How to sand lots of brass tubes FAST and easy.

[redfishsc]

I'm sure someone has already thought of this and posted it, but I thought I show a short 13 second clip of how I do it.


First, the video quality is lacking b/c it's from a cell phone. I didn't plan on taking the video while processing these pens, and then had a sudden "aha!". But you can see what I'm doing.


A random-orbit sander is attached to a wooden vise. Any method of holding the sander should work fine. I am using a 100 grit pad, which works great for me, but I've used everything from 100 to 220 grit and it all works fine, I don't think it's critical.

The tubes are 7mm slimline tubes, but fatter tubes can be done with a bit of imagination. I just slide the fat tube on the 1/4" dowel and use my other hand to roll it around on the rotating sanding pad.

The 1/4" dowel has a cone chamfer on the end to accept the skinny 7mm tube, otherwise it's a bit too fat to slide the tube on.


I have sanded tubes for 30 pens in a matter of minutes, with no sore fingers whatsoever!



I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE BACKGROUND NOISE IS, LOL, GO FIGURE. There isn't any audio worth hearing so just turn the volume down unless you want to hear weirdo pointess noises.

 

[rjwolfe3]

Now that is an awesome idea.

 

[ssajn]

Sure makes it look easy.
I use to sand all my tubes then I talked to a friend that knows a heck of a lot more than I do about turning pens. I was told it wasn't necessary so I've stopped. Haven't had any problems since.
Dave

 

[Ligget]

In my opinion sanding of tubes is a must, I put the tube inbetween my dead centre and live centre on my lathe to sand, if you are in a hurry you can take the sanded tube off the lathe and put a new one on whilst the lathe is still running.

 

[mickr]

I can't get videos, but I understood the concept..

 

[wdcav1952]

In my opinion sanding of tubes is a must, I put the tube inbetween my dead centre and live centre on my lathe to sand, if you are in a hurry you can take the sanded tube off the lathe and put a new one on whilst the lathe is still running.

Great minds think alike, Mark!!!! :highfive:

 

[redfishsc]

In my opinion sanding of tubes is a must, I put the tube inbetween my dead centre and live centre on my lathe to sand, if you are in a hurry you can take the sanded tube off the lathe and put a new one on whilst the lathe is still running.

That's also a great idea, and sanding various tube sizes would be just as easy as any other tube size since the centers are tapered. What grit do you use?

 

[jusaf]

I have done both, sanding and not sanding, but I haven't noticed a difference. What is the benefit of sanding the tubes?

 

[hewunch]

Matt good to see you back. Been missing you!

Cool idea too!

 

[sbell111]

I have done both, sanding and not sanding, but I haven't noticed a difference. What is the benefit of sanding the tubes?

Roughing up the tubes gives the glue something to bite into.

In the past, we had numerous cases of tubes coming 'unstuck'. This was a serious problem on slimline and comforts because of the effort required to yank their halves apart to change the ink cartridge. I have since started roughing up the tubes for all the pens that our made in our shop. My FIL still doesn't do this. Since I made this change, we have seen very few glue failures and every one have had one thing in common, smooth tubes. Even though my FIL makes much fewer pens than we do, his unsanded tubes have been the only ones to fail.

 

[pianomanpj]

I have done both, sanding and not sanding, but I haven't noticed a difference. What is the benefit of sanding the tubes?

It's to give some tooth for the adhesive to grip. Most likely you won't have trouble with tubes slipping out of the blank, but even a minor catch on the lathe can loosen a perfectly smooth tube. Besides, it would be awfully embarrassing to try and explain why the tube fell out of a $100 pen to a customer.

I've never NOT sanded, and I don't intend to start.... er... stop. :biggrin:

 

[jusaf]

Good info. Sounds like I will be sanding from now on. Don't want a tube to fall out. Just made a pen as a going away gift for my Commander's boss. My Commander loved it. I don't have pictures of it with me here at work but I will post one of it once I get home. I think it turned out pretty good.

 

[alphageek]

Sure makes it look easy.
I use to sand all my tubes then I talked to a friend that knows a heck of a lot more than I do about turning pens. I was told it wasn't necessary so I've stopped. Haven't had any problems since.
Dave

I've heard that from the same friend... I started out not sanding, then started it due to reading here, then went back to not sanding - esp after talking to others....

Personally - I've never had an issue w/o sanding either... But this looks like one of those 50/50 cases for people.. either you do or don't, to each their own.

 

[redfishsc]

Matt good to see you back. Been missing you!

Cool idea too!

Thanks, brother! I have been too busy with work and school to make many pens (although did do a few) but now that the summer is in, it's turnin time :biggrin:

Roughing up the tubes gives the glue something to bite into.

In the past, we had numerous cases of tubes coming 'unstuck'. This was a serious problem on slimline and comforts because of the effort required to yank their halves apart to change the ink cartridge. I have since started roughing up the tubes for all the pens that our made in our shop. My FIL still doesn't do this. Since I made this change, we have seen very few glue failures and every one have had one thing in common, smooth tubes. Even though my FIL makes much fewer pens than we do, his unsanded tubes have been the only ones to fail.

