Delrin bushings and CA chipping during assembly

[Bill in Buena Park]

I too had issues with cloudiness until I switched to Delrin bushings that allowed me to seal the ends of the blanks before wet sanding. When I started to use the conical bushings it allowed the thin CA to cover the ends of the pen and seal it up tight.

I brought this quote over from another thread, so as not to disrupt the OP's thread.

I have used the delrin bushings for CA application with limited success. In some instances, when pressing the pen components into the tube, the buildup of CA on the ends of the blank will yield under pressure and cause chipping or actual separation of the CA off the surface of the blank. I have tried hand trimming the excess CA with an Exacto knife, and have been reluctant to attempt to trim with a pen mill/trimmer.

If anyone else has experienced this, I'd appreciate input on what you do to avoid this, or the method you use to safely trim off the excess CA.

Many thanks!

 

[StuartCovey]

I have experienced that and I have been able to resolve it simply by sanding the ends on a sander. I usually am able to just sand it by hand on a drum sander.
Or you can use a squaring jig. I usually just go until the brass is just starting to get shiny from the sanding.

 

[Alex D]

I do what Stuart does, expect I use one of Rich Herrel's sanding mandrels and it does a fantastic job of cleaning the ends.

However, this raises a question I have had for a while. If I seal the ends using the method above, then sand back to the tube, are the ends still sealed sufficiently? Does enough thin CA get absorbed that you don't actually need a CA film on the ends?

Thanks!
Alex

 

[Trey]

+1 on the sanding.
I actually do a combination of both trimming and sanding currently. I use an Exacto knife to trim the majority of the excess off, and then use a piece of 400 grit paper on a flat surface and spin the finished blank against the paper to get back to the shiny brass ends.

Something else you may want to make sure is that you aren't getting small amounts of CA actually IN the tube. A couple quick passes of a rat tail file around the inside of the tube makes sure to take care of that. IF you are paranoid (like I am) you can use the bushings to slide back into the ends of the tube to make sure there isn't any stress on the pen parts before you assemble them. The bushing should slide in and out without any issue. Once again, if it's a bit tight, just a couple passes of said file and it's good to go. Just don't go too crazy with the file or you will make the assembled pen too loose.

 

[jcm71]

I learned this trick from other members on this site. Cut out a circular piece of adhesive backed sandpaper the size of your pen mill. Use a hole punch to punch a hole in the center of it. Reverse your pen mill cutter head on the shaft, apply the sandpaper, and mill away. Works like a charm.

I have also used my pen mill by hand to shave off the excess. Just go slow and make sure your cutter heads are sharp.

 

[Mack C.]

Rick Herrels (sp?) off set sanding jig is the tool for you! Look for him in the Vendor Catalogs!

 

[Bill in Buena Park]

Thanks guys, I'll try the sanding trick, and look into Mr. Herrel's mandrel/jig.