tube abrasives

[montmill]

The most recent tubes from PSI for some seam rippers were rough, not smooth like they used to be. I wonder if their newer pen tubes are like that and if so would you still rough them up before gluing them in the blank?
Montmill

 

[longbeard]

Yes, the pen tubes are also roughed up.
No you do not need to rough them up



Harry

 

[CREID]

Yes, the pen tubes are also roughed up.
No you do not need to rough them up



Harry

Some of the pen tubes I have gotten have been roughed up and some not, probably due to inventory. I would still wipe them down with acetone or something though, you never know if they might have some oil on them.
Curt

 

[Dan Masshardt]

I stopped roughing up tubes when I switched to epoxy.

 

[efrulla]

It must be be my OCD but roughing up the tubes is part of my process so I rough them up even more.

 

[Edgar]

I use CA, but I quit roughing up tubes long ago. I do let the glue cure at least overnight though.

 

[Charlie69]

I buff the shine off the tube with 400 or so grit and wipe down with some sort of de-greaser; DNA, naptha, acetone-whatever's handy. It's going overboard but I spend a lot of time working with various epoxies when working with composites and there is no doubt that it bonds better to a clean no gloss surface. Fwiw that goes for most adhesives I'm familiar with.

 

[TurtleTom]

My take is, the new tubes are rough, that translates into crevices on the surface. I want crevices to hold my glue, no sand no mo.

 

[Sabaharr]

Latest Shipment of Gatbsy pens I got in from PSI had pre roughed tubes. I always rough mine if they aren't pre done. I have had too many spin loose on me on the lathe. I either have them set as soon as I put them in the blank and not go in all the way (cured that by using only epoxy now) or they spun off as mentioned before (cured with roughing, and using epoxy). Haven't had a problem since. That being said I will go home tonight and mess up a whole batch.

 

[csr67]

I'm a firm believer in roughing up the tubes to provide more tooth for CA or Epoxy to bond to. I can rough up a batch in a just a minute buy chucking them on my mandrel, using CA bushings, and spin them for a few seconds while I drag a strip of 150 gr. sanding cloth across the tube. After that a quick wipe down with denatured alcohol and I'm ready for glue up.

 

[Skie_M]

The funline pens I've been getting are still smooth ... as are the standard type keychain kits. Everything else I've gotten has all had pre-roughed tubes.


It's general consensus from what I've seen online that you want to use a rough grade of sandpaper to rough the tube up .... I hear everything between 120 and 320. I use 220, as that's the roughest paper I ever bring to my lathe.

I hear that 400 is just too fine a grit, but if you're using epoxy it might not make a difference.