Made a few blanks yesterday ready for my Roman Harvest kits from TB.Got all prepared to glue tubes in the house brass monkey weather in the workshop had 4 pens to do first 2 ok with the epoxy I have been using for most of my pens 3rd one stuck rushed out to garage squeesed it in in vice, my remaining blank and a half I thought I will use the medium CA I bought at Harrogate 1 to 3 mins set time seems to be setting much quicker had to rush out to workshop to vice again.End reult is I have 2 pen tops with the brass tube mabye about 1mm proud of blank will this be ok when sanded flushh with blank
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gluing pen tubes
- Thread starter Themackay
- Start date
Don't no whether I am right or wrong but I have always used Medium CA and not had too many issues
Vic
Vic
I use medium ca as well and the setting time depends not only on the temperature but the wood as well whereby some set as you're pushing it in and other take a while, I guess its to do with the porosity of the wood.
The choices you have with the tube sticking out are; turn the wood back off or mill off that 1mm. I would mill it off personally.
The choices you have with the tube sticking out are; turn the wood back off or mill off that 1mm. I would mill it off personally.
I would sand the 1mm off too
Walter
Fellow
Why do you need to use a vice to insert the tube in the blank?
Whatever the reply to that question my advice would be to always use epoxy for gluing tubes. The only advantage of CA is speed the disadvantages are tubes half stuck in the blank and failed joints.
Whatever the reply to that question my advice would be to always use epoxy for gluing tubes. The only advantage of CA is speed the disadvantages are tubes half stuck in the blank and failed joints.
Its not ideal but 1mm isn't a lot.
Neil
Fellow
Many will not be surprised at what I am about to say.
Why oh why do folk use ca to stick in tubes, it is not suitable. It is not gap filling, and is too time sensitive, and it is not suitable to glue metal to any surface as it is not porous - the subsequent adhesion may appear to be suitable but it is a very weak solution. You are in danger of getting caught with the tube stuck out if you revolve the tube to get good coverage as the glue can grab the tube and the setting time is unreliable as it is dependent on the moisture content of the wood.
As for the other issues, did you use the correct drill bits? The correct ones for the Roman harvest are 31 and 33 64ths I think from memory, not any metric equivalent!
It's a good idea if you are using soft woods to do a dry run with a tube to make sure that the wood has not expanded back into the hole and closed it up a bit as this can sometimes happen.
Sorry to hear about your predicament, you might get away with trimming a bit off the tube, but no guarantees, it may also mean if it is a rollerball that there is not much bouncy on the rollerball if the spring has been compressed that extra bit. Unless the wood is worth the risk I'd be tempted to strip it off and start again.
Why oh why do folk use ca to stick in tubes, it is not suitable. It is not gap filling, and is too time sensitive, and it is not suitable to glue metal to any surface as it is not porous - the subsequent adhesion may appear to be suitable but it is a very weak solution. You are in danger of getting caught with the tube stuck out if you revolve the tube to get good coverage as the glue can grab the tube and the setting time is unreliable as it is dependent on the moisture content of the wood.
As for the other issues, did you use the correct drill bits? The correct ones for the Roman harvest are 31 and 33 64ths I think from memory, not any metric equivalent!
It's a good idea if you are using soft woods to do a dry run with a tube to make sure that the wood has not expanded back into the hole and closed it up a bit as this can sometimes happen.
Sorry to hear about your predicament, you might get away with trimming a bit off the tube, but no guarantees, it may also mean if it is a rollerball that there is not much bouncy on the rollerball if the spring has been compressed that extra bit. Unless the wood is worth the risk I'd be tempted to strip it off and start again.
Walter , the glue was setting quick tubes were quite a neat fit I have been using epoxy most of the time after first two pens 3rd one got stuck 3/4 way in got caught out with ca 1 to 3 mins seemed to be going off in the time to put on blank/tube and insert tube.Hope that makes sense
Neil,Yes I used the correct bits 31 and 33 64ths I drilled them yesterday and had them in the house overnight for gluing the tubes were quite neat in the hole so mabye the holes closed in a bit.This is only the 2nd time I have used CA as I normally use epoxy,only thought Id try the CA as tubes were tight.
Speaking for myself, the only time I ever drill blanks is if I'm going to glue them up in the same session. If left for an unreasonable period of time time, particularly overnight in a warmer environment to where you store them, as you have done, there is more chance than not that your perfectly drilled round holes will become elliptical. I suspect that in this case, that is the real reason why your tubes got stuck. Having said that, I share the dislike of CA as tube glue for all the reasons that have been stated.
Walter
Fellow
I think Phil has hit the nail on the head with the reason for the tubes sticking. That and the unpredictable setting time of the CA as noted by Neil.
I also agree with Neil as regards stripping off the wood and starting again.
I also agree with Neil as regards stripping off the wood and starting again.
I am not going to criticise any of the methods cos for me they all work.
If the hole is the right size there is no need to force the tube in it.
If you have organised yourself properly and have all that is needed to hand, then setting / curing time is not an issue.
If you wanna ponse about fiddling and spinning ca around then you should expect what you get.
What's all this bollocks about filling qualities? If the hole is the right size there is nothing to fill.
The tube should fit in it with no slack, don't try putting a 9mm tube in a 10mm hole and you won't need to fill it.
Like Phil I only drill what I am making that day, and glue up straight away before the wood has a chance to move.
I use ca and don't have any problems with tubes coming unstuck.
It's not an exact science It is what you make of it, if you want to squeeze a imperial tube into a metric hole then do so.
You could even make the fit so tight glue is not required, I have done that before now by mitsake init?
If the hole is the right size there is no need to force the tube in it.
If you have organised yourself properly and have all that is needed to hand, then setting / curing time is not an issue.
If you wanna ponse about fiddling and spinning ca around then you should expect what you get.
What's all this bollocks about filling qualities? If the hole is the right size there is nothing to fill.
The tube should fit in it with no slack, don't try putting a 9mm tube in a 10mm hole and you won't need to fill it.
Like Phil I only drill what I am making that day, and glue up straight away before the wood has a chance to move.
I use ca and don't have any problems with tubes coming unstuck.
It's not an exact science It is what you make of it, if you want to squeeze a imperial tube into a metric hole then do so.
You could even make the fit so tight glue is not required, I have done that before now by mitsake init?
chas_41_uk
Registered
I'd agree, taking them indoors instead of gluing the tube in straight away is almost definitely what caused the problem 
Oh well as you say, "lesson learned" and you wont be the first or last to do it either :wink:
Oh well as you say, "lesson learned" and you wont be the first or last to do it either :wink:
Walter
Fellow
Lots of people do and it usually works but I agree with Neil that it isn't the optimum way of gluing metal to wood (or anything else).
Been there, done that. Push tube in to test fit, can't get it out again.
Like other I use medium or thick CA and never a problem, apart from one time when I drilled the hole and got called away and next day didn't try the tube before trying to glue in and got stuck half way, the wood had moved and it was my own fault for not testing the fit again before I tried to glue it. Lesson learned.
Peter
Peter
I always use med or thick CA glue and twist the tube as it goes in and never ever have them stick halfway in nor come unstuck I do allow a few Min after drilling to allow the wood to cool before gluing so that the heat from drilling wont be present to activate the glue to quickly as for gap filling well I have to agree with Brian right size drill and tube what is there to fill do the job properly and you wont have any problems rest assured if you drill wood one day and try to fit the tube the next day then you will have problems and that is probably the only reason your tube stuck part way in nothing to do with your choice of glue