Do you have a Glue Problem?
I get calls every week from pen makers who ask why their pen blanks are blowing up. I ask them about when they blow up. They tell me it’s either when they first start to rough turn them, or when they are just getting to the end, right before they start to sand, is when they usually blow apart.
Glue not applied throughly
My answer to them takes a little bit of a different approach. I ask them what type of glue they use to glue the pen tube in, and then they ask me why I am asking them that question. My response is, if there is not enough glue on the pen tube, and you do catch it with your tool, it can rip the material right off the pen tube as illustrated above.
Roughen up with 100 grit sandpaper
Try these steps to get a better result, and prevent a blowout.
- Make sure that the pen tube is roughed up. Use 100 grit sandpaper so your glue has something to grab on to.
- Place the medium CA glue on the pen tube and cover it completely. Not so much that it is dripping all over the place, but make sure you have enough to coat the whole tube.
- Insert the tube in one end of the pen blank. Move it in and out of the pen blank a few times to distribute the glue along the blank.
- Turn the pen blank around, and repeat the procedure until the inside of the pen tube “looks wet”, and you are sure that the entire length of the pen tube has a nice, even coating of glue.
- Place the pen tube inside the pen blank once more and let it dry thoroughly.
- Turn it, and enjoy a blowout-free experience
Try this technique and it may save you from a major repair one day!
Happy Turning!
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