Originally posted by rherrell
The point I was trying to make is that when you use the nib from a kit you put alot of pressure on the tube while pressing it in. IMO a glue joint is not sufficient for this kind of pressure.
Which is a good point and I don't mean to detract from it. The joints we make need to withstand the forces that will be put upon them.
My experience with CA glue, however, seems to have been different than yours. I wont' deny that a good solder joint is very strong, but I've found a good CA glue joint to be plenty strong as well.
I don't use nibs from kits, only bullets, but I still solder all my tubes. You can't tell the difference between a glued tube and a soldered tube once the transmission is installed but I'll know the difference and I choose to go that extra step for my personal peace of mind.
And I certainly don't mean to criticize your assembly preference. By all means, stick with what works for you.
After having disassembled several cartridges with glued in tubes, however, my mind is at peace about the strength of that joint. The CA bond is much stronger than the transmission itself. That is to say, unless I released the bond with heat or solvents, the transmission broke before the glue separated.
I too, do not use the kit nib in cartridge pens. I prefer the look of a real bullet. So much so, that I began making and selling drilled out rifle cases with an installed bullet. Soldering in the tubes would make that impractical. I can't require my customers to solder -- that would destroy the finish. I can't solder the tubes myself without raising the price. Therefore, I had to make sure that a CA glue joint is strong enough - and I'm satisfied that it is.
Regards,
Eric