help with pen kit from woodcraft

[leatherjunkie]

I am having problems with the classic american rollerball pen kit from woodcraft. I have made it before and it turned out great.
now i am having problems with the drilled hole in the wood blank fitting the brass tubes.
woodcraft's instructions say to use a 3/8" brad point drill bit for the hole. but when i drill using the 3/8" bit and try to insert the brass tubes in without glue it's too tight. i have tried with glue thinking that glue would act like a lubercate and let the brass tube slide in easier, nope. now i have a pen blank with brass tube sticking out about 1/4".
has anyone had this problem?

any sugguestions how i can solve this problem?

 

[ed4copies]

Wait until the glue is good and dry, cut off tube, insert cut off into other end of blank until it hits the tube that is already in there. Wait until glue dries thoruoghly and face both ends.

You may have to run a drill bit or small file, depending on what you have, on the inside of the tube to take out any burrs.

SIMPLE!!!

 

[samuel07]

I have had that happen once when the wood was still a little green.

 

[ed4copies]

Oh, in the future, if the tube fits real tight, ignore the directions and improve the fit by making the hole larger. Either use the same bit and hit the sides a little, or go to the next higher bit you have.

When you start doing plastics, you frequently will be drilling your hole 1/64 oversize to accomodate painting tubes.

HOPE YOU HAVE A GOOD DRILL BIT SET!!!!![:0][:0][:0][:0][:0]

 

[azpenguy]

I have had this problem also. It seems to be worse if the wood is still hot. Put the tubes in the freezer for a while so they shrink as much as possible. Try it then without glue to see how it fits. If still to tight you can either ream out the blank with a round file or the 3/8" drill bit. Some bits are slightly different sizes also. The Colt brad point bit that Woodcraft sells I have found to work the best.

If you do try a larger drill bit, instead of CA glue try the poly glues like Gorilla Glue or Titebond as it will fill in the voids better. One word of caution however is be aware that you may not be able to go quite as thin if you try to put something other than a straight profile on it.

The above suggestion of cutting off the tube and putting a new one in from the other side is about your only solution at this point.

 

[ed4copies]

Originally posted by azpenguy
<br />I have had this problem also. It seems to be worse if the wood is still hot. Put the tubes in the freezer for a while so they shrink as much as possible. Try it then without glue to see how it fits. If still to tight you can either ream out the blank with a round file or the 3/8" drill bit. Some bits are slightly different sizes also. The Colt brad point bit that Woodcraft sells I have found to work the best.

If you do try a larger drill bit, instead of CA glue try the poly glues like Gorilla Glue or Titebond as it will fill in the voids better. One word of caution however is be aware that you may not be able to go quite as thin if you try to put something other than a straight profile on it.

The above suggestion of cutting off the tube and putting a new one in from the other side is about your only solution at this point.

Once again, I was unclear!!

NOT a new tube, the part you cut off, when added to the part that is permanently in place, will give you the right length.

Oh, and if you freeze or cool the tube, it MAY work. However, when you then go to press fit your parts, you will expand the tube and likely CRACK your finished pen DAMHIKT!!!

Try it, I did!!

It's particularly fun if you do it on the FIRST SUCCESSFUL polyester inlace pen that only took you 2 hours to turn, after blowing out several attempts. BUT, live and learn - either from me or your own experience!!![}][}][}][}][^][^]

 

[JimGo]

AZ Pen Guy, the reason the problem is exacerbated with hot wood is that heat is an accelerant for CA. You don't need to freeze/refrigerate them, but if you simply let the blanks cool off after drilling, and if you use medium or thick CA, you should find that the tubes won't seize up nearly as often.

Ed, your approach (cut off the remanant and glue the cut-off into the other side of the blank) is what I've used in the past, too. The only time it's been a problem is when I have less than 1/8" or so of the tube sticking out - take out 1/16" for my band saw blade, and suddenly there isn't much tube left to glue into the other side! Thankfully, most of the press-fit parts are long enough to reach beyond the "void" where the tube used to be. The real challenge that I've found is remembering not to over-trim the wood when using the barrel trimmer!!!

 

[reed43]

I have at times had this problem, and have had good luck by pressing the stuck tube the rest of the way in with my pen press, if not to much time has elasped. I use one of the bushings to push with, Reed

 

[ed4copies]

Reed,

That sounds like a good idea, but usually, I have a BFH nearby and IT doesn't work. But your way is less likely to mess up the tube!!!!!!!

 

[leatherjunkie]

thanks for the replys.
i will try a bigger size drill bit.
on this kit i know its not the "wood is hot and ca glue setting up too fast" problem.

I feel the problem is with the drilled hole too small.
I have had the same problem with the spare brass tubes that i have bought for this kit also.
It doesn't seam to matter what wood or plastic i have drilled for this kit each one has not let the tubes slip in easy without gluing the wood.

I have also ordered the amercana kit from csusa thinking that i may want to forget about the woodcraft kit.
I have had great luck with csusa's kits.

I just may add a different piece of wood to the exposed tube so i can save it. just got to figure out what wood to use.

 

[ctEaglesc]

Originally posted by leatherjunkie
<br />thanks for the replys.
i will try a bigger size drill bit.
on this kit i know its not the "wood is hot and ca glue setting up too fast" problem.

I feel the problem is with the drilled hole too small.
I have had the same problem with the spare brass tubes that i have bought for this kit also.
It doesn't seam to matter what wood or plastic i have drilled for this kit each one has not let the tubes slip in easy without gluing the wood.

I have also ordered the amercana kit from csusa thinking that i may want to forget about the woodcraft kit.
I have had great luck with csusa's kits.

I just may add a different piece of wood to the exposed tube so i can save it. just got to figure out what wood to use.

Soak it in acetone if it is wood and you didn't make a glue up.
Keep checking it.
Eventually you will be able to push the tube in or pull it out.
Let the blank dry real good and re glue. cutting the tube and reinserting can get you into trouble.
cutting the blank seems like a shame.

 

[ed4copies]

I REALLY like Eagle's answer!!!

But, I am NOT that patient, hopefully YOU are!!!

 

[ctEaglesc]

Originally posted by ed4copies
<br />I REALLY like Eagle's answer!!!

But, I am NOT that patient, hopefully YOU are!!!

Hey Ed!
What are you doing there so early?

 

[Jerryconn]

I have also done it the way Ed explained, maybe not be best but it works

 

[Penmonkey]

I bought my kits from woodcraft when I first started turning. My advice? Don't buy pens from woodcraft.

 

[airrat]

only reason I dont buy the pens from woodcraft is I can get them for a lower price elsewhere. I have done that kit and didnt have any problems. I dont recall if the fit was tight.