Having no luck this weekend!!!

[brownsfn2]

I am so ****ed I have to vent. I am just having no luck this weekend. If it is not material problems then it is my issue. First I had problems with 2 blanks finding imperfections in the material when I drilled them or as I got tot he final dimensions.

Then I had problems with an Abalone blank I ordered. My bushings for the Spring Blossom are slightly off. So when I turned down almost to the level of the bushing I discovered they were out of round. I must say I did a good save on that one. I switched to TBC and there was enough material left to make them round.

As I was assembling the final pen the kids were fighting, the wife was yelling, and the dog was barking. All things that should have told me to put down my work and come back to it. "One more piece" I thought. Well the last peice to press into the tub cracked the Abalone blank from the surface down to the tube. I did not check the tube first to make sure it was clean. There was a bit of glue or residue towards the end that must have shifted the tube just enough to crack it.

After the good save and looking at how well I had done on the polishing I just got ****ed with myself. I let the distractions get to me and I rushed through pressing in the final piece.

Thanks for letting me vent.

Now does anyone know if there is anything I can do to fix it? I know it is a long shot but I have to ask. I am pretty sure I am screwed. The crack is about 1/4" long from surface to the material.

Thanks for listening.

 

[Chatham PenWorks]

Sorry to here about your weekend, but we all have them at some point. Take comfort in knowing you're not alone.

As for your blank, can you wick some thin CA into the crack from the end of the blank? If the crack is open, and not just a line, can it be pressed closed? If it went all the way down, there may be some separation the could allow a slight bit of movement. Can you get a good pic of it?

 

[bobjackson]

There will be days like that. Hope you're all better.

 

[SteveG]

As already mentioned, CA can often be used to repair and fill a hairline crack. It is THIN CA that will work. I have done several repairs (although not on a abalone blank) where the repair worked so well that I could not find evidence of the crack on the complete, finished pen. Try removing the hardware that caused the crack, and then sand the hardware piece so it is a finger tight fit that can be glued into the tube. I hope it works for you, the abalone blanks make beautiful pens.

 

[brownsfn2]

Thanks for the encouragement all. I decided I am over it and have to move on. It was my most expensive blank and is now a good lesson in patience. I am going to try CA tonight but if it doesn't work I will just chalk it up as a lesson and move on.

 

[OKLAHOMAN]

PM sent!!!!:biggrin:

Thanks for the encouragement all. I decided I am over it and have to move on. It was my most expensive blank and is now a good lesson in patience. I am going to try CA tonight but if it doesn't work I will just chalk it up as a lesson and move on.

 

[rich gubbin]

Similar thing happened to me, so i thought i,d do a few slimlines as therapy, after a good run on them, even they can go horribly wrong.

 

[Ulises Victoria]

Three days ago I had a strike of 2 continuous days in which everything I attempted went wrong.
I have a good one and a bad one: The good is that it is normal. Poopoo happens to all of us; the bad is that most surely there will be other days like this ahead. We've got to learn to cope with it!

 

[nativewooder]

Probably we have all had weekends with similar troubles. But, did you ever think, "maybe it's not luck, but a lack of planning" that dooms our best efforts?!

 

[brownsfn2]

What a way to start a Monday!!!! Roy is a very generous individual and resolved this issue for me!!!

I love the vendors that support IAP. I never go to any vendor who is not on this site because it is such a great experience here!!!

Thanks so much Roy!!!