Reusing tubes

[Jbalderson]

If you are turning a pen and it breaks can you reuse the tube? I know this sounds like a silly question but sometimes I can just turn the rest of the material off and could sand the tube down and just didn't want to waste if I could avoid it.

 

[monophoto]

Yes

 

[low_48]

The only caution is the length of the tube. If you get a little heavy handed with a pen mill on the first run, then do the same on the second run, you may end up too short. I don't use a mill, just making an example.

 

[farmer]

Heat

If you are turning a pen and it breaks can you reuse the tube? I know this sounds like a silly question but sometimes I can just turn the rest of the material off and could sand the tube down and just didn't want to waste if I could avoid it.

Heat, 225 degrees all glues release. the wood will slide off the tube.
Then sand wipe scrape the rest of the glue off.

I am using a live cutter on my cross slide or on my tool post.
The chance of breaking or chipping the wood is slim when using a live cutter.
There is also no need for a mandrel .................
There is not allot of energy needed to turn the pen, because the veneer trimmer is doing all the work.
very smooth cuts , no cross grain sanding and if the wood is laminated like Gabon ebony next to birds eye maple the black wood dust from the ebony will not get sanded into the birds eye maple wood pours and grain .
You still sand and you can still screw up the BEM ( Birds eye maple ) with the ebony dust, but the trimmer does extremely smooth cuts and sanding is done with the lathe turned off and you sand with the grain, Inless you are some nut like me where I will laminate wood together with one piece of wood I put in with the grain running side to side instead end to end .

Live cutter works great on leather too .

 

[low_48]

Farmer,
That's a lot of equipment and process to replace a skew. And, the skew will get a better finish, and it's WAY quieter! But to each his own.

 

[farmer]

lathe

Farmer,
That's a lot of equipment and process to replace a skew. And, the skew will get a better finish, and it's WAY quieter! But to each his own.

I never thought of it as I trying to replace the skew ?
Yes it is allot of equipment and processes to turn a small piece of wood into a functioning work of art.

I was trying to explain there are different ways of doing the same thing.
Live cutter normally doesn't chip the wood but yes most of the time electric motors do make noise.

As Of the finish of the cut, yes I see your point.

All of my work is loaded with inlays, if a skew was to snag a inlay then it would tear it out.
For me and the style of work I do a skew wouldn't work for me.
For my style of work a live cutter is a must......

I was more worried about trying to come up with ways to shape the wood with out taking the chance of tearing out a piece of wood.
And under those conditions the live cutters really do a great job.

I hope you can understand how some peoples technics and styles of there workmanship can be extremely different from one another.
And it would only make sense that the tools they use or there technics would also be allot different too.

Regardless of everything said and done I don't have a problem with chipping off a piece of wood when I don't want it to, and if I make a little noise giving my self and my work the best possible chance of seceding and producing a functioning work of art , then so be it.

Being called noisy and slow really doesn't hurt my feelings as long as I am not called late for dinner :biggrin:

 

[Smitty37]

Hmmmm....seems like a lot more information than the OP asked for. To the original OP ... Yes you can save the tubes...and it isn't very hard to do.

 

[tomtedesco]

I agree with Smitty37.

 

[low_48]

You explained your process very well. I do understand the creative process very well, been doing it for over 40 years, often inventing my own machines and processes. The only thing I will still disagree on, is your statement of a skew snagging an inlay. Sharpened and honed properly, and used with skill, there is no cutting method more gentle than the extreme, shear cutting angle of a skew. Other than that, have it. Will you be adding cnc in the near future? Your machine looks ripe for it

 

[farmer]

Cutting wood

You explained your process very well. I do understand the creative process very well, been doing it for over 40 years, often inventing my own machines and processes. The only thing I will still disagree on, is your statement of a skew snagging an inlay. Sharpened and honed properly, and used with skill, there is no cutting method more gentle than the extreme, shear cutting angle of a skew. Other than that, have it. Will you be adding cnc in the near future? Your machine looks ripe for it

I have mid sized 3 axis CNC already 75 inches X 24inches Y 8.5 inches Z with a lathe mounted on it for cutting tapers on pool cues
I made it about 6 years ago.
We can debate all this in some other thread
Sorry I didn't wish to take this thread off topic.

