Replacement tubes ?

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Signguy

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Apr 20, 2014
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I make a pretty wide variety of kits, so it's not really practical to keep 20-40 different replacement tubes on hand for the occasional bad outcome.

I'd like to just buy some lengths of the brass tubing in each of the common outer diameters and cut off lengths as appropriate when needed.

However, the thought occurred to me that perhaps there is variance in ID as well as OD, and if so this wouldn't work.

Can anyone tell me if this is (or is not) the case?

Thanks!
 
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larryc

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I found out the hard way that 3/8" tubing from Ace Hardware is not the same as 3/8" tubing from the pen supply houses.
And don't try to buy anything other than 7mm tubing from CSUSA.
 

ed4copies

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Tubing is NOT standardized in any way.

And 3/8" tubing is NOT .375" (which IS 3/8").

As an industry, we have referred to the size of the tube as the size of the hole we drill. Quite obviously that cannot be correct!! Penn State's "3/8" tube is actually .363" (.013" smaller than 3/8")

Now, the next "pet peeve" this uncovers is that the outside diameter means darn little in the assembly of your pen. You are trying to accomodate mostly "press in" fittings. So, what you SHOULD be watching is the INTERIOR diameter, compared with the EXTERIOR diameter of the coupler you intend to press in. Especially if you are in the "I don't intend to use adhesive" camp. You only have a few thousandths of "margin of error". By using the hole size, NONE of these concerns is addressed.

Just a FWIW (and a chance to vent about all the calls that ask for a hole size instead of the size they really want).
 

sbell111

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We tend to make many pens at a time. In fact, I probably have 60-70 (or more) pens in one step of the process or another right now. It was a pain to pull the tubes out of all the bags of kits, so I started ordering supplies of sore tubes. I probably have twenty or so extras for each kit that we make and many more for the semi-kitless ones (such as various cartridge pens and styli). Sure, it was a little expense on the front end, but it makes my process so much easier.
 

Signguy

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So is the consensus that I actually would have to buy the specific replacement tube sets for each and every different kit type as it won't work to just buy generic tubing?
 

ed4copies

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So is the consensus that I actually would have to buy the specific replacement tube sets for each and every different kit type as it won't work to just buy generic tubing?

Worse yet!!! A Chinese sierra tube may or may NOT fit a Berea sierra pen.
Or one manufacturer's Cigar may be thousandths different from the next.
 

mick

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Decatur AL, USA
I guess I'm not understanding why it's impractical to keep extra tubes. Is it a problem if space or storage? I hang all my kits on pegboard over my desk and the tubes hang with the appropriate kit. Is the issue not wanting to invest in extra tubes. They are cheap and it's very convient to have them on hand. If you make a lot of pens like sbell or me it's good to have tubes on hand to be able to cut and tube blanks and turn

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mick

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I guess I'm not understanding why it's impractical to keep extra tubes. Is it a problem if space or storage? I hang all my kits on pegboard over my desk and the tubes hang with the appropriate kit. Is the issue not wanting to invest in extra tubes. They are cheap and it's very convient to have them on hand. If you make a lot of pens like sbell or me it's good to have tubes on hand to be able to cut and tube blanks and turn while you wait in an order of kits.
I don't mean to sound harsh if I came across that way but was simply stating reasons to have extras on hand.
Mick

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Signguy

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It's not that big a deal, but because I didn't realize that I would perhaps need them, I didn't order them while ordering kits. And right now I have about 150 kits on hand in at least 25 different varieties from multiple vendors so it's a hassle and a bunch of shipping to have to go back and order the replacement tubes now.

I'm in the midst of making 150 or so pens to give to my clients as Christmas thank you gifts (last year I did end grain cutting boards) and since they have all different tastes I have been doing a very wide variety of kits and blanks to have a good selection to choose from.

However, so far I have done almost 50 pens (about 75 blanks) and only needed a replacement tube twice so it does not look like I will be having that big an issue, so I am going to just wait until I finish and see what I actually need to order then.

So probably not going to be a big deal at all.

However, it is a shame that there is no standardization in the industry, and I guess that was the point I was making.
 
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