Salvaging tubes - Is it worth it?

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larryc

larryc

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Mableton, GA (Near Atlanta)
I have had several times where pens under construction self-destruct for one reason or another. I have been tempted to salvage the tubes from these failures but I wonder if it is worth it. The time it takes to turn off the blank (wood or poly) and the possibility that the tube has been reduced below its minimum length by trimming during assembly or that the outside diameter has been reduced too much by sanding so that the CA glue will stick makes it problematic. Do you salvage tubes, and under what circumstances do you say, "It ain't worth it" ?
 
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They are worth the "entertainment value" you get when you throw them across the shop as hard as you can. You can never overestimate the satisfaction that comes from getting even with an "unruley" blank.

When you obliterate a $50 or $100 blank, the "wall toss" is the only satisfaction you get:).
Throwing a "high dollar" blank with the tube inside, saves money. For example, Throwing a Woodchuck Pen Pro at an overhead garage door can result in a $1,000 garage door repair! DAMHIKT:)
 
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I've had some blanks that had more air time than the Wright Brothers. My nieghbor has expanded his vocabulary from listening to me as I give a blank an appropriate "send off".....

I have salvaged some tubes, but rarely and it needs to be a special kit, like a flashlight or something I don't have the replacment tubes for.
 
<--- cheap, too.

I often turn 20 or 50 blanks at a time and then laser them. Some woods
laser well, some have 'soft' spots that go right through to the tube. No
good for 3D blanks. So I'll turn them off (10 seconds?) and use them
again if I haven't sanded them down too far. I've never sanded the barrel
so far that the glue was an issue, I only scuff them up to stick better.

Cast blanks that didn't come out the way I wanted have never been
sanded anyway (don't need to sand them, the resin hold tight) so those
are definitely recoverable. Besides .. I can always practice on them, knowing
they're not going anywhere.
 
I salvage them to not waste the kits but I don't find them much trouble to clean off. A good blowout takes a nice chunk out of the way and makes it easy for the rest to peel off with the skew. It don't happen that often.
 
PenMan1 said:
They are worth the "entertainment value" you get when you throw them across the shop as hard as you can. You can never overestimate the satisfaction that comes from getting even with an "unruley" blank.

When you obliterate a $50 or $100 blank, the "wall toss" is the only satisfaction you get:).
Throwing a "high dollar" blank with the tube inside, saves money. For example, Throwing a Woodchuck Pen Pro at an overhead garage door can result in a $1,000 garage door repair! DAMHIKT:)
Click to expand...

+1 what Andy said.
 
moke said:
I've had some blanks that had more air time than the Wright Brothers. My nieghbor has expanded his vocabulary from listening to me as I give a blank an appropriate "send off".....

I have salvaged some tubes, but rarely and it needs to be a special kit, like a flashlight or something I don't have the replacment tubes for.
Click to expand...


Mike I am LMAO over here. That sounds EXACTLY like me lol. Too funny.
 
I always salvage mine. For me it has nothing to do with being cheap. It has everything to do with recycling and trying to not be part of the disposable America mentality. It takes maybe 30 seconds to turn the material off the tube with a parting tool, all the way down to the bare brass and no clean-up is needed. I have re-used the same tube 4 or 5 times before I got a pen the exact way I wanted it.
 
I always save and reuse the tube. I have a lot of extra tubes and some long blank tubes for cutting to length, but there is never the right one in stock. Some times you can clean it off and cut it to another length if it is the right dia. A challenge is always fun in this hobby. Have fun. RichB
 
I always clean my problem "children". If nothing else, I use it as practice in tool control. It allows me to find out just how thin I can make the blank and then shave the glue off the brass without removing any of the tube. Not as easy as it may sound, but good practice.
Charles
 
A roughing gouge makes short work of stripping tubes. As Charlie said, we have stripped our share of tubes and it beats waiting for the next 100 or more tubes to arrive before we can start production. And it is a mite cheaper too. :biggrin:
 
MesquiteMan said:
I always salvage mine. For me it has nothing to do with being cheap. It has everything to do with recycling and trying to not be part of the disposable America mentality. It takes maybe 30 seconds to turn the material off the tube with a parting tool, all the way down to the bare brass and no clean-up is needed. I have re-used the same tube 4 or 5 times before I got a pen the exact way I wanted it.
Click to expand...

I clean my tubes. It is easy and it keeps them out of the landfill. Plus I have tubes to send to people who need one or use them myself.
 
I too, clean and reuse "cast's gone wrong" blanks. I dont usually do it right away, but eventually when I'm down to the last one and I need more, thats when i start scrownging for spares.
 
I have always been told that it's not a mistake unless you have to throw it away. Something I have never forgot. Because of this I have never made a mistake He He.
 
I guess I'm cheap. I save them up and clean them off at some point. Normally pretty quick, because I wrap it in something else and keep moving.
 
I save 'em. There are days when nothing goes right and I can just turn the crop off them and make the day better. Get to reuse the tube, too.

Lee
 
As I'm still somewhat new, I save mine and eventually turn the wood off.

I see no reason to throw them out as I see no reason why they wouldn't be re-usable (don't sand them down that much). It also makes good practice for me.

Maybe when I get better it will be more of a hassle. Who knows.
 
joefyffe said:
Well, I've been tossing them, but just now went over and dug a cracked acrylic out of the wastebasket. We'll see!! I don't know how much of my time 45 cents is worth!:)
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Sometimes it's not the $.45, it is the time to order and ship or the time
and gas to drive to the store and get them. (closest stores to me that
have tubes are either 110 or 120 miles one way)
Sometimes you need a tube RIGHT NOW!
 
P.S. to message #28, I turn between centers, using johnnycnc bushings, leave the blank about 1/16 inch longer than the tube so the bushings compress against the blank and don't even glue the tube until I get down very close to finished size. Especially with acrylic this will allow one to see the pattern before wasting time, glue, or tube. If you don't like it you slip the tube out the end and start with another blank! Now if you're into blowing blanks at the last inthometer :confused: :mad: Yes! we all sometimes do, this won't help.:redface:
 
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10-4 I see your point, especially at 4 bucks a gallon. Question?, If the blank is cast onto the tube, such as is with your molds, is this still a feasible option? I see no reason why it would not!

NewLondon88 said:
joefyffe said:
Well, I've been tossing them, but just now went over and dug a cracked acrylic out of the wastebasket. We'll see!! I don't know how much of my time 45 cents is worth!:)
Click to expand...

Sometimes it's not the $.45, it is the time to order and ship or the time
and gas to drive to the store and get them. (closest stores to me that
have tubes are either 110 or 120 miles one way)
Sometimes you need a tube RIGHT NOW!
Click to expand...
 
joefyffe said:
P.S. to message #28, I turn between centers, using johnnycnc bushings, leave the blank about 1/16 inch longer than the tube so the bushings compress against the blank and don't even glue the tube until I get down very close to finished size. Especially with acrylic this will allow one to see the pattern before wasting time, glue, or tube. If you don't like it you slip the tube out the end and start with another blank! Now if you're into blowing blanks at the last inthometer :confused: :mad: Yes! we all sometimes do, this won't help.:redface:
Click to expand...

Unexpected consequences!
I've been TBC for some time but I never thought about not gluing the tube in before I started turning. Excellent idea!
 
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