Cam Pen

For this project, I challenged myself with the reinvention of an everyday object: The Pen

Ideation

Originally conceived as a folding pen, I distilled the design down to its simplest form: a cam driven pen

Constantly sketching and doodling, my ideas bleed onto my classwork and daily Todo lists

I obsess over process, practicing and iterating on sections of the design before diving into the full product

The grip, “cam holder” and fastener are all still a work in progress, constantly evolving with each new version

Rapid Prototyping

Alongside early sketches, a 3:1 laser-cut prototype put the cam design to the test. No rubber bands on hand — a hair tie did the job

Once the body was fleshed out on the mill and lathe, laser-cut acrylic and 3D-printed PLA helped dial in the cam design before committing to CNC'd brass

Manufacture

Performing the majority of the work manually built a deeper understanding of the advantages and limitations of automation

The organic profile of the cam naturally lent itself to the CNC mill — though a flip milling operation is required to chamfer both sides

The cam shown is a WIP, requiring greater precision in the z-axis

Drilling a 5" hole for the pen body was surprisingly time-consuming — a process the current facilities can not automate

Final Product

I genuinely believe CamPen is a viable product in the ever-growing “everyday carry” market. It’s an absolute joy to use and the click is incredibly satisfying.

Since the first version, I’ve been able to make the following changes:

  • The 4th axis CNC Mill has sped up the manufacturing of the cam end down to about 5 minutes.

  • One version included a custom shoulder bolt, later deemed unnecessary.

The very first Cam Pen, it has since been gifted to a mentee

Based on user feedback, the sharp edges of the original have been rounded out