ed4copies (Nov 2, 2016)

Tapering the top of the pen would work fine, IF the cap were tapered.  It is not.

You have the threaded black plastic piece, with which you are mating.  So, a friction fit will require a straight cut on the finial end of the body.


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