Saturday, December 19, 2015

The $2 daiso china pen (version 1: not the current version)

no, I am not talking about the rivere pen. yes, that's good, but the body cracks too easily, and the window for imagination is quite small.

It's this pen I am talking about , in grey and white. the brushed metal edition is my doing. again. i never expected this pen to be so full of surprises, so here goes.





 the nibs are even more astonishing:
left to right: inner matt nib, outer matt nib, flex nib, normal nib.









 And their cartridges are even more crazy: http://pen-vault-ink-cellar.blogspot.sg/2015/09/a-standard-ink-cartridge-new-twist.html

Some WIP:












Tuesday, December 1, 2015

The cerruti 1881 automatic

 [First posted on facebook in feb 2015]

Well, I made a number of modified version pens for this particular cerrruti model. It has great potential, that's the bottom reason, and that I like demonstrator doesn't help. Anyway, here goes.

For a start, this is only an automatic fountain pen that requires a special feed. I don't know if this is done before, but I don't think anyone is more insane than me.

So, how does this work? it loads the ink by pulling the string that pulls the plunger up, and that strings sits quietly in that space. adding some aesthetic to it. that is the simple part.

the magic comes in when it is in use. with the special feed, the plunger will automatically move down when in use, as the air will enter from the rear than the front of the pen. thus when the pen is emptied, the plunger is already touching the nipple. it moves down automatically. The next step to reload is to just pull the string again.


Silicon oil is used extensive to ensure that the plunger is able to move freedom and yet do not move too freely. The right amount of silicon oil also ensures that the the plunger do not act as a weight on the ink and forces ink out. The balance of the amount of frictional force is the key. 


So, why doesn't the air comes in from the front? easy, I reversed what Waterman did decades ago; he opened the air inlet, I closed everything. no air can enter into the feed and into the reservoir. The seal is delicate which requires careful studying of the nib. the feed is filled with superglue where the air might move, and the nib is closely sealed with the feed whereby there is no air inlet from the drain to the nib. thus obviously, this nib cannot flex. It is a hard nib anyway. this nib also do not have a breather hole by its own design.

Honestly, I didn't come up with the engineering in totality. It was an idea borrowed from this vacuum pump from daiso which obviously works, and it works when i use it. 




This is a novelty prototype btw...so, while it works, it may not be practical to all situation.





Monday, November 16, 2015

The Duo (twin nib spy fountain pen) and Capless Flip

 I reckon since I have a couple of days left I might as well make this prototype stuck in my head.

 The Duo

First, the Duo.

 Macgyver might like this..... hahaha...

Nothing fantastic actually....It's a 2 nib fountain pen. That's all. Using the same nib as the Trinity. Made like a Swiss army knife, it is supposed to store with both nibs up. I intended to make this pen easy to hold, slim and easy to remove the nib units.

Personally, i think i have achieved that. :)







Now, the cap. it is spring fitted. notice the 2 extra long legs is bent? yes, it holds onto the pen body when capped so that it does not fall out. that is a property of wood that is most fascinating.  


Grooves are added to make the cap catch better.

 



The full assembly.














So, the operation in process....




Of course, the nib removal should be easy as well, as shown. Eh, some minor enhancement is still required, but well, that's minor. :p




Some WIPs...






  
Hmm, i realized by unmodifying it and keeping just the hidden nib section, i have made myself another capless! just turn it out! So, next, capless Flip!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Capless Flip 

By sealing the first nib's hole, the inner nib has its own cap. Then just flip it out.








Mass Production version and Military grade version.

Status: classified.










Sunday, November 15, 2015

The Box (For a backup ink supply)

Before I could lay my hands on professional ink vials I needed a way to reload my FP when it runs out of ink. A light, fast, quick, safe and easy method. I only had my brains then. That's where I made use of this syringe and made a safety box for it. It is friction fit tight as calculated so, and blocks in places where the syringe will never be depressed no matter the how much the syringe is pressed or depressed.

