glued bushing to the mandrel

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maxwell_smart007

maxwell_smart007

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I made a pen last night, and I don't know how, but the ca glued the centre bushing to the mandrel.

I have an adjustable mandrel, and was able to take it apart to get the rod by itself, but squirting acetone in there doesn't work...I guess it flashes off before it has chance to loosen the bond...

A hammer didn't work either! :smile: there must be a good bit o' CA in there...

Is acetone the best way to remove the bushing, or is there a better method? My next step is to try and soak it in the acetone - but it's expensive and acrid, so I was hoping to not have to use an entire bottle...

Andrew
 
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maxwell_smart007 said:
I made a pen last night, and I don't know how, but the ca glued the centre bushing to the mandrel.

I have an adjustable mandrel, and was able to take it apart to get the rod by itself, but squirting acetone in there doesn't work...I guess it flashes off before it has chance to loosen the bond...

A hammer didn't work either! :smile: there must be a good bit o' CA in there...

Is acetone the best way to remove the bushing, or is there a better method? My next step is to try and soak it in the acetone - but it's expensive and acrid, so I was hoping to not have to use an entire bottle...

Andrew
Click to expand...
Hi Andrew; Get a bigger hammer! Not kidding! Put a washer over the bushing and bang on the washer.
 
Use some heat! If you can get it to fit in boiling water, put in oven or use a heat gun or soldering iron. Some way to heat the glue it should come loose.
 
Soak it in acetone. Even if you break it loose there will be bits of CA around possibly messing up the next pen you make.

I have a jar of acetone I toss my bushings and such into when I get 'em covered in CA.
 
I'd say your answers are "running hot and cold".

Good luck, personally, they all look like they will work--is the pen off the mandrel???
 
if there is no need to save the bushing , use a dermal tool with cut off wheel and split the bushing. set it on something solid and tap the split with a flat chisel or screwdriver.
 
Thanks for the suggestions. I did save the pen, so that's a good thing!

I need both the mandrel and the bushing - not enough time to get either sent in time for the craft sale...

I'll try a combination tonight - bigger hammer (and hopefully not bend anything), heat it with a heat gun first, and then use acetone to remove 'remnants'...

Hopefully ONE method will work! I'll let you know!

Andrew
 
Not smart , Maxwell !!

Mandrel with attached bushing in vise , washer under bushing , vise loose enough to allow mandrel to slide out , but bushing must be supported by vise top with square lips . Your largest hammer , 3-5 pound should work . A block of your very best , hardest , birds-eye maple ( You did expect to pay penance , didn`t you ??) , held on top of the mandrel as you attack it , ever less gently , until mandrel exits the bushing . If hammer blows are vertical , mandrel should remain straight ; if glancing , mandrel will possibly bend .

Above approach sounds good in theory , but of course I`ve never tried it ...


Wayne
 
Just heat Andrew. You got the blank off, so fire the torch directly on to the bushing...just a few seconds and she'll come right off. Do not touch it with your hands of course. No smashing with a hammer...no need for expensive acetone. Just heat the bushing and give it a gentle tap. Once it's off, mount the rod and use a skew to clean the rod. If you have any burrs, carefully sand them with fine sandpaper. Once done..spray pam on the rod. That will help down the road.
 
I load up the mandrel with a bunch of bushings and tighten the brass nut with a little help from some vise grips till it brakes loose.
 
I managed to get a bowl tool out of a hole with a propane torch. So I know will at least cut through epoxy and gorilla glue. Although the piece had to stay hot while pulling the handle.
 
At a WW show, a "celebrity" penmaker (books and name on equipment) was demonstrating penmaking. I had just tried a CA finish for the first time and glued the bushings to the mandrel. As he was demo-ing the CA finish, I asked him how to avoid that problem. He told me he didn't know because it had never happened to him and he didn't know how it could even happen at all. You guessed it... he glued the bearings to the mandrel and nothing he tried saved the demo or the bushings and mandrel. I tried not to smile...
 
I had never heard of it happening before, either...

But thanks to the suggestions here, it's now fixed! Thirty seconds with a heat gun (I didn't want to use a torch in the wood shavings and mess that is my shop), and the bushing slid free...

Thanks to all for the suggestions!

Andrew
 
I wipe down the mandrel and the bushings with paste floor wax regularly, keeps the glue from bonding to the metal. If it sticks it'll be way easier to break loose.
 
I discovered recently that my biggest challenge on the mandrels is rust! Wetsanding = rust. Ugh.

I've done wax and it didn't help much. I'm going to try Pam. I'll give her some steel wool and have her clean the stuff after each use.

:wink:
 
PMisiaszek said:
At a WW show, a "celebrity" penmaker (books and name on equipment) was demonstrating penmaking. I had just tried a CA finish for the first time and glued the bushings to the mandrel. As he was demo-ing the CA finish, I asked him how to avoid that problem. He told me he didn't know because it had never happened to him and he didn't know how it could even happen at all. You guessed it... he glued the bearings to the mandrel and nothing he tried saved the demo or the bushings and mandrel. I tried not to smile...
Click to expand...

Back when I used to use a mandrel, I have done this more than once. I've destroyed many mandrels with pliers and sledge hammers. Heat being the simple easy answer is just something I didn't think of back then. I don't know who this "celebrity" person is, but I know if that was me up their, I'd want to be jumping off a roof right about that moment, and if it was me in the audience, I'd be on the floor cracking up like crazy! This is why I avoid seminars as a teacher and as an audience member.
 
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