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Home made pen nibs to save costs and others

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Dexus
982 posts
Joined July 2009
Topic Starter
Dexus
http://f0rmaldehyde.deviantart.com/art/ ... -343443919

Supposedly they last longer as well, have fun.

Open this, it's the image that shows how to do it

Also, post other home made stuff that may save costs in dealing with certain things.

Update:
Detailed pictures and tips on how making the nibs went by Oinari-sama
Last edited by Dexus , edited 1 time in total.
Kert
2,079 posts
Joined June 2009
Kert
Thanks for the info
But are there any advantages of using a new pen nib if I never draw anything?
Dexus
982 posts
Joined July 2009
Topic Starter
Dexus
Some people ground their pen when they play, or grind it to dust. Doing this is cheaper than ordering those $10 packs and as I said they last longer. If you don't draw with your tablet; then oh well you don't draw? Just sharing for others to know.
Ephemeral
Inland Empire
3,936 posts
Joined April 2009
Ephemeral
spinners are the death of pen nibs and tablet centers everywhere, thanks for this
MMzz
Elite Mapper
3,979 posts
Joined June 2009
MMzz
This is amazing.
Dekonare
459 posts
Joined August 2012
Dekonare
You're supposed to hover your pen.

Anyway nice guide!
GenoClysm
181 posts
Joined July 2013
GenoClysm

Blizzardouz wrote:

You're supposed to hover your pen.

Anyway nice guide!
you're not supposed to do anything, differing playstyles are differing playstyles. I don't hover, as i feel that keeping your pen on the surface of the tablet allows for more tactile feedback and more to lean on. My nibs usually last a a while though, as I generally keep pretty light on the tablet, but for those who are heavy pressers, like i used to be, or maybe just press down on difficult songs or spinners, wearing down nibs is a problem.
but the point is, there is no RIGHT playstyle. people play the way they are comfortable. that is the right way to play
Oinari-sama
osu! Alumni
3,403 posts
Joined July 2010
Oinari-sama
I picked up some trimmer cord and sand paper from Bunnings today (Total Cost = AUD$7.84). It's surprisingly easy to make, though on the hind sight I should've picked up a medium to coarse grade sandpaper instead of fine grade. Here're some shots:

The Wacom Bamboo CTE-650 Pen & nibs my friend lent me few months ago
The nib was already short when I got it, but now there's only ~3mm sticking out of the tip
It came out quite easily using ordinary pliers

Trimmer Cords
Here's what I picked up from Bunning's Warehouse: "Lawn Keeper" general purpose trimmer line, 1.6mm diameter x 15m long for only $6.98!

I remember reading in the guide that 1.65mm is recommended, so I almost bought a Ryobi replacementi spindle (which costs over $12). The shop assistant reminded me that these things aren't exactly made to tight tolerance, so I took this cheap 1.6mm bundle, went down to the machine/tools department and borrowed a micron-meter to measure the diameter myself. lol and behold - the meter reads 1.66mm! Now that I've made the tip, I can tell you that this particular cord fits really well inside my pen.

Cutting up a section that is slightly longer than the worn out nib (untrimmed)

Trimming
I initially tried trimming/profiling with sandpaper as suggested by the Guide, but it's just way too time consuming so I used the profiler tool on my pliers. It's getting somewhere but still way to slow to my liking (ETA was about 5min if solely relying on the profiler).

My "Shortcuts"
So I grabbed the good old nail clippers and... LOL it worked wonders! Just clip away a small portion at a time, making your way around the tip carefully. I managed to reach this profile in just about 30s. After that, I let the profiler and sand paper finishing the smoothing job.

Finished!!!
Although the guide said don't worry about scratching the tablet, mine was borrowed from a friend so I didn't wanna take any chances. I salvaged a piece of screen protector from an old, unused phone and put it over the active section of the tablet - viola! (Apologies for the white balance - I had to re-level after taking the photo because the film wasn't clearly visible)

(Please don't ask me to test if the homemade tip leaves scratches - this tablet is borrowed so I won't do it!!!)
So here are my tips to share:
  1. If you're in Australia, the local Bunnings is your friend
  2. Use medium grade sandpaper (around P150)
  3. Nail clippers and profiler saves you (lots of) time! I could make a nib in about 1min once I get the hang of it.
  4. Straighten the line before cutting. I found it easier to do when the line is still suitably long.
Anyone else tried?
Tekklorn
233 posts
Joined November 2012
Tekklorn
Well nice to know I'm not the only person who's shaving their pen nib from spinners haha, thanks for the information
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