Pen plotters/Pen Hacking
Page dedicated to the modification of Pen Plotter Pens
Pushing Technique
If you're lucky, you have a pen lying around without head. If you're luckier still, the top of the pen will pop right off. A toothpick is the perfect tool.
Cutting Technique
When you're not so lucky, you might need to use a knife immediately. A few notes:
- Not all pens are created equal, some plastics seems to be softer than others
- Cosider pulling the pen-intestants out from the head of the pen (easy after the top has been cut off). This will allow you to more easily push out the top of the pen.
- Be careful!
3D printing Technique
You can also 3D print custom holders. This is a reliable way of obtaining a large number of holders, which has the benefit of being able to have one holder per pen, so that you don't have to align them each time you switch pens.
- This is a GitHub repo with many stl files. The one I have tried did not work for me, however (too slim for the pen specified, or not aligned properly).
- I have made my own (specifically for stabillo 68 / 88 pens), the stl files for which can be found here on Gitea.
Pen Alignment
When using a custom pen, you want to make sure the pen is placed properly in the holder. This includes:
- The pen is properly aligned height wise: the tip of the pen just touches the paper when the plotter holds the pen down.
- The pen is secured, so that it won't loosen or move during plotting.
The former, in particular, can be tricky. You can hold your custom pen next to a regular pen plotter pen and compare the heigts. To make life easier, a vertical alignment rig has been made. It can be found here on Gitea.