Cracked finished pen... How to fix

[Steven Baxter]

Hello all! I recently turned a banksia pod cast with alumilite and finished with CA glue. I had to disassemble the pen half way through the assembly process. I used a punch to knock the tip out. It was very tight. I ended up cracking it. One crack half way around the tube and another about 4mm long above that.

I really would like to salvage this pen. There is just so much time, effort, and resources into it. I would not feel comfortable selling it but could at least use it myself or as an example of my work.

The crack I'm sure goes down to the brass and is not just the finish. My thoughts were to sand down the finish. Fill with thin CA then sand and re finish.

Any thoughts?

 

[Schroedc]

I've done that with pens before, Sand it down, pack sanding dust from the sanding into the crack by rubbing it in with your finger, flood with thin CA and then sand and refinish. It'll keep the brass of the tube from showing through and sometimes with the sanding dust in there the crack can even vanish.

 

[jttheclockman]

Hello Steven and welcome to the site.

Being I seen no introduction from yourself so we do not know what skill levels you have but with that said I would like to point out that you have experienced a situation I believe we all have encountered one time or another so use it as a learning experience all the way around.

I believe you are on the right track with sanding down and the if possible get some fine sanding dust of this pod or another like it and drizzle some thin CA in the cracks and add saw dust. Work quick because it will set quick with the dust. Then let set and finally sand again and finish as before. But be careful of the dimentions because you may have sanded past the bushing sizes. It is always good to use calipers to measure the components and the blank. Then be careful reassembling.

Also you may have spread the tube some with the initial pressing in of the parts so you may need to use some adhesive when pressing back in. Most people like the blue loctite for this. Good luck and post finished pen.

 

[magpens]

Welcome to IAP, Steven !!!!

 

[Steven Baxter]

Thanks for the advice. I think I'll go with the consensus and sand and fill with CA.

I'm a novice pen maker. I've had my lathe for almost 2 years and maybe made about 5 pens. I will give a follow up of the finished pen after the fix. Thanks

 

[jttheclockman]

Thanks for the advice. I think I'll go with the consensus and sand and fill with CA.

I'm a novice pen maker. I've had my lathe for almost 2 years and maybe made about 5 pens. I will give a follow up of the finished pen after the fix. Thanks

2 years and made 5 pens Whats up. Now you joined the best pen turning web site on the net so you took the right first steps. Lets us motivate you. Look over all the photos in the SOYP forum and read all the articles in the library and have some fun. Let it go. Join us. You stepped on our welcome mat so now come in the door.

 

[Drewboy22]

If you don't want to sand it and fill it, you can put it back on the lathe and with a parting tool turn away the broke part all the way to the tube. Find another piece of wood that would be a nice accent and drill it and glue it to the tube and the exposed side of the banksia blank. Turn it down finish it and have an accent on one side.

Welcome to the IAP!!

Drew

 

[Steven Baxter]

Thanks Drew and clockman. Maybe in 4 years I'll have made 10 pens haha. So I did sand it down, glue, and refinish.

Drew I'll keep that to in mind if something like this ever happens again.

 

[Steven Baxter]

http://[URL=http://s1104.photobucket.com/user/baxation8/media/20160918_124140.jpg.html] [/URL]

 

[Steven Baxter]

[URL=http://s1104.photobucket.com/user/baxation8/media/20160918_124800.jpg.html] [/URL]here is the finished pen. in the larger crevices I did a copper inlay.

 

[jsolie]

That is a very unique looking pen! Great job with the repair.

 

[Steven Baxter]

Thanks, i like the way it turned out.

 

[robutacion]

Well, the repair method nI would use is the one most guys mentioned so I saw no need to repeat it however, I was looking forwards to see it finished.

The fillings you've done of the pod seed holes is quite interesting and pretty, congrats on that.

That same type of Banksia Pod is known here as Dwarf Banksia pod because is identical to the giant Banksia pods, that you see available for sale in some wood stores, the quarter I see unfinished looks well stabilized and firm however, those pods also have some of the "red velvet" well known among Banksia pods species in particularly the Hairy Banksia pod that I grow and use on some of my Resifills.

I make blanks out of both types of Banksia pods and I always recommend that folks use some care when drilling, gluing the tubes and then turn it to size, I have tutorials on IAP on what to do but in general terms, the super thing CA (5cps) is your best friend when dealing with those type of blanks.

All those extra steps I suggest, will prevent the pod to crack when inserting the tube, turning it or put the pen together, one other thing that will help considerably those type blanks is to use the thin CA for finish and make sure, you put twice the number of coats you put and any normal wood blank, the thin CA layers will penetrate in full, right to the tube that has already been strengthen with the use of the thin CA after drilled and re-drilled after the glue is dry, this way, you are giving those type blanks, the best possible chances to stay together from beginning to end and last a very long time after finished.

In general, I think you have done very well for someone with so little pen turning experience, those type blanks should be put aside until one builds a good workmanship and confidence to tackle such fragile and difficult blanks to work with, with all this said, all that will pay 10 times fold when in done properly, the results are very unique and special, as your pen show well, well done.

Cheers
George

 

[randyrls]

That is EXCELLENT!!!! very nice....

 

[Steven Baxter]

Thank you very much Randy!
Robutacion, thanks for the tips! What does (5cps) mean?