# Full custom



## Tclem (Jan 18, 2015)

man I never should have started on these. I just have to figure out how to work with acrylic better. This is a rollerball. Uses three pieces of acrylic.

Reactions: Like 4 | Way Cool 4


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## DKMD (Jan 18, 2015)

Cool! How many taps and dies does it take to do one of these? Are they specialized for pens or just run-of-the-mill take and dies?

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Treecycle Hardwoods (Jan 18, 2015)




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## Tclem (Jan 18, 2015)

Didn't spend to much on taps and dies "yet". Used a 12x1 for cap threads and 9x1 to thread the nose cone into the body. Starting out simple. May end up simple too. Lol.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## ironman123 (Jan 18, 2015)

Nice Bolt Action Pen xxxxxxohhh ah roller ball.

Reactions: Funny 1


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## rdabpenman (Jan 19, 2015)

Interesting contrast between the sections.
Well done.
Looks like there is some turning/sanding rings on the cap section?

Les


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## Schroedc (Jan 19, 2015)

Tony- Is that acrylic fairly translucent? How far down did you cut the threads in the cap? Wondering if the rings Les is seeing are the threads on the inside showing through (I have had that happen with some of the acrylics I've threaded before)


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## Tclem (Jan 19, 2015)

rdabpenman said:


> Interesting contrast between the sections.
> Well done.
> Looks like there is some turning/sanding rings on the cap section?
> 
> Les


There is rings les. I'm still trying to figure out acrylic. Have only used it once or twice before


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## Tclem (Jan 19, 2015)

Schroedc said:


> Tony- Is that acrylic fairly translucent? How far down did you cut the threads in the cap? Wondering if the rings Les is seeing are the threads on the inside showing through (I have had that happen with some of the acrylics I've threaded before)


No it is sanding rings. I just messed it up


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## GeauxGameCalls (Jan 19, 2015)

Looks good!

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## duncsuss (Jan 19, 2015)

Nice job, and welcome, Tony ... custom pen making is like the Hotel California ...


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## Tclem (Jan 19, 2015)

duncsuss said:


> Nice job, and welcome, Tony ... custom pen making is like the Hotel California ...


Yeah it is worse than any addiction. Lol. I just keep breaking threads on my body. I'm using a 9x.75 inside and a 12x1 out the outside. Any ideas?


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## Tclem (Jan 19, 2015)

Tclem said:


> Yeah it is worse than any addiction. Lol. I just keep breaking threads on my body. I'm using a 9x.75 inside and a 12x1 out the outside. Any ideas?


Oh and you started all this lol. And why can't I thread wood


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## duncsuss (Jan 19, 2015)

Tclem said:


> Yeah it is worse than any addiction. Lol. I just keep breaking threads on my body. I'm using a 9x.75 inside and a 12x1 out the outside. Any ideas?


First, take a piece of scrap material, say 1.5" or larger diameter, about 10mm thick. Drill it 11mm and tap it with M12x1 threads (I guess that's the same as the interior of the cap?) This will be used as a "collar" to prevent the barrel exploding when you tap the interior to M9x.75.

Make the outside threads before you drill the barrel -- turn however much you want to be threaded to a smidge under 12mm, then thread it with the die.

Now screw the threaded collar onto those threads. This won't guarantee you don't have a problem, but I found it greatly reduces the number of breakages when I drill and tap the barrels.

Wood ... the only one I've been able to thread so far is the DIW Sharpie I just made. It's 26tpi, about the same as M1.0 -- the coarser threads are more likely to work than the finer threads. I'm speculating that stabilized wood might hold threads better than non-stabilized, but I haven't tried that experiment yet.


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## ssgmeader (Jan 22, 2015)

You can't typically thread wood because its cellular structure makes it more pliable than sat ebonite or acrylic. @duncsuss care to post a tutorial??????


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## Tclem (Jan 22, 2015)

Yeah and I keep breaking the tenon off of the acrylic when I try to run a die on it. Just wasted 3 pieces. Ahhhhhhhhbbbbb


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## duncsuss (Jan 22, 2015)

Tclem said:


> Yeah and I keep breaking the tenon off of the acrylic when I try to run a die on it. Just wasted 3 pieces. Ahhhhhhhhbbbbb


what size die -- M12x1 ?
what size tenon -- 11.8mm or thereabouts?
what lube?
and one that I noticed ... what's the temperature in the shop where you're doing this?


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## duncsuss (Jan 22, 2015)

ssgmeader said:


> @duncsuss care to post a tutorial??????


Honestly, I am far from an expert on the subject of cutting threads. Seriously, I've had zero training in machining or metalwork. I can't explain why some of my efforts work and others don't. You'd be better off looking on Youtube for somebody who knows what they're talking about.


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## Tclem (Jan 22, 2015)

9x.75. .346 tenon 8.8. Pam or wd40. About 50-60 but heater on it shop. Using die holder.


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## Tclem (Jan 22, 2015)

Well I done one good them break the next. Oh well I'll get it. If I can get the blank off if the pen mandrel on this one. Lol it is stuck


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## duncsuss (Jan 22, 2015)

Tclem said:


> 9x.75. .346 tenon 8.8. Pam or wd40. About 50-60 but heater on it shop. Using die holder.


Have you tried putting a slight chamfer on the end of the tenon?

I'd try putting the blank in a bowl of hot water (hand-hot, not boiling) for 5 minutes or so, that might make the acrylic less brittle.


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## duncsuss (Jan 22, 2015)

Tclem said:


> Well I done one good them break the next. Oh well I'll get it. If I can get the blank off if the pen mandrel on this one. Lol it is stuck


On a mandrel? Is there a hole down the tenon that you're trying to thread?


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## Tclem (Jan 22, 2015)

duncsuss said:


> On a mandrel? Is there a hole down the tenon that you're trying to thread?


Not on those. This is the body I am working on now. I don't drill the hole until after I put threads on it. I will try the hot water


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## duncsuss (Jan 22, 2015)

I know it's a bit late to suggest this ... there was an outfit called Choice Woods who used to send me their email every month. One time they had a bunch of acrylic pen blanks that were on clearance at a dollar each. They were kind of ugly, but I bought a couple dozen of them just so I could practice this kind of thing without feeling my wallet shrink every time I took a wrong turn.


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## Tclem (Jan 22, 2015)

duncsuss said:


> I know it's a bit late to suggest this ... there was an outfit called Choice Woods who used to send me their email every month. One time they had a bunch of acrylic pen blanks that were on clearance at a dollar each. They were kind of ugly, but I bought a couple dozen of them just so I could practice this kind of thing without feeling my wallet shrink every time I took a wrong turn.


Yeah I'm burning through some blanks


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