# Kitless pen, tools required?



## Marines1407 (Jun 14, 2013)

Hello all, I am a new member to IAP and this is my first post. I have been turning kit pens since January and I have made many different types of pens. I have recently begun to cast my own blanks for additional customization. 

My wife looked through Pen World magazine and has tasked me with making a completely custom pen without a kit. I currently have all the tools needed to make just about any kit pen and cast blanks, wood lathe, drill press, ect. 

My question is what tools will I need to begin making a pen from scratch? Where can I find the best deals on those tools? I am limited on money and space as well. I see from other posts the closed end clipless fountain pen seems to be a good starting point. Any help on this matter would be greatly appreciated. 

Thanks,
Branden


----------



## creativewriting (Jun 14, 2013)

The IAP library should have just about everything you are looking for!


----------



## Ed McDonnell (Jun 14, 2013)

Hi Branden - Here's a great thread that was recently posted that will show you what one person used to create a pretty nice pen.

http://www.penturners.org/forum/f56/custom-fountain-pen-scratch-tooling-all-111509/

What you actually need will depend on what design you settle on and what material you want to use.   If you want to make custom metal components you will need a lot more tooling than if you want to use kit components in some key spots (like couplers and sections) or if you want to use all resin.

For a custom resin pen (no metal fabrication) you can just add some taps and dies to your kit and create something pretty nice.  If you want closed end, you need some sort of mandrel / jam chuck to hold the piece while you work it.  Cutom metal work can mean the addition of a metal lathe / mill and maybe even equipment for casting metal (not a trivial exercise).

There are some very informative articles in the library.  Click on the pens subsection and scroll down to see articles on closed-end pens and various kitless tutorials.

Good luck.

Ed


----------



## mredburn (Jun 14, 2013)

Here are a couple articles fro the library under "pens" that may help you as people step up to answer
http://content.penturners.org/library/pens/kitlessclickpen.pdf
http://content.penturners.org/library/pens/kitless_pen.pdf

there are a couple more if you wander through there. 

Mostly to build a pen from scratch you will first need a design. What type of pen? A napkin sketch can some times help if you dont have a firm Idea.  The type of pen you decide to build will eliminate or require certain tools.   You dont need a metal lathe but it might make it easier if you have one or access to one.


----------



## Gilrock (Jun 14, 2013)

Here's a link with a photo of the tooling I've made to help create kitless pens and at the top of the post is a link to a post with instructions I found very helpful to get me started.

http://www.penturners.org/forum/f56/kitless-tooling-103535/#post1464231


----------



## LagniappeRob (Jun 14, 2013)

The taps and dies have been holding me back... $$$


----------



## Justturnin (Jun 14, 2013)

I know nothing about what you need but here is another great thread w/ some details about Taps and Die sets.


http://www.penturners.org/forum/f18/tap-dies-kitless-pens-guide-110588/


----------



## Ed McDonnell (Jun 14, 2013)

LagniappeRob said:


> The taps and dies have been holding me back... $$$



You can start using standard size taps and dies that don't cost a lot of money.  It's a (relatively) affordable way to see if you like doing kitless and to work out all your design issues.  Once you know you love it and you have a good design or two, you can go decide whether to make the investment in triple start stuff.

Ed


----------



## Displaced Canadian (Jun 14, 2013)

First you will have to decide what kind of pen. Then if you want to use a clip because if you do it will pretty much set the diameter of the pen. There is also the type of materiel you will want to use. Epoxy type resins thread better than PR resins. You will also find that the finer the threads the easier the threading goes. I get my stuff at Victor Machinery. For a capped pen most use something in the neighbourhood of 9 to 10 MM. for the nib and 12 to 14 MM. for the cap. I would recommend getting a die holder that goes in the tailstock of your lathe. It helps keep the die starting straight. You will also find a thin parting tool quite handy. I made mine from a sawzall blade. I found going custom is a lot more time consuming and a lot more fun that component pens. Have at it and keep us posted.


----------



## edstreet (Jun 14, 2013)

You know what I find interesting here?  This topic has been brought up many times over the years with very good answers and so forth.  To date there has been no sticky post on the forums regarding topics like this.

Don't get me wrong, this topic is greatly needed as I myself had had to search to find answers like this one.


----------



## BradG (Jun 14, 2013)

Dont be misguided in thinking triple start taps and dies are the way to go. Theyre very expensive, and certainly have their benefits allowing the cap to screw on in a few different positions. Though for me, its essential the lid design matches up with the body in alignment so a triple start wouldnt be any use at all. conventional .75 pitch taps and dies for me, lid screws on to the same spot every time


----------



## Marines1407 (Jun 15, 2013)

*Thanks*

Thank you all for the valuable information. I have begun to plan my pen and researched some tools needed. Hopefully soon I will have a picture of the finished pen.


----------

