My first stuck brass tube

[Warren White]

I think my blank was still a bit warm when I tried to glue the brass tube in place. About 3/4 of the way in, I shifted my grip to add glue to the end and OOPS, the tube was stuck solid, part way in. No way to get it free without braking the blank, which I should have done.

I guess one swift movement is the answer, but I am wondering if I can find 3/8" brass tubing in lengths, how do you cut it to the exact length you need?

I don't mind spending $2.50 for additional tubing from Penn State, but $5.45 for shipping seems to be a bit too high.

Thanks,
Warren

 

[KBs Pensnmore]

When I've had that happen I cut the bit that's sticking out and gluing it in the other end, simple cure. The alternative is to turn the blank off or soak it in acetone to release the tube.
Kryn

 

[dtswebb]

I use a small tubing cutter to cut the tube to length. Then run a chamfering tool to remove the burr on the outside and remove the bell on the inside of the cut tube. Also, switching from CA to epoxy solved the issue with tubes "sticking" when inserting the tube in the blank.

 

[southernclay]

I do the same as Mathew but put a transfer punch inside of the tube as I'm cutting to limit the caving in effect. Works great.

 

[Warren White]

Thank you!

This is really a great site, with lots of folks that help me out when I shoot myself in the foot....

I will store the answers away (I like the addition of adding a transfer punch to add stability) and use them the NEXT time I mess up. I found a brass tube at Woodcraft that should work without modification. I am also going to try 5 minute epoxy for a while and see if I can mess that up.

Thanks again!
Warren

 

[Signguy]

You might want to try 30 min epoxy instead of the 5 min.

It is superior in terms of the type of bond which is desirable for pens, and it also gives you a better working time window.

With the 5 min you don't have much time if you are doing more than 1 pen.

I get mine on Amazon, they don't carry it at the big box stores.

 

[Warren White]

I feel like Maxwell Smart...

...."missed it by that much!"

I just got back from the Big Box with a 5 minute epoxy kit. Oh well, I have never done more than one pen at a time. I just don't have the concentration to do more than one thing at a time. Just ask my wife.

Thanks for the suggestion, though.

Warren

 

[RSQWhite]

Have successfully removed stuck tubes by heating them. I have used an electric soldering iron a cigar lighter but the best is to use a transfer punch. Heat it up the length of the tube insert the hot end into the tube then grip the tube and punch with pliers twist carefully and remove the tube.

 

[allisnut]

I have successfully popped tubes loose when they stick like that by immediately sticking it in the pen press and pushing it on into the blank. If it pops loose, you can generally slide it out of the blank and reglue it. I have also crushed the end of a tube doing this, so be careful!

 

[plantman]

There are a couple things I would try before cutting the tube or turning off the blank. Stand your tube upright and add a little debonder to the outside of the tube and let it soak in. Now try putting your blank and tube in a vice and slowly add pressure to pop the tube loose. Heat the blank and tube in the oven at 250 degrees for about 15 minutes if it is wood. Next time you glue your blanks make sure they are cool first, use thick CA ( it gives you more time ), and do your glueing next to an open vice. If you crush the tube, sand the brass off flush on a disk sander and reshape the end with a tapered reamer to make it round. Jim S.

 

[sbell111]

I have successfully popped tubes loose when they stick like that by immediately sticking it in the pen press and pushing it on into the blank. If it pops loose, you can generally slide it out of the blank and reglue it. I have also crushed the end of a tube doing this, so be careful!

My workbench has a vise right next to where I do my gluing. If a tube sticks, I quickly toss it in the vise and push the tube home. Since the glue wasn't really set up when the tube stuck, it doesn't need regluing. On those occasions that the very end of the tube gets dented by the vise, I just bring it back to round using my chamfer tool twqisted in the 'wrong' direction.

 

[Joey-Nieves]

This is what I do

 

[Mike Young]

To answer your question about spare tubing, most of the vendors sell spare brass tubes in case you mess up or want to build up your blanks ahead of time. I've seen them offered in packs of five or ten I think. Our True Value Hardware Store has a wide selection of standard sizes of brass tubing in 36" lengths, but I haven't located 7mm tubing locally yet.

 

[Warren White]

Lessons I have learned...

