Cracked barrels - Slimline

[Gizmo3k]

Morning,

So far I have only turned slimlines, but I have noticed a trend. Sometimes, when I push the transmission in, it seems to flare the end of the tube out a bit, potentially cracking the wood on the outside. It seems to happen more often when I go a bit small on the tube (still trying not to do that, with limited success).

Is this normal, or am I likely doing something wrong? As far as I can tell there isn't any glue on the inside of the tubes, and I am pretty sure I am pushing it in straight.

Thanks

Alan

 

[Woody]

It only takes a very thin layer of glue to do that and it may not be visible I always run a knife blade around the inside of the tube and you will be surprised how often there is glue on the inside or at times the tube may have a small burr in it which the knife removes as well

 

[Buckeye]

What you can try is to fit the transmission to the tube before you have fitted the blank then take it out, it is then pre-flared. You could instead just widen the entrance for the transmission by taking the inside edge off the end of the tube.

Peter

 

[Gizmo3k]

Thanks for the tips!

I will give it a shot, and might even post a picture some day!

 

[paulm]

This happened to me a few times in the past when I started turning pens. I'm not sure what I'm doing differently now but it doesn't happen any more.

 

[rayf6604]

If you are having problems with glue getting in the tube I use play doh to block the tubes before gluing. Works a treat.

 

[Vic Perrin]

I had it happen on a few occasions and I think it was down to what Woody pointed out being a small amount of glue in the end of the tube.
I have eliminated this problem now by using a potato ! Prior to gluing the inside of the blank I shove the tube through a potato which like an old spud gun fills the tube so that no glue can get down the inside of the tube. When inserted into the blank I leave it until the glue has gone off and then pop the potato out with a transfer punch. Job sorted!

Vic

 

[Terry]

If you sand your blanks to square them up then it is likely you will create a small burr on the inside of the brass tube plus what Woody says about the glue. I use a half round needle file to take the glue and burr off !!!!

 

[Walter]

But do be careful you don't get residual play doh or dried on spud cracking the tubes.

I am sure bunging up the tubes with stuff works but to be honest I find it easier to take a bit of care not to get glue in the tubes in the first place or if I do to wipe it out with paper towel. If you use a tube inserter (I have one Woody made ages ago) then that will block the tube anyway and you don't have to faff on getting play doh, spud, plasticine, porridge or whatever out of the tube.

 

[paulm]

When gluing up, I put the tube inside the blank by 1/8th" before putting and glue on it which stops any glue going inside of it.

 

[Neil]

Potato works for me, by bunging the end of the tube, I then scoop a glob of EPOXY!! on to the end of the tube, dont bother faffing around roughing up the tube or indeed smearing the whole tube in glue, and then putting part of the glob of EPOXY!! in to the tube and then the tube with the spud pushes the glob of EPOXY before it smearing the sides of the hole. Havent lost any blanks through poor or uneven adhesion to the tube. I rotate the tube as it goes in and use the next tube for the next blank to push the tube in flush with the top of the blank, scoop the excess of EPOXY!! off the ends of the blank and repeat with the next blank.

Dont have any problems with blanks cracking but some can be less tolerant to a slight misalignment, such as Brazillian Tulipwood, Partridgewood and it can happen with Yew, but havent had it happen to me for a while.

 

[Penpal]

Using a sliced potato works wonders and I push it out when glued in immediately using a thin skewer, another one to place the glue in. At assembly time I use the long thin radio spares taper reamer to ensure a great start into the tube testing the fit briefly. Before I use the blanks I use a go no go guage in metal to determine if the brass is restrictive eliminating the tight ones, buying hundreds of spare brasses to prepare blanks in advance, I sympathise with your discovery and I do something to alleviate the problem. Sounds anal but for me it is essential practice preventing some obvious problems before they create splits and jams on your most precious blanks. Every blank is reamed after glueing and dry blanks are faced at the same time.Rarely are brasses slack at fitting time most often tight a recipe for disaster.So many folk do not rough up brasses I do so methodically usually in an assembly method or in batches the very Idea of preparing beforehand leads to success for me. If you check through nail punches you will soon find at purchase the ideal one to use when roughing brass as a go no go guage as well also beaut to hold the brass while you glue up. Keeping a box of tissues handy to pop the potato onto and as I insert the potato into one end I wipe dry that part to assist the gluing process I have never had one let go after glueing and I use excess glue.

My two bobs worth steady and clean as I can in batches drilling up to fifty blanks at a time in a drill press is fast and effective you get the feel for pressure speed and different timbers match and mark the blanks for effective grain match. Where I lose out is having so many blanks names lost to old writing and I need to have a tag to keep the names of the timbers after turning or a story board with loosefitting dowels, numbered and written sheets. I used to remember the names of blanks clearly not so now especially some are twenty or more years in the gathering.. I try to make the drilling entry from the matching cut blanks as the centres of the pens a red marking pen in the insde to remind me speeds up the making especially as I turn one half at a time only When turning this enables me to change the design of the pen by making the top the bottom or vice versa to take advantage of the grain.

A few wrinkles that help me.

Kind regards Peter.

 

[Walter]

Potato works for me.

Works for me too. I make mine into chips.

Taste bloody awful if you get epoxy on them though.

 

[Grump]

I never bung my tubes but I do use a gentle turn with a reamer to clear any gunk and that puts a tiny flare to assist insertion init?

 

[wm460]

I use one of these.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...2sP8KnGnlTG3IttFFdvnitA&bvm=bv.75097201,d.dGc