Seeing the barrel and glue through the acrylic

[btaylor13]

I have just finished a slimline acrylic pen - pink for my partner but can see the barrel through the acrylic. Are there any fixes for this for future pens? Can I buy barrels in different colours?

 

[howsitwork?]

I too have suffered this and the only cure seems to be to preprint either the barrels , the inside of the drilled hole , or both.
I have concerns about rubbing the paint off if the fit is a bit tight but am assured this is less of an issue than I imagine it to be.
Meanwhile the white blanks are going to be turned back and i’ll reuse the tubes

 

[btaylor13]

Thanks for the reply - is there a particular paint to use and will the CA glue dissolve it?

 

[flexi]

When using translucent blanks I always paint the inside of the hole.... Cotton buds work very well and acrylic paint.

 

[btaylor13]

Many thanks - do I need to drill the bore wider?

 

[flexi]

NO... its only a coat of paint!
Most holes are oversized anyway

 

[btaylor13]

Many thanks - you can tell I’m a novice at this

 

[flexi]

We all started in the same place!!
Don't be afraid of mistakes!!
Pm me an address and I'll send you some acrylic blanks to play with

 

[btaylor13]

Wow- thank you very much!

 

[btaylor13]

Hi Flexi,
I hope I have sent you a PM - I did it as start conversation- if you don’t receive it let me know. Many thanks

 

[flexi]

Message received and replied too

 

[dixter]

Hello from Everett, Washington USA.

I do not use CA glue for securing the brass tube to the blank, I have used 5-minute 2-part epoxy only, as I have a better success rate, especially with colored tubes. I have made close to 500 pens in the last 5 years and use epoxy 99% of the time, using CA to secure the blank to the tube on laser-cut inlaid blanks.

If you need a black colored tube, I have successfully used Birchwood Casey's BRASS BLACK. It is a liquid that, when applied with a cotton swab, turns the brass tube black by chemical reaction. It is used by gunsmiths and other tradespeople. They also have a product, ALUMINUM BLACK, that has the same effect on aluminum, and I have used it with good results on other craft projects over the years.

For other colors, I use enamel model paint or acrylic paint. On painted tubes, I have colored both the outside of the tube and the inside of the drilled hole with epoxy only with good results.

I do not know if these products are readily available outside of the US, but I purchased these supplies from Amazon,

 

[Curly]

The colour of paint has an effect on how your pen will look when done. Most use either white or black but colours the same or complementary to the blank can look good too. If you polish the end of the blank and then cut off a thin slice you can take it and place it on any colour you think you might like to try. Then you can pick the paint that looks best. You can also paint a dowel with a number of colours and slide it through the hole in the blank to get an indication of what the finished pen will look like.

Pete

 

[howsitwork?]

Hi Curly

thanks for the idea ! The dowel idea is frankly brilliant , tomorrow there’s going to be a colouring session ( if SWMBO agrees as mother in law visiting currently )

Ian

 

[Curly]

The dowel isn't my idea by a long shot, I did the buff and slice method. If the hole is small and the blank thick you won't necessarily get a true representation. It helps though.

Pete

Adding that with the slices you can put them on spray can lids, paint samples from the paint store, stuff around the house and so on.

 

[Neil]

Hello from Everett, Washington USA.

I do not use CA glue for securing the brass tube to the blank, I have used 5-minute 2-part epoxy only, as I have a better success rate, especially with colored tubes. I have made close to 500 pens in the last 5 years and use epoxy 99% of the time, using CA to secure the blank to the tube on laser-cut inlaid blanks.

If you need a black colored tube, I have successfully used Birchwood Casey's BRASS BLACK. It is a liquid that, when applied with a cotton swab, turns the brass tube black by chemical reaction. It is used by gunsmiths and other tradespeople. They also have a product, ALUMINUM BLACK, that has the same effect on aluminum, and I have used it with good results on other craft projects over the years.

For other colors, I use enamel model paint or acrylic paint. On painted tubes, I have colored both the outside of the tube and the inside of the drilled hole with epoxy only with good results.

I do not know if these products are readily available outside of the US, but I purchased these supplies from Amazon,

Richard, interesting, never heard of either of these products but then again never been looking for them. Sounds as if the brass black chemically etches the tube? Is the process suitable for using as a primer to take a car acrylic spray which I find good but susceptible to scratching off when you insert the tube?

 

[Bammer]

Why paint the tubes or colour them, if the blank is translucent then you will see the glue lines, no matter what glue you use.
Acrylic spray paint down the drilled hole to match the colour of the blank. Job done

 

[dixter]

Richard, interesting, never heard of either of these products but then again never been looking for them. Sounds as if the brass black chemically etches the tube? Is the process suitable for using as a primer to take a car acrylic spray which I find good but susceptible to scratching off when you insert the tube?

Yes, the chemical etches the brass tube and is a lot more durable. The etched brass doesn't seem to scratch off as much as the paint does when inserting the tube in the blank.

 

[howsitwork?]

the etching should also improve glue adhesion to tubes

 

[TVS]

I only ever use cheap auto black or white spray paint leave overnight to fully cure bobs yer uncle jobs a good un