...during this process.

1. I have gone to 5 minute epoxy for the tubes. As soon as the brass stuck, I tried to use the bench top to push the tube the rest of the way in. That CA glue is really, really good. (Probably the added heat generated by the drilling made it super, super glue.
2. As I read in one of the excellent tutorials on this site, I put a 1/4" deep or so dollop of plumber's putty on my work surface and use the brass tubing as a cookie cutter, and then add the epoxy to the surface of the brass. I start the tubing into the blank with the plumber's putty end first, twisting it as it goes in. With the plumber's putty blocking the lead end, there is practically no chance that epoxy gets into the end of the brass tubing.
3. Just because a piece of brass tubing 'looks like' 3/8", close (even really, really close) doesn't do it. I ended up with a piece of brass that was 1/64" too big. Makes assembly kind of dicey.
4. Even mistakes are learning opportunities. They just hurt a bit.
5. This site is GREAT because of all of the expertise of the members, and their willingness to share.
6. Repeat number 5.:handshake:

 

[sbell111]

2. As I read in one of the excellent tutorials on this site, I put a 1/4" deep or so dollop of plumber's putty on my work surface and use the brass tubing as a cookie cutter, and then add the epoxy to the surface of the brass. I start the tubing into the blank with the plumber's putty end first, twisting it as it goes in. With the plumber's putty blocking the lead end, there is practically no chance that epoxy gets into the end of the brass tubing.

My belief is that a cause of glue failure is foriegn substances such as manufacturing oils on the tubes. For this reason, part of our tube prep process is to make sure that these are removed. My concern is that by 'cookie cutting' the plumbers putty, you are introducing a another contaminant.

Regarding tubes sticking, I do believe that heat is a factor, but I'm not sure that it is necessarily the only factor. My thinking is that the size of the hole is a huge factor. I believe that it is a mistake to rely solely on the instruction sheet to determine hole size as these sometimes result in a sloppy hole or a hole that is too snug. If the hole is too snug, you risk either not getting enough glue coverage or the glue setting up before you can get the tube properly inserted.

 

[Warren White]

Steve

[/QUOTE]My belief is that a cause of glue failure is foriegn substances such as manufacturing oils on the tubes. For this reason, part of our tube prep process is to make sure that these are removed. My concern is that by 'cookie cutting' the plumbers putty, you are introducing a another contaminant.[/QUOTE]

You certainly make a good point! I am careful not to have any of the putty on the outside of the tube, and wipe the end with my finger to make sure nothing on the inside is too close to the end so it will contaminate the inside of the blank.

As for not using the instruction sheet to determine the size of the hole, that would really destroy my faith in the manufacturers! Surely they know the size drill you should use. Have any others found erroneous instruction sheets? The problem I had was caused by not bringing a micrometer to the place where I bought the tubing. My fault, not theirs.

 

[rossvh]

That is frustrating but it has happened to me enough that I now routinely - after drilling - put the blanks in the freezer for a couple of minutes. Just long enough to cool it down bc CA and heat really don't work well together.
RossVH

 

[Warren White]

That is frustrating but it has happened to me enough that I now routinely - after drilling - put the blanks in the freezer for a couple of minutes. Just long enough to cool it down bc CA and heat really don't work well together.
RossVH

That is an interesting suggestion, since I am pretty sure that heat was the major cause of my problem. Thanks for the idea!

Warren

 

[Joey-Nieves]

Ca glue is activate by heat, presure and the cellulose in the wood. Usally when I work with certain woods this problem will occur. For example blue majo will react to the thin CA faster than the thick.

 

[rossvh]

That is an interesting suggestion, since I am pretty sure that heat was the major cause of my problem. Thanks for the idea!

Warren

Warren,
After reading my response - I should actually have said that CA and Heat work very well together - and that is the problem (as pointed out by Joey-Nieves) especially if you want a little more time to install the tube.
RossVH

 

[Warren White]

Warren,
After reading my response - I should actually have said that CA and Heat work very well together - and that is the problem (as pointed out by Joey-Nieves) especially if you want a little more time to install the tube.
RossVH

That was exactly how I took the meaning of your response, Ross.

Again, thank you (and all others who took the time to respond).

Warren