I have been making pens with bullet shells and then went on to nickel plating them.  After that I tried the same method with copper plating.  It didn't work out as well as I had hoped.  I decided to go with the original formula using copper acetate and distilled water.  Success!  Should not have varied from the theme.  The pictures don't do them justice but believe me they look like a shiny new penny.  I also found out that the copper goes over the grass well but does not go over the nickel at all.  Here are the best I could get for pictures.

 

  

 

Here are all three.  Polished brass, nickel plated, copper plated.

 

 

 

 

 

They are beautiful Dan. They are also a perfect example of what perseverance can do for an artist. Nice!!

Fantastic.  Thanks for showing us what you've been up to.  Those are fantastic.  

You are doing a great job on these . I vote for brass but I am prejudice. What is the black material close to the point?

50 minutes ago, Gerald said:

What is the black material close to the point?

 

I make the pens utilizing the Zebra F-301 pen and the black part is part of the original pen.  The bullet shell is the only part that is not original to the pen.  The plunger and the nib are nickel plated brass.  I leave them as is for the nickel pens, sand the nickel off and polish the brass for the brass pens and do the same for the copper pens but then copper coat the brass.

 

Edited May 21, 20197 yr by HandyDan

55 minutes ago, Gerald said:

I vote for brass but I am prejudice.

 

I like the brass too.  Being the one that makes them the nickel pens get a close second since they are the easiest to make.

Really nice pens, Dan!