Of course, it also acts as a self-defense weapon if required. Or a weapon if needed. It may not be ink in that syringe all the time...haha...joking.


This might be the first box ever made for a backup ink supply. Or it isn't. anyway, it's insignificant.


Ink Vials for fountain pen inks

Ink vials are part and parcel of fountain pen users, collectors and researchers. They are used to keep ink samples, different ink mixtures or simply as a ink well. But how many types can there be? Well, depending on the situation, more than what you expected.

I wanted to say type 1 and type 2 are quite the common sight, until i realize almost no one uses them except me. I am the weird one, or I have given too much thought into this as well. 

Type 1 : Basic ink-well/ink samples vials

This is the most basic that I am using. The size is about 3 standard cartridge, it is very water proof, air tight and sturdy. It comes with a screw cap and I have not seen one broke before. Although it is plastic in nature, the material doesn't allow the ink to evaporate that easily.

I use it to keep inks taken from larger bottles for testing pens or as an ink well on the go. It is also used to keep inks left from fountain pens.




















Type 2 :Desk-Type Ink Vials/Ink-wells.

I basically use this ink vials when much more volume is required. Bottom heavy as you can see, it doesn't topple when i use it to refill the pens. It comes with an air tight snap on cap which is very convenient. It is a plastic material.




















Type 3: Glass bottle ink vial : single seal cap.

I will use this vial when more volume is required and that the ink is somewhat expensive. Very air tight and water proof and being glass in nature, I will also use this ink vial when the ink is questionably reactive. In any case, this is a desk bound vial.




















Type 4 : Eyedropper Glass bottle ink vial 

Other than the disadvantages of being bulky and easy to break, these vials are actually very useful to eyedropper pens and experiments as a whole. One syringe to fill a pen. Or a drop here and a drop there to look for chemical reaction between the inks. The bottle is made in glass and so is the syringe.





















Type 5 : Specialized anti-ultra-violet glass vials : Duo seal cap
Some inks are very sensitive to light, for example the yellow or orange inks for some brands. These specialized bottles are used to keep them if required, but that is not the main use of it. A branch of inks are very sensitive to the container's material, the light that falls on it and the air it is in contact with. It requires this type of bottle. These bottles comes expensive, but the manufacturing of those inks too comes not cheap.

It is a duo seal glass bottle. As shown, there is a rubber seal first before the air-proof plastic cap.

One example of those inks is the glow-in-the-dark ink. Yes, it exists. Just that it is expensive and very particular.




















Type 6 : General glass bottles 
 
These glass bottles are just simple used baking color bottles. While they aren't air proof, they are very good bottles to keep those soapy solutions that can be used to clean pen stains or to soak the jammed feed. Their huge volume and glass materials makes them a good choice. Of course, other glass bottles are equally good.



Saturday, November 14, 2015

platinum carbon desk pen - is it really for the carbon ink

I managed to get my hands on a platinum carbon desk pen, which is advertised to be able to use carbon-based ink. Truth be told, I have used the hero 234 carbon-based black ink in pilot penmanship, hero pens, jinhao pens without any problems, so I am a little suspicious if the improvement is the feed or the ink. Anyway, let's just take a closer look at the platinum desk pen's feed, which it says will prevent clogging due to the carbon.

So, comparing a platinum cool to a platinum carbon desk pen. Structurally they look similar....



The nib, doesn't look much of a difference too. Except the 4 legs. its a point to note.


The feed of the carbon version do have a bigger and deeper feed, and the fins are made correctly. The gap is well within the equation's limits, and thus there should NOT be blockages for the pigments and should wash out easily. Do note this is for platinum carbon ink only; other pigments may still be blocked.



The upper part of the feed has a distinctive feature. 2 drains for the carbon feed. larger and deeper too.

 
Nothing distinctive on the underside here....



Tuesday, November 10, 2015

The Trinity - 3 nib, 3 feed fully working fountain pen.

