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First Vacumatic


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#61 brando090

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Posted 14 May 2013 - 10:59 PM



George,

Nice lot of vacs, did you buy them? As I've said before, I'm no longer on what, and I don't buy on there. Good deal it looks to be. And yes, I have some of the pensut away for a trade.


English, Brandon. Try writing in English...

regards

d


Thanks David,

I didn't even realize the word correction technology did this. It sure did change things, but I got it back to normal.

#62 FarmBoy

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Posted 15 May 2013 - 03:22 AM

I'm back for a few minutes between things that have deadlines and pentalties if not finished.

Since we are talking about how pens are made and I'm fond of manufacturing in the Golden Age as well as materials processing-take a look at your Vacumatics and see if the raw material was from a rod or a tube and if it came from a tube, how was the tube made? I'll openly admit this is somewhat of a trick question. Anyone can play though perhaps David (most of them that play here) and George (nice to see you here posting again) should hold off on their answers.

Edited to fix iSpell bi iPhone

Edited by FarmBoy, 15 May 2013 - 03:24 AM.


#63 Inkysloth

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Posted 16 May 2013 - 11:20 AM

I'm back for a few minutes between things that have deadlines and pentalties if not finished.

Since we are talking about how pens are made and I'm fond of manufacturing in the Golden Age as well as materials processing-take a look at your Vacumatics and see if the raw material was from a rod or a tube and if it came from a tube, how was the tube made? I'll openly admit this is somewhat of a trick question. Anyone can play though perhaps David (most of them that play here) and George (nice to see you here posting again) should hold off on their answers.

Edited to fix iSpell bi iPhone


I've been mulling this one over, and have been thinking about the striped vacumatic pattern.

Are the stripes produced by laying a sheet of dark celluloid on a sheet of light, then the two sheets passed through a roller to press them together and reduce the total sheet thickness. This sheet is then cut in half, and the now two-tone sheet laid on top of the first half of two-tone sheet. Which is then rolled again to reduce the thickness, and produce a striped dark-clear-dark-clear sheet.

This process of rolling, cutting, and layering continues until the number of stripes desired is produced.

The large sheet of celluloid can then be cut into blocks passing vertically through the sheet to produce rods, which are then turned down into pen blanks, and then shaped.

Here's a bad diagram.
Posted Image

I suggest Vacumatics are mostly made from rod stock - although the jewel ends may be disguising caps on tube stock bodies, the blind cap of the single jewelled Vacumatics is a single piece of celluloid, not a tube with a cap.

I have seen a picture of a Vacumatic with a "seam" running lengthwise up the pen, which shows it was made from wrapped tube. These pens are in the minority though.
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#64 Christof Z

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Posted 16 May 2013 - 11:38 AM

Wow! I love your sketch, and I also think this is the way how plastic for Vacumatics has been made. Like plywood, is this material is more sturdy than solid blocks.

Now, this is a bit off Topic, but I am wondering how this material has been made...

Posted Image

I think that the binde around the Barrel and the cap tube are tubes, but the cap top Looks solid:

Posted Image



If this also should have been made from sheets, it probably would have taken about 1000 steps!

#65 Inkysloth

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Posted 16 May 2013 - 07:11 PM

Wow! I love your sketch, and I also think this is the way how plastic for Vacumatics has been made. Like plywood, is this material is more sturdy than solid blocks.

Now, this is a bit off Topic, but I am wondering how this material has been made...

Posted Image

I think that the binde around the Barrel and the cap tube are tubes, but the cap top Looks solid:

Posted Image


If this also should have been made from sheets, it probably would have taken about 1000 steps!


Well, if it is made by stacking, squeezing, and cutting, it won't take too many stages of that as remember, with two colours the number of stripes grows exponentially by a factor of 2. Starting with 2 layers, you go to 4 layers, then 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512, 1024... you get the picture!

I'm still trying to work out how to get the pattern on your Pelikan, but I've seen similar done in polymer clay, so I'm sure it is a variation on layering, squishing & stacking.You can see the top of the cap is the "end" of the layers - the thin edge of the slice. It looks like it's been stacked, cut to a square cross-section, and then turned through 90 degrees, stacked again... or something. I almost want to get some fimo out to start playing with layers to see what results I get!

Edited by Inkysloth, 16 May 2013 - 07:16 PM.

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#66 AltecGreen

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Posted 16 May 2013 - 07:54 PM

Inkysloth is pretty close on how many of the old celluloid patterns were made.

The key is that cellulose nitrate and cellulose acetate are made as a paste/dough rather than as a liquid. By coloring slabs of the paste and rolling/cutting and then stacking, various patterns can be made.


The following two videos are from Mazzucchelli. They were one of the last makers of celluoid nitrate in Italy and still make celluloid acetate for many applications.


The first video is Mazzucchelli's own video that show their process. This video is a bit flaky and it might not load the first time. If the video shows just white, try again.



This is another video that shows the making of a camo pattern celluloid acetate.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dieDZJbBhs&feature=youtu.be

#67 jacksterp

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Posted 20 May 2013 - 10:02 PM

The above videos are fascinating - I had absolutely no idea...

Thanks so much for those!




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