Advice on Gluing Pen Together During Final Assembly

[Noot17]

Hey everyone,

I'm sure this has been covered somewhere, but I was hoping to get some thoughts on this. I finished a Sierra yesterday and it's only the second time I've had it not be a tight enough fit to actually press together. The last time I did this I made a bit of a mess with the CA glue when I pressed it together.

Does anyone have tips on gluing the finished blank to the pen parts during assembly? I assume using Medium or Thick CA is better since it won't cure instantly when I put it together, but any other tips would be helpful as I would love to not ruin this pen when I put it together.

Thanks!

 

[RKB]

I use GEL blue loctite for those times when I want to make sure the parts are solid. That's what I do.
Note: I have had CA "fog" the plating on the pen parts.

Rod

 

[skiprat]

Hi Eric
I hate it when that happens!!!
When I remember, I try out the tubes by hand and judge the fit before using it.
I don't advocate glueing the tube to the parts. But if I have to, then I use Loctite thread sealer because it doesn't affect the platings and can be pulled apart if needed.
Another trick I use is to lightly smear a thin coat of CA just inside the tube with a Q tip and let it dry completly. Then you can press the parts in. :wink:
Good luck

 

[magpens]

I sorta like this trick :

"Another trick I use is to lightly smear a thin coat of CA just inside the tube with a Q tip and let it dry completely. Then you can press the parts in. :wink:"

.... but with my luck, I would end up with the Q tip instantly glued inside the tube !

I always use epoxy when I need to glue parts into the tube ... a very little amount applied inside the tube, not on the part.
If any epoxy gets on the the pen barrel you can quite easily wipe it off.

I have not been successful with Loctite so I think I must be using in wrongly.

 

[Noot17]

Thanks for the tips!

Skiprat - have you ever had the pen come apart after building a layer of super glue?

The epoxy is a good idea. I've had the CA make stuff cloudy too and want to avoid that.


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[Rolandranch]

If you do use med or thick CA to glue in the parts, be sure to apply the CA on the inside of the tube and not on the pen component. That way you won't have glue seeping onto your finished blank.

 

[Noot17]

Thanks for the advice. Definitely helpful for next time I run into this issue.

Update: I almost did something really stupid. Good thing I read the instructions before permanently sealing my Sierra Twist pen together, preventing the refill from ever being replaced! Turns out it's supposed to be a loose fit, like a slimline.
That was close!


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[thewishman]

So you were sliding the completed pen together, not pressing the cap onto the barrel?

I sometimes do Loctite or epoxy the transmission in place, especially with expensive barrels. It is relatively easy for a customer to get the transmission stuck in the barrel of the pen. By permanently locking the transmission in place, a customer can easily replace the refill by unscrewing the top of the pen, rather than pulling it apart and then unscrewing the transmission.

 

[Noot17]

I see. Thanks for the insight! This is the first Sierra I've done, so it's helpful to know that stuff.


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[RileyD]

If I need to do stuff like this I just use JBWeld. You can paint it on with a small paintbrush and then just wash off the brush. It also has a pretty long open time, so no rushing.
Those parts will never ever come apart though.