Rich, I dont think you needed the advice to begin with. You doing well enough on your own.
Rich, I dont think you needed the advice to begin with. You doing well enough on your own.
Fountain Pen Sith Lord | Daakusaido | Everything in one spot
Lordly compliments are always appreciated - even from the dark side. Any, it never hurts to socialize an approach especially if you've never tried it before. Techniques for this are very similar to what I've done in other areas.
Cheers,
Rich
Classic Guillochéxxxwww.argentblue.comxxxDamascus Steel
So when can we expect a damascus steel nib from you?
Fountain Pen Sith Lord | Daakusaido | Everything in one spot
Those are very detailed! How did you get that close up?
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One page back, he is using a microscope: Leitz (Leica) Wild M8 and a stereo one at that.
Now that I am on my computer and can see the images better, it does not look like baby's bottom. I know you don't need help with it but that is an odd pit in that nib. That is stock? I would not be happy with that tipping if it where on my pen.
Fountain Pen Sith Lord | Daakusaido | Everything in one spot
I am never beyond help!
If you're looking at the "bottom" picture I think you're referring to that "gash" looking thing. I believe that is an ink shadow. I'll clean it up and retake the photo also at a better angle. On the top view there is a little hole thing right at the slip but I'm not worried about that.
That's a stock nib - brand new.
Let me clean it up.
Damascus nib?! LOL
Cheers,
Rich
Classic Guillochéxxxwww.argentblue.comxxxDamascus Steel
Here's a closer close-up of the underside of the nib. Other than removing a tiny bit to flatten it at the writing angle, possibly the tines are too tight at that angle. Again, the nib writes immediately when using the very tip (vertical). I've done nothing to it so far. I will have to do before and after pics.
Also a picture of the Leica Wild M8. The snaky things are fiber optic lighting. The camera attaches to the black tube sticking up on the right side.
Cheers,
Rich
Classic Guillochéxxxwww.argentblue.comxxxDamascus Steel
Wow, that microscope is SWEET! Good luck with your nib adjustments/mods!
Fountain Pen Sith Lord | Daakusaido | Everything in one spot
Well, I bit the bullet and I am so happy it's fixed. I used Norton Black Ice 2500 grit paper (silicon dioxide) for light material removal by just using the weight of the pen against it and using back and forth motions in the direction of the slit with a little rock side to side to keep away any edges I might produce. I essentially did this at my writing angle plus and minus about 20º. For the finish I used a 3M 3µm grit and all grinding was done with the nib in the pen and with a little water on the paper. The 3M pink stuff is a very light fiber back material with little spots of 3µm aluminum oxide scattered on one side - very porous. I spread the tines a little (oh, so little) using Ivan's technique of pressing on the shoulders of the nib.
Pictures before and after and the papers I used.
Cheers,
Rich
Classic Guillochéxxxwww.argentblue.comxxxDamascus Steel
The difference in the finish looks very pronounced! That buffing really looks like it smoothed things up. I love your detailed photos!
Someone dug up a thread on FPN that has some good information. Of interest, Richard Binder's reply about how he used to use a dremel for his nib grinding. http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/fo...1#entry2322741
Fountain Pen Sith Lord | Daakusaido | Everything in one spot
A little question: Would you say that paying about 30$ is a good price for getting a scratchy pen fixed by a professional. I am thinking about having my Montblanc 32 (gold nib of a MB No.32) fixed as it is a bit scratchy. I got the pen via ebay for about 25$ so I am not really sure whether it is worth it or not...(at the moment I am in favor of putting the hand into the hands of a professional).
Any advice?
If you are not comfortable doing it yourself, it is a no brainer. The pen is going for roughly $150 so even if you spend $50 on nib tuning, you are still ahead of the curve.
Fountain Pen Sith Lord | Daakusaido | Everything in one spot
The pen never goes for more than 80$ on German ebay (even for mint condition pens)...the American prices are a bit too steep.
Fountain Pen Sith Lord | Daakusaido | Everything in one spot
I left my loupe in Germany when I went to Japan. I would also have to by new grinding materials. But I think that even with a loop I would not be able to fix the nib. It seems like one tine is a bit longer than the other one =(
Last edited by Pinkys.Brain; May 4th, 2012 at 09:45 PM.
Ouch. Hard to say without pictures but it might be an oblique nib? My Pelikan 140 has the same thing but it's not scratchy. I received a quote from Greg Minuskin for $130 but that included making it a cursive italic. In the end I am leaving it as is. A 10x or 20x loupe from eBay should be less than $10 shipped.
Fountain Pen Sith Lord | Daakusaido | Everything in one spot
It is a fine nib of an No.34 because I did not like the oblique nib the No.32 came with.
So I guess I will ask the professional to tune it. Since his shop is also I café I will also enjoy some good coffee...
And thanks for you commments, KrazyIvan
Here is a link to a very good article that goes into detail on the techniques for grinding. I don't know how I never came across it before.
http://www.marcuslink.com/pens/about...udwig-tan.html
Fountain Pen Sith Lord | Daakusaido | Everything in one spot
First time I actually saw this being done ... Cool ...
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