Scuffing Tubes

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campzeke

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Joined
Jun 28, 2015
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577
Location
Tampa, FL
They say need is the mother of invention and I like to keep things simple. While working on several two piece pens I realized I needed to scuff the tubes before gluing them in the blanks. This not being my favorite part of the process, I started looking for an easy solution. This is what I came up with...

I cut a 4 - 5" piece of dowel slightly smaller than the inside diameter of the tubes and drilled a 1/16" hole about 1" deep in the end. I then cut a small slit in the same end about 1 1/2" long on the scroll saw. I chucked the other end of the dowel in my drill. I then slide a tube onto the dowel and press a 4d finish nail into the hole/slit in the end as a wedge. Spin the whole set up on the drill and scuff away! When done pull the nail out and repeat.... quick and easy! Sometimes the tube will slip on the dowel when sanding so I lightly tapped the nail in a little deeper with a pair of pliers a.k.a. a ply-hammer. About 60 seconds, 10 tubes scuffed and ready for glue.
 

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magpens

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Feb 2, 2011
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15,913
Location
Canada
Cool idea ... up to now I have just used a small file ... gonna try this method !
 
Joined
Feb 25, 2010
Messages
1,798
Location
webberville, mi
Rick - Excellent idea! I recently had a 30 pen order (2 tubes per pen) and "scuffing" was a real pia. Sure wish you had posted this earlier. :biggrin:
Thanks for sharing!
 

MDWine

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Joined
Mar 22, 2005
Messages
2,690
Location
Manassas Park, Virginia, USA.
I use a dowel, slide the tube onto the dowel, and use my belt sander to scuff the tube. A piece of plastic is used as a stop to keep the tube in the "business zone", a very low-tech solution... fast and easy.
 

Curly

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Nov 20, 2010
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Location
Saskatoon SK., Canada.
I place the tube between the live and dead centres on the lathe and apply the sandpaper to the spinning tube. Just another way of accomplishing the same end result.
 

JohnU

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Joined
Jan 31, 2008
Messages
4,923
Location
Ottawa, Illinois
I scuff every tube of every feather and snake skin blank I make. Ive never worried about how much they were scuffed and never had a problem with then not being scuffed enough. I just pinch the tube between a small piece of sandpaper and twist as I pull it out. I do this from each end so the scuffs overlap themselves from the two directions. (takes about 5 seconds)
 

howsitwork

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Joined
Jul 9, 2016
Messages
2,299
Location
Thirsk
I alway scuff but this seems a good idea for bulk production of blanks. I usually scuff em whilst allowing the epoxy to settle a bit after mixing. It also takes any oil residue off the tube. If I feel really keen I then wipe with cellulose thinners to remove and oil traces.

Neat idea

ian
 

dogcatcher

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Joined
Jul 4, 2007
Messages
2,359
Location
TX, NM or on the road
I am a tool junkie and gadget maker. I have a set of homemade taper mandrels that I use in a homemade "headstock" that uses a drill chuck to hold the mandrels. I can grab the tube slide it on the mandrel hit it with 80 grit paper, pull it off and slide on another without turning off the motor. I make my pens in batches of at least a dozen at a time. When I do these, I usually do the tubes for about 4 different pens and at least 12 of each

I also use the same mandrels to polish rifle brass for pens and key rings. No access to a metal lathe to make mandrels? Simply use a few wraps of painters tape in a spiral wrap. This set up fits on a piece pf 1x8 that is a foot long, I can sit and watch TV while I crank out scored tubes or polish rifle brass. I lay a towel in my lap and this on top, the towel catches the mess I make.
 

Marmotjr

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Joined
Jun 16, 2016
Messages
245
Location
Rome, Ohio
I posted something similar a while back, but instead I put 60 grit paper in the dowel, and spun that on the drill, flapper wheel style. Put the tube on a long bolt and let it rub against the spinning paper.
 
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