Attaching Pen to Lever.—In the case of wooden levers, it is sufficient to slit the end centrally for a few inches after drilling a hole rather smaller than the pen, at a point which lies over the centre of the card platform, and quite squarely to the lever in all directions, so that the pen point may rest squarely on the card. (Fig. 175.)
Another method is to attach to the end of the lever a vertical half-tube of tin, against which the pen is pressed by small rubber bands; but even more convenient is a small spring clip shaped as in Fig. 176.
[Illustration: FIG. 176.—Clip to hold glass pen.]
The card platform should be perfectly flat. This is essential for the production of good diagrams. If wood is used, it is advisable to glue two thin pieces together under pressure, with the grain of one running at right angles to the other, to prevent warping.
Another important point is to have the card platform square to the rod. If a piece of tubing fitting the rod is turned up true in the lathe and soldered to a disc screwed to the underside of the table, perpendicularity will be assured, and incidentally the table is rendered detachable.
To hold the card in place on the table, slit a spring of an old photographic printing frame down the middle, and screw the two halves, convex side upwards, by one end near two opposite corners of the platform. (See Fig. 170.) If cards of the same size are always used, the table should be marked to assist adjustment.
Making Pens.—The most satisfactory form of pen is undoubtedly a piece of glass tubing drawn out to a point, which is ground down quite smooth. The making of such pens is rather a tedious business, but if care be taken of the pen when made it will last an indefinite time.
Tubing 3/16 or 1/8 inch in external diameter is suitable. Break it up (by nicking with a file) into 9-inch lengths. Take a piece and hold its centre in the flame of a small spirit lamp, and revolve it till it softens. Then draw the glass out in as straight a line as possible, so that the points may be central. If the drawing is done too fast, the points will be much too long to be of any use: half an inch of taper is quite enough.
Assuming that a point of satisfactory shape has been attained—and one must expect some failures before this happens—the pen may be placed in the pen lever and ground down on a perfectly clean wet hone laid on the card platform, which should be given a circular movement. Weight the lever so as to put a fair pressure on the point.
The point should be examined from time to time under a strong magnifying-glass, and tested by blowing through it into a glass of water. For very liquid ink the hole should be as small as you can possibly get it; thick inks, such as Indian, require coarser pens.