How to make a Lining Pen

[tractionengine42]

I can across some 'blunt dispensing needles' on an internet auction site, very cheap to buy and thought they could be used to make a lining pen.
So I bad a go and after some experimentation got reasonable results, I just need to learn more of the technique and plenty more practice.

I made some videos :
Making the nib holder
Modifying the needles and 1st trail run at lining
Some improved results

The second and 3rd video's show me modifying the needles and doing some lining practice.

I'm now working towards lining a Stuart 10V steam engine.

I hope this is useful

Nigel

 

[john_reese]

The tubular Leroy and Rapidograph pens used for ink drawings had wire inside the tube. I think its primary purpose was to control ink flow. It also allowed cleaning the pen. What you are making looks similar to the Leroy. Here is what the original Leroy pen looked like.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/2-1950S-Le...h=item25fea234af:g:JOIAAOSwImRYITfM:rk:6:pf:0

 

[tractionengine42]

Hi John,
Thanks for that info, I hadn't known about of heard of Leroy pens.
Regarding my lining pens larger nibs there's a balance to be had with respect to paint viscosity and wire diameter, get this right and you get a good even line width, if there's too much paint flow then the line width varies.
On the smaller nibs getting a line with good paint density, it's a balance between paint viscosity and speed painting the line.

On a previous model I used an old fashioned draughtsman's pen, the problem I found was that you tend to get what I would call a high build line which doesn't look right, with the lining pen you get a much flatter painted line, if you follow what I mean.

Thanks again.

Nigel

 

[Brian Rupnow]

Interesting post. I had to look---Didn't know what a lining pen was.--My education continues.---Brian

 

[john_reese]

Nigel,
I am happy my information was of some use. I hated those damn Leroy pens for ink drafting. The Rapidograph that came later had a large ink reservoir so you didn't have to keep refilling. The Rapidograph had a much longer tubular nose than the Leroy. I was wondering if the Rapidograph pens could be used as lining pens if the paint viscosity was low enough.

When you mentioned the standard draftsman's pen are you referring to what I call a ruling pen which consisted of two harrow blades that held the ink between them? A screw adjusted the distance between the blades to control line width.

 

[tractionengine42]

John, Yes that's exactly the type of draftsman's pen i used the ruling pen you mentioned, I wasn't sure of it's proper name, worked reasonably well but as I said it gave a kind of high build up of paint though more practice with it may have provided better results.

Brian, pleased you learnt something from my post.

Nigel

 

[olympic]

For me, the real fun of this was the "accurate drilling" demonstration. I have no technical training whatever, and all that placing of blocks and drill bits was a real revelation. Can't wait to try it myself.

Thanks!

 

[tractionengine42]

Olympic, thanks for your feedback, I was hoping that method would be of interest to someone, you do need to take your time with it, I've found that with patients very accurate results are possible.

Thanks
Nigel

 

[clogs]

what about the "BUGLER" lining paint pen.......use's a wheel to lay the stripe.....many dif sizes of line can be done ...there's even a double liner.......
very impressed with mine.......don't use it much any more.......
had it for as long as I can remember, must be 40 years........
will be digging it out soon as rebuilding my 1920 Citroen pick up truck........

 

[tractionengine42]

Clogs, Yes I have a Bugler liner and it's great, I used it on my 3" scale tarction engine however, for small tight curves and radii on models I didn't get good results hence my reason for an alternative. I'll continue to use the Bugler on larger scale and full size projects and my lining pen on smaller scale models.
Lining pens similar to the one I presented are available commercially (but of course not using dispensing needles), the objective was to build an effective lining pen at very low cost.

Thanks, and good luck with your Citroen truck

Nigel

 

[olympic]

Nigel,

I'm not renowned for my patience; nonetheless, I'll try very hard to achieve the accuracy in drilling that you have demonstrated.

 

[JohnBDownunder]

Thank you for posting. A well demonstrated project though I am not into pin striping yet I still found it interesting.
Now off to see if I can find those clamps you used on the drill press as they are new to me,
John B