Custom #1

Gdurfey

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:headscratch2:I know.......but.........welll.......okay.........I guess., you are right Duncan
 

ripjack13

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But you won't be given a step-by-step list of instructions

But it would be nice to have a starting point of reference.
You could be the one who breaks the mold and makes a tuturial for people, so they don't waste time and material.

:popcorn:
 

duncsuss

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Tutorial step #1: make a note of your bank balance, it's the last time it will look this good.
 

Sprung

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But it would be nice to have a starting point of reference.
You could be the one who breaks the mold and makes a tuturial for people, so they don't waste time and material.

:popcorn:

There are some tutorials out there - I have some saved to my computer - that will walk you through the entire process, or at least various parts of the process. But Duncan's point, if I'm understanding him correctly, is that following a tutorial exactly will not really yield you a custom pen of your own making, but will yield you a copy of someone else's design - understanding that part of the point of custom pen making is that design is limited to your own imagination, so don't be afraid to take the time to make it a design that is uniquely yours (even if you do draw inspiration from the work of others).

In time, when I have the time, I will do a walk through of me making one or two different designs. Seeing someone else's how they do it can certainly help you with the starting point. But the point isn't just to make a copy of someone else's pen, but to make a pen that is uniquely your design.

(At least I think that's what Duncan is getting at. If so, I agree with him. Even though I'm just getting started on this journey of custom pens, I am really enjoying the limitless design possibilities that are before me.)

And, that all said, perhaps copying a design given in a tutorial could be a beneficial exercise for the first pen or two while you work to get your bearings straight on what to do and how to do it. But, after that, go ahead and try to make them your own!

Tutorial step #1: make a note of your bank balance, it's the last time it will look this good.

whathesaidwhathesaidwhathesaidwhathesaid

I'm almost afraid to do a full break down of what I spent getting tooled up for making custom pens. I will say that it is not a small number - and the only way I personally was able to do it was by making purchases here and there over the course of about 2 years, as shop funds allowed. And that not so small number doesn't factor in nib and feed units, which for a JoWo #6 are about $20/each, or the cost of whatever materials you want to use. Acrylic Acetate blanks are cheap and work nicely - about $3.50/blank at Beartoothwoods and you'll need two blanks to make a pen - but the sky's the limit as far as what material options you have available to you. Oh, and always more tooling that could be bought if you want to, say, start making your own clips or getting more technical and complex in your design ideas that require additional tooling.
 
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