Cracks in finished pen

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Evan

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Mar 15, 2004
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48
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Canada.
Hi,

I tried searching for "crack" and "cracks" and "cracking" but couldn't find anything.

I finished a Mont Blanc style pen a few days ago using redheart. But after assembling the pen, I noticed a crack on the top developing. Any ideas about repairing, or do I have to disassemble and fill in the crack with CA?

Also, here's a simple question - I also ended up getting some CA on the gold middle ring... instead of replacing it can it buff off?

Any tips of preventing cracking? I've heard about running some wet CA in the drilled hole and letting it dry before gluing in the tube with epoxy. Also heard of beveling the tube slightly using a countersink before pressing parts in.

Thanks for your time!
Evan
 
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fmunday

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Mar 16, 2004
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57
Location
Lenexa, KS, USA.
I've not had that problem with the Euro (or Mont Blanc) style pens. It has been my experience that cracking is caused by one of three things. 1.) A sudden changed in humidity. The wood swells and cracks when the CA does not allow it to move. 2.) A sudden drastic temperature change. This is usually acompanied with a humidity change and that probably is the root cause. 3.) The most common problem I've seen. Gaps in the glue. This allows the wood to move more freely in the area of the gap and may result in a crack. One way around this is to take more care in preparation of the tube. I chuck up the tube in a hand drill and rough the surface with 220 grit sand paper. The second thing that I do is to make sure that the entire tube is covered with CA. You can also use a poly. glue if you don't mind waiting overnight before turning. Poly glue will expand and fill voids as it cures. It is also just slightly flexible and allows the wood to expand and contract. There is one gotcha with poly glue. On porous woods, poly glue can expand into areas of the blank that need to be finished. This can render the blank unusable. The methods that you mentioned may work but I don't know. I never tired them. The CA solvent available at Woodcraft and other outlets works just fine on the center ring of a Euro style pen. It will remove the CA without doing any damage to the ring. Here is how I handled cracked Slim Line pens. I remade them from scratch and kept the cracked pens "Display only. Not for sale". I don't try to repair damaged pens. I will take them apart and salvage usable parts and discard the rest.
 

daledut

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Mar 17, 2004
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303
Location
Swanton, Ohio, USA.
The only thing I would add is that I would not buff the center band. The plating is rather thin and you can buff it right off in a hurry.

If you are cheap like me buy a can of acetone at the hardware store. It is less expensive than the "CA remover" and is the active ingrediant in most remover anyway.
 

chips

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Mar 1, 2004
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Location
.
Pack coffee fines into the crack and drop on CA. Sometimes powdered / instant coffee works very well.. if it's a wider crack... imperceptable crack... just CA.. but the coffee works for me quite often.
 

knifecut

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Jan 26, 2004
Messages
132
Location
Montclair, VA, USA.
The one I made from coolibah burl started cracking all over soon after it was made. I though of using fine sand and CA to fill, but tried a product called "Glitter Glue" (or is that "Glue Glitter"?). Anyway, I poured some out of the bottle onto a paper plate and taking a sharp knife scooped some up an put it in the cracks. It did a good job, even in the space that developed between the wood and clip ring. The product is sold at some craft stores (Michael's for one) and comes in various colors. I used the green.
 
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