"grinding" glass dip pens?

note: not talking about Ernst pens here.

I know the nib on a glass dip pen can be smoothed. What I don't know
(among many other things) is whether or not it can be shaped in a
similar fashion that metal nibs are shaped - essentially - I'd like to
see if I can turn a glass pen into a "stub" of sorts.

Any thoughts? (preferably related to the question and not
disparaging.) :P

KCat

kcat wrote:
I know the nib on a glass dip pen can be smoothed. What I don't know
(among many other things) is whether or not it can be shaped in a
similar fashion that metal nibs are shaped - essentially - I'd like to
see if I can turn a glass pen into a "stub" of sorts.
Any thoughts?


I didn't know you could do much with glass nibs. You could probably
smooth off a bur, but I cannot imagine you could make a stub. You would
need to change the inkflow and you cannot deepen the ink channels in the
glass.

Nancy

kcat wrote:

... I'd like to see if I can turn a glass pen into a "stub" of sorts.

I'm certain a glass blower could make one from scratch. Not so certain
that you could successfully grind a round point into a stub.

Maybe you could melt the end and draw it out flat--good glass blowers
can do all sorts of neat tricks. Another thought that comes to mind are
those very thin capilery tubes used for some sorts of lab work. If
those are a suitable glass, you might be able to melt a pair onto
opposite sides of the point and widen it into a stub.


--
--Paul

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On Mon, 08 Dec 2003 01:43:13 GMT, "Paul J. Ste. Marie"
wrote:

kcat wrote:

... I'd like to see if I can turn a glass pen into a "stub" of sorts.

I'm certain a glass blower could make one from scratch. Not so certain
that you could successfully grind a round point into a stub.

well - there are the Ernst pens (hope I've got that spelling correct)
and they are gorgeous but out of my price range. I know he does some
interesting things with the nibs.

those are a suitable glass, you might be able to melt a pair onto
opposite sides of the point and widen it into a stub.

I'll save the fireworks for someone less clumsy. I have smoothed a
glass nib and as Nancy pointed out, flow probably would be hard to
control such that a flattened glass nib is of any value.

jus' wonderin. I do that sometimes.

mini tanks,
k

On Mon, 08 Dec 2003 00:26:46 GMT, (Nancy Handy)
wrote:

I didn't know you could do much with glass nibs. You could probably
smooth off a bur, but I cannot imagine you could make a stub. You would
need to change the inkflow and you cannot deepen the ink channels in the
glass.

Nancy

Thanks Nancy - I guess I didn't think of glass nib flow as that much
different from metal dip nibs (I use Mitchells mostly) so i'd hoped
the flow wouldn't be a huge issue. But I suspect you're correct. ah
well... worth asking.

Ta,
k