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l-gray-l — How to make your own graphic tablet nibs
Published: 2013-06-24 01:36:01 +0000 UTC; Views: 5604; Favourites: 230; Downloads: 0
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Let me start of by saying that i probably did not come up with this idea, somebody mentioned to me that a trimmer line could work and that's how i started, but it wasn't that easy to find, so the more tutorials there are the better.I am not a fan of the price of the nibs that are sold, and being as cheap as i am i decided to make my own, note that i had all of these items in my house, therefore i didn't have to spend any money, it might be different for you.
lastly here is some information and my experience with this new nib;
for a 6 dollar package you get 61 meters of trimmer line, that amount could last you for about 1800 years, yes i did the math, but you also have to note that some people may not like the feel of it, it is really flexible but that also means that it will last longer.
I hope you found this helpful, have a nice day.
My graphic tablet: wacom bamboo create, i think that it might work for others, you will have to find out.
Update: I am still using the same nib that I made the day I made this tutorial (about 2 years). Therefore, I can conclude that these plastic nibs do last a long time, and are not half bad considering the time and money that you save.
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Comments: 36
I found that different kinds of trimmer line work better for making nibs. The stiffer clearer line does stay in place better, but unless you get it just right it won't work properly and will be glitchy/problematic.
The type of trimmer line I've found works best is the stuff that is more opaque and not as stiff. It does sometimes slip out if you hold it vertically point down, but it's far less glitchy and more reliable as far as working consistently.
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Hi! 
So I was wondering if this method is better - using the razor to file and shape it, or if sandpaper is more direct. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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Sorry it took me this long to respond but I rarely visit deviantart anymore. Anyways, if it helps I think the easiest thing to do would be to use a razor and then use it one regular paper a bit so that it sands any edges.
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no tis alright! thank you for responding!
And I actually found a pack with two or three sheets of sandpaper, very convenient. Thanks anyway! ^_^
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Cool but how do you straighteng the plastic wire? With heat it will get thiner and fall off the pen, by hand is next to impossible the thing will just remain curved and will make the pen not work properly
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It is possible to straighten it by hand, when I do it I sometimes make use of my teeth.
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Very helpful.
Just started using my second of 4 nibs I have (have been using my tablet for 8 months or something now) so this will come in helpful some day!
In what kind of physical store would I find trimmer line?
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I think Lowes or Home Depot would ^^ I'm not positive though
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Never mind, I like the weed trimmer line ones better now.
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Lol, ok. I've never tried the other ones so I wouldn't know.
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I've tried using these; wooden nibs work better in my opinion.
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oh my gosh thank you. My original ones wore out in like a month :/ too costly
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just look for the ones that say round trimmer line, this one should work perfectly [link]
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In the beginning, I believe that should be centimeters instead of millimeters. The smallest lines are mm, but the measurement you have shown there is cm. ^^ I just figured I'd say something.
This tutorial is helpful though, I always have to go buy new nibs, but I never thought of just making my own. Thank you!
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sorry, i just saw it, the ruler lied to me, lol. fixed
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cm? the trimmer line is 0.065 inch or 1,65 mm diameter
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OMG!
This is a lifesaver!
Since I live in Brasil, the pen's nibs are way more expensive and serious, I can't thank you enought for sharing this with us!
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does it scratch the surface of your tablet?
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no, you just need to make sure that it's somewhat round and it probably scratches it less because it's not as hard as the original ones.
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Probably no worse than a regular nib does. Trimmer line isn't really rough, per se; it's just effective at slicing grass when spun around at high speeds.
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YES finally some one made a tutorial for this! Just last night I used my last nib cuz the create wears it down so quickly
But thank you for making this!
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mine ran out in 4 weeks, so i had no choice but to come up with something, glad i could help.
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Dude. You are a genius. This is seriously awesome.
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