Tip: Gluing up Acrylic Blanks

[Bree]

Here's a tip that will save you some headaches. Make sure to shoot some accelerator down the inside of your blank before you insert the tube if you glue up with CA. You can spin the blank and even do a little back and forth pushing to evenly distribute the glue before it sets up if you use thick CA.

Why accelerate the blank? Well the reason is that CA usually gets the curing process started by grabbing some moisture from the blank when you do a wooden pen. Even a dry blank has 7-9% moisture which is enough to trigger the curing of the CA. An acrylic blank has ZERO moisture unless you put it there.

It's possible to have the ends cure from moisture in the air but the center of the blank is still liguid CA trapped that might as well be in the CA container. Sometimes the blank will spin if enough force is applied to shear the small amount that actually has cured. Moistening the inside with accelerator solves this problem. All the CA cures and you get a nice strong bond.

[steeler fan1]

Interesting idea. My fear would be the ca setting up before I got the tube seated properly. I'm certainly game to giving it a try though.

Thanks for the tip.
Carl

[gingerwood]

I've had too many CA tubes set with the tube half in to be comfortable with that idea.

[Bree]

Work fast... know your motions before you do it and zoom zoom... it's in. Haven't lost one yet.

[jasontg99]

Good tip Bree. But this is why is use epoxy.

[ed4copies]

Originally Posted by gingerwood

I've had too many CA tubes set with the tube half in to be comfortable with that idea.

1) Don't use thin for gluing up tubes.
2) Don't glue while the blank is still hot from drilling.
3) If you use fluid to keep the blank cool while drilling, remember water will accelerate the curing process (it can make medium set up while trying to spread the glue--slide in the tube)

If you follow these hints, in ten years of making pens I had about three set before I was ready.

[Wood Butcher]

I use the thick CA and have found that if the tube to drilled hole fit is tight, you will have issues if you dilly dally. Cyanoacrylate dries in the absence of oxygen. Don't believe it, put some on a couple of tight fitting pieces of anything and press it together and you don't have time to blink before they're stuck. On your fingers the moisture adds to the speed of irretrievable stuckness. If you find the tube is stuck half way in, simply use a fine tooth coping saw to remover the protrusion and insert it in the other end of the blank with some CA on it and the issue is solved.
WB

[t001xa22]

I totally agree with WB. Considering that usually the press-fitted mechanism parts only use a small amount of each end to secure themselves, the cut-off and insert to the other end works just about every time. I have rescued several work-ups that way before I learned better ways to glue up.

[PedroDelgado]

Why use CA over Epoxy? Epoxy gives you lots of time to abjust and clean the tube in the inside. Why stress yourself with CA when this is a hobby.
Cheers

[Lenny]

Originally Posted by Bree

Work fast... know your motions before you do it and zoom zoom... it's in. Haven't lost one yet.

My Dad used to say ... "I've got one other speed .... but even I am ashamed of THAT one!"

That is why I use epoxy!