Gentleman Cap Drilling

[holmqer]

Yeserday, I decided to give a Gentlemen kit a try for the first time. I found that when I tried to insert the cap tubes into the blanks, the fit was so tight that they would not go in without a lot of brute force. The tube actually started peeling wood in the barrel, so I suspect that my glue got rubbed off on insertion.

Is 37/64 really the right size? I am tempted to go up a 1/64th to 19/32.

I inserted the tubes within 30 minutes of drilling so the wood had very little time to move on me.

 

[johnnycnc]

Same problem here.
I use a 15mm brad point from Woodcraft, it is just a hair smaller than the 19/32
you are thinking of trying.
I find the brad point gives me fewer blowouts in 3/4" blanks.
Hope this helps!

 

[DurocShark]

I haven't had that problem. I must have more slop in my lathe tailstock than you guys. It *is* a snug fit though.

 

[Daniel]

19/32 ends up with a bit to large of a hole in my opinion. grrrrr. what I do is drill the original hole, which tends to also warm up the blank even if just a little. I let the blank cool and drill again (this only takes a few seconds) I usually get a much better fit this way. Just some general info. one there is a chance that the warming of the blank does cause it to expand and make the hole ever so slightly smaller. Second wood has inturnal stresses and as you cut away pieces that are keeping those stresses in check. it is able to move. Keep in mind we are ttalking very tiny movement will wreck the fit of the tube. ether of these coudl be the cause of the hole ending up to small. Also I suspect that 37/64 is not really the correct size for the tube anyway. I think I use a Z bit but am jsut going by memory on that one. I know it is some odd ball bit.

 

[ed4copies]

Also remember if you are using wood, the wood will shrink AFTER the pen is made, based on humidity drops. So, if the brass tube is a tight fit, and the wood shrinks,

CRACK

Better to make the hole a little large.
Or use Resin blanks!!!
​

 

[Texatdurango]

Yeserday, I decided to give a Gentlemen kit a try for the first time. I found that when I tried to insert the cap tubes into the blanks, the fit was so tight that they would not go in without a lot of brute force. The tube actually started peeling wood in the barrel, so I suspect that my glue got rubbed off on insertion.

Is 37/64 really the right size? I am tempted to go up a 1/64th to 19/32.

I inserted the tubes within 30 minutes of drilling so the wood had very little time to move on me.

If you already have a 19/32" bit I would suggest using it. I use a 15mm bit and feel it gives me enough space for a decent glue line.

In my opinion, one of the biggest mistakes woodworkers make is squeezing the glue out of their joints when clamping parts together and one of the biggest mistakes I have seen turners do is drilling too small a hole then squeesing the glue away from a tube when interting it.

 

[Rifleman1776]

After trying a couple other sizes, I settled on a 37/64". I do 99% of mine in wood. No problems. (aside from my own self-inflicted screw-ups)

 

[wolftat]

Measure your drill bits and your tubes before drilling, I have found some to be a little off.

 

[fernhills]

I use the proper HF punch size, C/A a little sandpaper to it and gently inlarge the hole to where the tube slides in easily for Gluing. Got that tip from Cav. It works. Carl

 

[DurocShark]

Well, ya'll jinxed me. Was turning a cap I glued up on Friday when it blew out in a big way. I had another jr gent lined up so started again. Another blowout.

Glue starvation was the cause of both. A little TOO snug. Sigh.

Note to self: always make two blanks of any given pr casting. Its darn near impossible to duplicate a mix...

 

[Rifleman1776]

Well, ya'll jinxed me. Was turning a cap I glued up on Friday when it blew out in a big way. I had another jr gent lined up so started again. Another blowout.

Glue starvation was the cause of both. A little TOO snug. Sigh.

Note to self: always make two blanks of any given pr casting. Its darn near impossible to duplicate a mix...

I don't get it. Blowing out after gluing, I have never seen such a phenomenon. Are you, maybe, using an expanding foam poly glue like Gorilla?

 

[DurocShark]

Glue starvation. The tube was such a tight fit into the resin (not wood which would absorb some glue) that it forced the glue out the other end. When it blew there was no trace of glue on the tube or the blank in some spots. And I apply the glue to the blank with a qtip and can see that there is full coverage.

Sigh.

Med CA for both, tube sanded with 100 grit, etc etc etc. Nib end was fine. GRRRRR.

 

[GaryMadore]

I find the cap tubes fit too tightly as well. I just sand the crappe out of them with 150 grit emery (emory?) cloth and to the same to the drilled hole until I get a nice fit.

Cheers!

Gary

 

[holmqer]

I got curious and compared the tubes of kits I do often to nominal drill bits get a feel for how close a nominal drill bit is to the tubes I had on hand.

I checked 7mm kits (J), Sierra (27/64), Cigar (10 mm), Baron (15/32 and 25/64), Jr Gent II (12.5 mm and 10.5 mm) and Gent (37/64 and 15/32)

The tightest fits were the Gent and Jr Gent II caps with 0.008" clearance

The loosest fits were the Baron Cap / Gent Body at 0.017" clearance

Everything else was 0.010" to 0.012" clearance

My 37/64 drill bit for the Gent cap was actually 0.001" undersize which combined with the runout on my lathe at 0.001" ends up evening out pretty much. So any movement of the wood after drilling would tend to cause a problem.

I measured the hole at where the drill exited the blank, and it was only 0.569" so it was actually 0.001" smaller than the tube at 0.570". I would guess that the exit spot was the largest the hole got.

Switching to a 15mm for the Gent cap would make for 0.020" clearance which would be the loosest of all the kits I've ever done.