Long story short. Some big company recently made a fountain pen that can switch 4 colors for a simple fountain pen nib and feed and sold it at an astronomical price thinking there is a "technological breakthrough". I will like to think otherwise. While I could appreciate the effort, I couldn't understand the profit. Thus, I challenge to prove myself right.

Within 2 weeks that I am left with, i made a total of 10 different working prototypes. Each prototype is based on different number of nibs it can take and the mechanism used. The number of nibs are 3,4,5 and 6. I stopped at 6 nibs because i cannot find any sane reason for having more than 6 nibs in a pen. The mechanism used are bolt-action, rotating barrel and automatic. They simply means the same thing as in guns : bolt action rifle, rotating barrel magnum and automatic pistol.

To aid explanation, i will just call my nib and feed unit as "the nib".

To make things clearer,

Mechanism code :

Type 1 : bolt-action - pen user is required to manually switch the nib.

Type 2 :  rotating barrel - the nib is stored in a rotating barrel. the nib will be rotated to the loading barrel and pushed out by the user. the old nib will be retracted (not extracted) into the barrel via a backward action first. Nib and feed are loaded via the rear of the barrel.

Type 3:  automatic - the nib is stored in a parallel fashion. loading is done via a magazine method, except they can be stored in 2x2 or 2x3. to load, position the nib to the barrel and push it out.the old nib will be retracted (not extracted) into the barrel via a backward action first. Nib and feed are loaded via the rear of the magazine.

Note that different nibs are used. Pilot, platinum, parker, sheaffer are just a few that I can remember. The key isn't the nib, it is the construction.

Type 2 and Type 3 are extremely complicated in terms of construction. A lot of special parts are made to cater to its mechanism. To be honest, some new feeds are created for type 2 and type 3, with a very special feed where it can automatically remove small clogging due to dangerous mixture of inks specifically for a type 3 model. It isn't rocket science actually. This feed can revolutionized the fountain pen world though and push it forward by 10 years. but well, let's just take things slow and steady.

The coding structure is as such {number of nibs}-{mechanism}. Thus:

3-1 - code name : Trinity. using preppy nibs only.

3-2 - .

3-3 - .

4-1 - .

4-2 - .

4-3 - .

5-1 - .

5-2 - .

5-3 - .

6-3 - code name : Infinity.

I will be releasing Trinity only. The other 9 prototypes will be stored in my vault and only released after a couple of years. As mentioned, I am going to be bounded by the law that my discoveries and inventions are the property of those who feed me, and i don't really like copyrights. And no, I am not working for any pen company. So either they will be revealed later, or someone who inherits my vault will do so. If that person knows how to read the manual in the pen...

Lastly, I don't make designs on paper. Everything is conceived in my head in 3D, calculated and assembled in there, like an inbuilt autocad system. Only the prototypes are made. So, either the prototypes are left behind, or not.

The Trinity 

 The name is given in honour of my maker (Father, Son, Holy Spirit - The Holy Trinity), whom gave me the wisdom, courage and strength to create this first prototype, that would give rise to the other 9 prototypes. 

This is a 3 nib and feed fountain pen. The first in the world I believe. Measured 15 cm cap to cap. A mere 1.5cm in width. It is a normal sized pen. placed side by side with a twsbi-AL.
 

13 cm measured for the internal pen.


All 4 sides















The nib unit. This uses the preppy nib and a specially created ink reservoir. As preppy nibs come in EF gold plated, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.5, you can choose any 3 to fit into this pen. And that the reservoir is different means you can load any ink, any ink of your choice, be it brand, color, type, pigment etc. it is just a unit of its own. This reservoir acts like a rubber sac and can be used to suck ink up, thus doubling as as converter. However, i prefer to use it as an eyedropper mode instead. cleaner and simpler.




















Testing with water first for leakages. Nope.












Making sure the depth of the pen cap is calculated for :













 The full dis-assembly:













 How it works:
 Front nib extraction. This shows why it is a "bolt-action". You can extract the nib full unit by "pushing" it out.




Rear nib storage extraction.





 And finally, writing with it.



Some initial photos of the pen before its external structure is beefed up.