Build an easy access nib holder.

I use a calligraphy pen with interchangeable nibs when I am drawing and I tend to lose concentration when I have to dig through my nibs to find the right size. It is also very frustrating to find out that one of my nibs has been damaged from bouncing against another one. So I devised this simple wall-mountable magnetic holder to save my sanity and keep me productive.

Step 1 Supplies used

1 Length of aluminum channel (I used 3/4" x 3/8" with an inside channel of 1/4")
Neodymium magnets (pulled from Magnetix building toys)
Glue gun with glue sticks
Hacksaw (to cut the aluminum)
Drill with 3/16" bit


The length of the aluminum is dependent on how long you want your holder to be and how many nibs you plan on storing on it. Aluminum was used because it is softer than the nibs and will not mar them. Brass could also be used (I didn't because I don't like to look of brass)

How many magnets you need is also dependent upon how many nibs you plan on storing and how long your aluminum is. I found it works best if you use 1 magnet per nib spaced 1 1/2 to 2 inches apart.

I used hot glue because it is easy to use, easy to remove and cheap. You could use epoxy if you choose or even caulk but those all have long drying times.

Comments

[dijital101]

All of my nibs stick to it, however, I used to have some 18K gold nibs that probably wouldn't (stopped using those because they were annoyingly fragile)

[Punkguyta]

This is pretty sweet, I used to do some calligraphy a lot (don't know where my pen set is). But does this work on all nibs? I didn't think they were magnetic.