CA woes

[PMisiaszek]

I seldom use CA in the turning process, so when I do, I take every precaution known to mankind. Nevertheless, I somehow managed to glue the antler blanks I was finishing up to the mandrel. By dumb luck, I was able to save the mandrel and the pen, so the only casualty were the bushings I used to press the pen off the mandrel. I'm sure someone has thought of this, but... we know that there are plastics and polymers that CA doesn't stick to. Why doesn't someone produce a mandrel made of something that CA doesn't stick to that the pen blanks, once turned, could be moved to for CA application?

 

[Skye]

No offence, but I have no idea what you're talking about. What do you mean "save the mandrel and pen"? Nothing short of squirting your entire bottle on the antler should ruin it and nothing done with CA can ruin a mandrel.

Can you clarify just a little? I'd like to help, but really cant tell what's going on. [8]

 

[gerryr]

I'm with Skye on this. I don't understand how you can glue it to the mandrel. I almost always glue the blanks to the bushings, but get them off with no problem 99% of the time. CA can't ruin a mandrel since Acetone will disolve it. And I don't understand how the bushings could get ruined.

 

[PMisiaszek]

I'm not sure exactly what happened. I waxed the bushings and mandrel. I applied the CA turning the blanks by hand. I used thin CA, and drizzled it on top of the blanks, spreading it evenly. When I tried to remove the blanks, they wouldn't budge. I soaked everything in acetone, then slid some additional bushings onto the mandrel. Then, I gripped the outermost bushing with vise grips, and started tapping with a hammer. Slowly, I was able to work the blanks off the mandrel. I don't know how it could have happened, but it seemed that the CA had gotten to the mandrel. And, it may be just a choice of words, but in my experience, acetone doesn't "dissolve" CA, it softens it. The point of the post, though, was to find out if anyone has come up with non-stick bushings for working with CA.

 

[Daniel]

Put a coat of wax on the mandrel and bushings. I have actally glued the balnks to the mandrel before. all that is requires is the glue wicking that far. anyway I drilled a 1/4 inch hole through a block of wood. the mandrel is set throughthat hole then I rapped the other end of the mandrel with a hammer. this broke the glues bond but did not damage the mandrel. got the bushings, blanks and mandrel all free with no damage to anything. I have not had this problem again though after hundreds of pens. I was using super glue from the little .02 ounce tubes at the time and I believe it was a thinner consistancy than the thin glue I use now. otherwise I have no idea why it happened that once and not again.

 

[Skye]

I applied the CA <b>turning the blanks by hand</b>

I think that's your problem. If you take a bucket of water and swing it over your head, the water stays in the bucket. Do it too slow and the water splashes onto your head. Same thing happened here. The lathe on its slowest speed still pushes the CA outwards away from the mandrel. Do it slow by hand and gravity pulls it down to the mandrel.

That's my theory.

 

[DocStram]

Hmmmm ... I don't understand, Skye. You want him to fill a bucket with ca and swing it over his head? []

 

[Dario]

A few here makes their own bushings with Delrin. CA won't stick to it.

I planned on making spacers for my bushing using Delrin sheets...problem is the sheet I bought is much thicker than I want it to be. I will still try later though. I know Eagles uses some plastic to do the same, I think he said bottle caps, etc. but I haven't tried that yet.

 

[emackrell]

Couple of others have suggested using a little piece of wax paper between bushing and blank once you start gluing, which in theory might have the advantage of allowing the bigger bushings to fit back into the blanks. I say "in theory" because I haven't tried it yet. I have, however, glued the bushings and the blank to the mandrel, and although I got it all apart eventually it was painful and far from pretty. Guess I should just be happy I didn't glue the whole mess to the lathe bed while I was at it.[]

cheers Eileen [8D]

 

[gerryr]

The only time, once, that I tried to apply CA without the lathe turning I had a terrific mess. I apply it with my Jet mini running at the second slowest speed. I hold a folded paper towel against the blank while applying the CA. It works great and I've never had the stuff fly off the blank.

 

[ctEaglesc]

Do you mind if I do a little detective work here?
All I want are the facts, just the facts.
1. did you mill the ends of the blanks so they were square to the tube.I don't mean did they look sqaure, did you mill them?
2. were the blanks and bushings difficult to put on the mandrel?
If they were did you clean the burr out of the inside of the tube before you put the blanks on the mandrel?
Even if you put thin CA on with the lathe off(I do it everyday, don't listen to skye he usues a bucket to apply his CA) there is no way you should get that much CA between the blank and the bushing so it glues the mandrel the the bushing.
NOt unless you totally erred in prepping the blanks.

 

[Skye]

Ok, so you guys are saying not everyone uses a bucket? Someone told me wrong!

 

[PMisiaszek]

No, Eagle, the blanks were carefully milled square, the tubes were clean and slid on the mandrel like they should. When I removed the blanks, there was CA in the ends of the tube. So, I think several responders have hit on the combination of things that went wrong. I used very thin CA, and did not have the lathe turning. I probably used too much CA. The CA did not adhere to the waxed bushings or mandrel, but did wick through and adhere to the tubes. I like the idea of turning some non-stick bushings and may give that a try.

 

[ctEaglesc]

I will iterate and then reiterarate. Thin ca can be applied without the lathe tuning.
I use COPIOUS amounts of it with the lathe OFF.How do you think I made a pen out of Newspaper or a pen out of denim?While turning there are voids that appear that need to be "Stabilized and then filled.I do't do that with the lathe on.
If the ends are milled flat and square there should not be any gap that would allow that much CA to get on the mandrel.
Evidently your mileage did vary.