Big time agreed---- I've only had 1 glue joint failure out of the many hundreds of pens I've made in the past few years, and it was actually due more to the unusual resin blank I used than it was to anything else--- the CA glue didn't adhere to it well.

It's to give some tooth for the adhesive to grip. Most likely you won't have trouble with tubes slipping out of the blank, but even a minor catch on the lathe can loosen a perfectly smooth tube. Besides, it would be awfully embarrassing to try and explain why the tube fell out of a $100 pen to a customer.

I've never NOT sanded, and I don't intend to start.... er... stop. :biggrin:

Same here, I wouldn't consider selling a pen with an unsanded tube.... ever. I actually wouldn't have suspected so many folks weren't sanding the tubes until I read here. :befuddled:




For what it's worth, all, consider how easy it is to flake out excess cured epoxy/CA glue from the inside of a brass tube with the pen mill----- it will flake off the surface of the tube nearly as easily.


Just my $.02 :biggrin:

 

[Rangertrek]

That was a great idea. I guess I will keep using my 'sanding sponge' until I get an orbital sander and give it a try.

The sanding sponge is also quick and easy. Just put the tube on a dowel or rod and and sand away.

 

[workinforwood]

I must be really lazy and in a big hurry at the same time. You guys are way too slow with that orbital. I just shovel my tubes into this baby!!! takes about 2 seconds to sand 10,000 tubes.:laugh:
http://www.surface-blasting.com/

 

[justaccord]

Great idea

Thanks for sharing it

 

[wdcav1952]

Jeff, that is funny!!

Matt, I agree that it is good to see you back. Mark and I didn't mean to "diss" your idea; I am just too lazy to set that up.

Like I noted, I do mine between centers with 80 grit (to answer your question) which is quick and doesn't require any set up.

I don't know if scuffing the tube does any good or not, but it doesn't take but a moment, and I know it doesn't hurt my gluing efforts.

 

[papaturner]

Great idea..........However I have a sand o flex set up on a sump pump motor which makes short order of sanding tubes. Use 120 grit refill.

 

[Rick_G]

I use a long 1/4 inch bolt through the tubes and hold it lightly on my belt sander, works for all tube sizes. I usually have 100 grit paper on the belt sander.

 

[redfishsc]

I must be really lazy and in a big hurry at the same time. You guys are way too slow with that orbital. I just shovel my tubes into this baby!!! takes about 2 seconds to sand 10,000 tubes.:laugh:
http://www.surface-blasting.com/

droool.........:RockOn:

Jeff, that is funny!!

Matt, I agree that it is good to see you back. Mark and I didn't mean to "diss" your idea; I am just too lazy to set that up.

Like I noted, I do mine between centers with 80 grit (to answer your question) which is quick and doesn't require any set up.

I don't know if scuffing the tube does any good or not, but it doesn't take but a moment, and I know it doesn't hurt my gluing efforts.

Thanks Cav! I didn't interpret what either you or Mark said as dissin' me--- I've known you both long enough to know better :wink:. I had never thought of doing the tubes between centers and will use it probably from now on when I'm doing just a couple of pens. The orbital trick is for when I'm doing a dozen or so at a time, but if the between-centers thing turns out quicker, I'll make an easy convert.

 

[Ligget]

droool.........:RockOn:

Thanks Cav! I didn't interpret what either you or Mark said as dissin' me--- I've known you both long enough to know better :wink:. I had never thought of doing the tubes between centers and will use it probably from now on when I'm doing just a couple of pens. The orbital trick is for when I'm doing a dozen or so at a time, but if the between-centers thing turns out quicker, I'll make an easy convert.

Matt I turn pens between centres (I think Cav does too) so the dead and live centres are already in place, so for us it is easy to sand the tubes with this set up.

 

[chriselle]

Matt I turn pens between centres (I think Cav does too) so the dead and live centres are already in place, so for us it is easy to sand the tubes with this set up.

+1.

 

[RAdams]

WOW. i must be a caveman. I just grab a tube, and a hunk of whatever paper is closest to my hand (usually 150) and give it a twisting pulling action, then flip it around and repeat. Don't take much to give the tube some bite, and i am cheap / lazy.


BUT.. when i make pens and such, i usually do one at a time. I may cut several blanks at a time, just so i only have to fire up the saw once, but after that, everything is one at a time. drill one, glue one, true one, turn one, and start over.

 

[redfishsc]

BUT.. when i make pens and such, i usually do one at a time. I may cut several blanks at a time, just so i only have to fire up the saw once, but after that, everything is one at a time. drill one, glue one, true one, turn one, and start over.

Lol, keep doing it that way, it's much more fun:redface:. I very much enjoy making my one-offs vs. the 12-20 identical pen batches that tend to get ordered. Of course the profit is nice, but after truing up the 15th pen it gets kinda old.