Messed up tube, please help.

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Emery

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I have a homemade blank from a very special piece of wood (extreme sentimental value). My plan was to make a one piece cigar pen to show off the wood, but I glue the long tube in what is to be the "butt" of the pen with CA glue. The blank itself has alot of CA in it which was used to help stabalize it while turning so I don't think submerging in acetone is a good idea. I also could cut the blank and make a regular cigar pen. My wish is to remove the tube without harming the blank. I read on here last week about using a birthday candle to heat the tube and get it out. Can someone explain the process to use heat to melt the glue without harming the blank or does anyone have a different method to help solve my issue? Thanks in advance.

FYI the blank comes from the tree my dad and I have camped under since 1978 and he camped under it when he was a boy with his dad. The tree died last year. I'm making this for my dad.
 
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Wright

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you might try the heat method. Use a toaster oven if you have one. Try 175 degrees for 10 min and be sure to cover the blank with foil! You don't won't to burn the wood. Then use a punch tool that fits the tube and try knocking it out. That would be what I would do. Somebody may have a different idea. I messed up a PR blank the other day and I always soak the blank in acetone to save the tube.
 
ed4copies

ed4copies

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Emery said:
I don't have a toaster oven. Will a regular oven work?
Click to expand...

From a thermo-standpoint, yes.
From a divorce court standpoint----check with the master of the kitchen---it will likely smell up the place!!


Toaster oven at Goodwill is MUCH cheaper than divorce!!! (or even a day in the doghouse)
 
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Culprit

Culprit

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I would only try drilling the tube out as a last resort. First you have to get it chucked up EXACTLY the same so it is perfectly centered and parallel with the bit.

Secondly, if the bit catches on the brass tube at all, it could easily destroy the blank.

If the candle doesn't work (I've never tried it), you could soak it in acetone. Yes, that will pull the stabilizing CA out of the wood, but you should be able to re-stabilize it. I've never tried that either - but it seems less risky to me than trying to line things up to re-drill.
 
ed4copies

ed4copies

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Emery said:
DSurette said:
I wonder if it would be possible to drill the tube out with the same size drill bit that you used for the blank?
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That's what I figured out. I think I'm going to get out of this for the price of a 10mm tube. Thanks for the ideas.
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I can tell you from experience, this is NOT as easy as it sounds!! Use a couple drill sizes smaller and slowly remove brass--it CAN work, but if it catches, depending on how you are holding the blank (I always used my hand, so I could let it spin if necessary), it hurts or destroys the blank.
 
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jppensplus

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A toaster oven would probably do the trick--you could pick one up for $15 or so, and you would find that tool to be very useful going forward--
 
Drstrangefart

Drstrangefart

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For future reference: I use a birthday candle set up on the work bench. I run the flame up the tube as far as it will go without extinguishing it. After a few minutes it breaks the CA loose. I don't know how well it'll do in a closed end situation, but it has helped me pull the tube back out of a good few blanks in the past.
 
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Kinger

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DSurette said:
I wonder if it would be possible to drill the tube out with the same size drill bit that you used for the blank?
Click to expand...


last time I attempted to do that the drill bit just spread the tube out and cracked the blank, now if i get them stuck i just take a hacksaw and cut off tube at end and take new tube to slide into other side cut to size and good to go
 
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Gary Beasley

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A soldering gun is another option. One of the Weller types with the copper element on it. You can put the element up in the hole a good ways and heat from the inside. Then be ready with a tool to snag the tube and pull it out before it cools too much.
 
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louie68

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May I suggest using GOOF OFF REMOVER , i KNOW IT WORKS CUZ I HAD GLUE A TUBE ON A BLANK BUT DID NOT GET IT ALL THE WAY IN BEFORE THE CA DRY HARD. tHIS STUFF IS A LIQUID BUT GIVE IT SOME TIME TO WORK THE CA LOOSE GIVE A COUPLE GOOD SHOTS OF IT.THEN REMOVE .
 
el_d

el_d

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Since its going to bea one piece closed end does the tube have to go all the way thru?

I have done this with a small potion of the tube glued in. All I needed was enought tube to catch the components when pressing together.
 
jd99

jd99

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What about trying a 10mm reamer, the reamer wont be as aggressive as a drill bit, and reamers are designed to follow the hole, you will also have multiple cutting edges vs the two cutting edges of a drill bit.

Discalmer I've never tried this, just throwing it out there.
Good luck.
 
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stonyloam

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Somehow I don't understand. If you glued the long tube in, then there should be some tube sticking out right? If that is the case, then just cut it off and either get a new long tube or put the short tube and the cut off picece in the other part, together they should be the right length. I guess I don't see why you have to fool around taking the other tube out. A photo would be nice.
 
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Emery

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stonyloam said:
Somehow I don't understand. If you glued the long tube in, then there should be some tube sticking out right? If that is the case, then just cut it off and either get a new long tube or put the short tube and the cut off picece in the other part, together they should be the right length. I guess I don't see why you have to fool around taking the other tube out. A photo would be nice.
Click to expand...

The pen is one piece. All of the tube is glued in and reversing he tubes will not allow the mechanism to work
 
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Emery

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Update: I was able to "shorten" the tube by drilling the blank. I also burnished the blank a couple of times when the blank spun in my hand, ouch! Thanks to everyone for the discussion, I appreciate the suggestions.
 
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