So you wanna grind yer own nibs...

[dneal]

The usual disclaimer: Anything you try is at your own risk. I accept no responsibility for what you do or don't do to your nibs.

Waski_the-squirrel did a quick review on the JetPens Chibi, and I mentioned that they're great pens for practicing adjustment, alignment and grinding because they're so inexpensive. He asked for a post about grinding.

This is that post...

Part 1 - The Fundamentals

Most of this is going to be very similar to Ludwig Tan's excellent article on nib-grinding (Google is your friend). Some of his article is a little confusing, so I hope this expounds on what he started. This covers the fundamentals, and in subsequent posts I'll add information about variations, aesthetics, benefits and drawbacks, Dremels, "advanced" techniques etc... with pictures of purchased (and my own) grinds. Right now we're just going to get down and dirty with the basics.

I usually add a couple of Chibi's to my cart when I order something from Jet Pens, but also usually give them away. I have two on hand, and both are extra fine nibs and unsuitable for grinding. I do have a box of Pilot Varsities on hand, and for $2/pen they're great for experimenting with. The advantage of the Chibi is that the nib can be removed, which isn't really the case with the Varsity.

The Varsity does have a blob of a ball for a tip though, and it's easy to see your progress as you go along (although it's hard to photograph your progress when you don't have a macro lens... sorry for that).




Tools used:

- Loupe
- Rag/paper towel to wipe debris
- Shim to clean the slit
- Micromesh buff stick or lapping film
- Lansky sharpening kit. Get one that has the LS1000 ultra-fine, LS600 fine, and LS280 medium stones.



I use the medium stone for initial shaping. Some don't like to go that coarse. The advantage is that it goes quicker, and impatience can lead to mistakes (iridium is much harder than you think). The disadvantage is that you can booger up a nib in a second with one wrong move. This stone is only to get you close, and remove bulk quickly. If you go too far, you'll have scratches/grooves/gouges that you can't get out without making the grind too thin. But hey, it's just a $2 Varsity. Experiment!

I start with the roughest stone, move to the next coarse, and when I'm almost there I use the finest. It is fine enough to make a smooth enough surface to write with, but there will be some feedback. You'll need to use a buff stick or lapping film to get it buttery smooth. If you start with the finest stone, it will take you forever to make any progress. Again, experiment and see what happens!

BEFORE YOU GRIND, MAKE SURE YOUR TINES ARE ALIGNED!!! DO NOT GRIND WITH MISALIGNED TINES!!!

Richard Binder and others have great articles discussing (and showing) nib alignment. The Chibi is a great pen to play with and learn. Misalign them on purpose, and see if you can get them correct again. Once you figure this out you will never need to buy a "tuned" nib again. You'll be able to do it yourself! Check alignment periodically as you grind.

First cut:

Ludwig Tan does the bottom first, but I like to do the top first (for reasons that will be more clear in subsequent posts). Hold the stone stable, place nib, and work it back and forth. Keep your hand and wrist relatively rigid, and use your elbow as the pivot. Try to keep the same plane and angle (especially when you stop and check your progress). Be careful not to scratch the top of the actual nib (it will matter when you're doing a "nice" nib). Don't apply a lot of pressure. Let the stone do the work. Use water as a lubricant (although the ink in the pen does that for you in this case), and DO NOT use the oil that comes with the kit.



This is what we're going for:



And this is what we got. Note that the stamped steel nib is very thin. With a "real" nib, you would grind it closer to flush - but it would make the tipping to thin with a Varsity - so I left this (and subsequent grinds) a little "thick". It also shows what we're doing a little better.



2nd Cut: Next comes the bottom. Same idea as what we did with the top. Be careful not to grind away the feed (a drawback to this method, and grinding with the nib/feed unit intact).



Here's what we're going for:



And here's what we got:



3rd Cut: This is what's going to give us line variation. Hold the nib perpendicular to the stone, and drag it straight back. Lift and repeat. I usually lean it slightly in the direction of the top of the nib, to reduce chatter.





Here's what we're going for:



And here's what we got:



If you quit now, you will have the most crisp italic possible. It also will be almost impossible to write with and the horizontal stroke will be so thin as to essentially not be seen. We need to round that out a little...

(Continued in next post)