 

[Tim'sTurnings]

As already stated there should be no problems with re-using a pen tube. Also as stated you will need to measure the length of the tube to make sure it will still work with the pen you are making.
Tim.

 

[VotTak]

If you are turning a pen and it breaks can you reuse the tube? I know this sounds like a silly question but sometimes I can just turn the rest of the material off and could sand the tube down and just didn't want to waste if I could avoid it.

Heat, 225 degrees all glues release. the wood will slide off the tube.
Then sand wipe scrape the rest of the glue off.

I'l try to heat and see. I used Titebond polyurethane glue.

 

[farmer]

Release temp

If you are turning a pen and it breaks can you reuse the tube? I know this sounds like a silly question but sometimes I can just turn the rest of the material off and could sand the tube down and just didn't want to waste if I could avoid it.

Heat, 225 degrees all glues release. the wood will slide off the tube.
Then sand wipe scrape the rest of the glue off.

I'l try to heat and see. I used Titebond polyurethane glue.

I am always pulling a stainless steel pin out of the joint on pool cues to repair them.

I hang a a soldering gun on the pin and double nut the pin and just keep a little pressure on unscrewing it, the technic works great and I don't hurt the finish on the cue.

All glues and epoxies release right around 225 degrees .
Only thing that may not release ant the temp might be something like JB weld Or Devcon liquid steel.

Any way heat will work, if nothing else hold it over a boiling pan of water .
Good luck with your project .

farmer

 

[VotTak]

If you are turning a pen and it breaks can you reuse the tube? I know this sounds like a silly question but sometimes I can just turn the rest of the material off and could sand the tube down and just didn't want to waste if I could avoid it.

Heat, 225 degrees all glues release. the wood will slide off the tube.
Then sand wipe scrape the rest of the glue off.

I'l try to heat and see. I used Titebond polyurethane glue.

heat did not release glue

 

[farmer]

Wonder glue

If you are turning a pen and it breaks can you reuse the tube? I know this sounds like a silly question but sometimes I can just turn the rest of the material off and could sand the tube down and just didn't want to waste if I could avoid it.

Heat, 225 degrees all glues release. the wood will slide off the tube.
Then sand wipe scrape the rest of the glue off.

I'l try to heat and see. I used Titebond polyurethane glue.

heat did not release glue

Hurry up and better patent it because you have the only glue in the world that will not release at 225 degrees .

 

[VotTak]

Actually my purpose was to release that tube from that blank. That is why I so naively followed your suggestion about heating to certain temperature.
I understand that I should've ask questions before I start... in this case for example I should've ask:
- When you say "225 degrees" do you mean F or C ?
- For how much time would I need to heat it up?
- For what type of glue and blank that is working?
and so on. I did not ask those questions. That is my fault. Despite that I did not deserve your sarcastic comment.

 

[farmer]

Glue

Actually my purpose was to release that tube from that blank. That is why I so naively followed your suggestion about heating to certain temperature.
I understand that I should've ask questions before I start... in this case for example I should've ask:
- When you say "225 degrees" do you mean F or C ?
- For how much time would I need to heat it up?
- For what type of glue and blank that is working?
and so on. I did not ask those questions. That is my fault. Despite that I did not deserve your sarcastic comment.

You did a reply, Heat didn't work . ( No your technic didn't work and that is the truth )
You gave no other info....

Even when I said you should patent it because hi temp glue would be worth billions.
In order to help you it would of been nice to have a little more infor on why you failed on removing the tube .
Truth is you couldn't of given any less info for me to try to help you.
And personally I thought your comment was sarcastic to begin with..

Heat works ......................... what the tube will be worth after you get done screwing around with it might be a different story.
You need a tool to push the tube out when everything is hot and so you don't destroy the tube getting it out..

Ps I don't care to drag this into the gutter, I gave you solid advise and factual advise .