# kitless fountain pen



## duncsuss (Aug 21, 2009)

A while back, a penmaker on the IAP and Fountain Pen Network organized a group-buy of taps for the Esterbrook renew-point fountain pen nib units, and I joined in.

It took me a couple of attempts to make this work, but I finally managed to make a nib section that holds the nib unit in one end and a cartridge-converter in the other, and hasn't let go of either in a couple of days testing.

I decided to try making the clip-ring hidden, but experimenting on some scrap acrylic pieces taught me that none of my existing tools were fine enough to cut the groove that the ring seats in. I have a couple of old files that I'd repurposed as scrapers, I ground down the tang of one of these into a very narrow square-end scraper -- it did the job nicely.

Cap-barrel threads are 12mm x 0.75, barrel-section threads 9mm x 0.75. The cap posts (but I forgot to take a photo of it posted). Thanks for looking.


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## clpead (Oct 10, 2012)

duncsuss said:


> A while back, a penmaker on the IAP and Fountain Pen Network organized a group-buy of taps for the Esterbrook renew-point fountain pen nib units, and I joined in.
> 
> It took me a couple of attempts to make this work, but I finally managed to make a nib section that holds the nib unit in one end and a cartridge-converter in the other, and hasn't let go of either in a couple of days testing.
> 
> ...


That is sweet, great job


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## duncsuss (Aug 21, 2009)

thanks Aaron :smile:


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## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

I am impressed that you are able to turn such fine threads. I expect some materials will work better than others.

No surprise that it took "a couple" of attempts. 

Nice looking pen. Well done. :thumbsup:


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## duncsuss (Aug 21, 2009)

Dave Paine said:


> I am impressed that you are able to turn such fine threads. I expect some materials will work better than others.
> 
> No surprise that it took "a couple" of attempts.
> 
> Nice looking pen. Well done. :thumbsup:


Thanks :smile:

I used taps and dies to cut the threads, lubed with a spritz of aerosol cooking oil. Acrylic acetate takes the threads well, as does ebonite.

I've tried Corian ... it's a challenge -- the threads cut, but it didn't tolerate such thin wall thicknesses, simply cracked up as I was tapping the inside threads. I gave up trying to make the nib section from that, but I'm making a barrel and cap from it and it won't beat me. :laughing:


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