Who says acrylics are indestructible?

[Quality Pen]

Well!

Now this was a problem I didn't have before. I'm not exactly sure WHEN or HOW it happened, but I have some hunches. :wink:

At first, I thought "oh great, someone reefed on one of the threads and pulled the barrel out slightly!" What made me consider that was because I saw a very slight separation from the blank and the center band. There was about a half mm of brass visible.

So, take it to the shop and it does NOT slide in... at all! Next thing I do is disassemble the whole thing and I notice that the clip has PRESSED into the acrylic (see photo for raised barrel and indentation)! Got it! :biggrin:

So, what (obviously???) happened was this pen got super heated and literally melted and SHRUNK! I had no idea that could or would happen!

Does anyone know what kind of temperature this happens at? Anyone seen something like it?

I was considering doing a test in an oven. But the lesson learned is... well... don't let your pens get SCALDING hot! :biggrin:

 

[keithbyrd]

I would like to see the tests! It is hard to imagine that it got that hard. If it got hot enough to melt wouldn't there be other damage? And what temp would be required?

 

[KBs Pensnmore]

Was the pen left in a car? Is it possible that the batch of acrylics has a problem, not enough hardener? I've seen elcheapo Bic pens bend into a Ushape after having been left in the sun. When, on the odd occasion that I do an Acrylic Pen, I put a note advising not to leave in a car.

 

[randyrls]

At first, I thought "oh great, someone reefed on one of the threads and pulled the barrel out slightly!" What made me consider that was because I saw a very slight separation from the blank and the center band. There was about a half mm of brass visible.

Bobby; So from your description it seems that the brass tube and blank moved relative to each other? On one end the brass tube was in-dented, and on the other end the tube was out-dented.

Did you use epoxy on the brass tube? Epoxy has a property called "creep" which can cause parts to move relative to each other when under pressure or force.

Heat can also cause CA to soften and allow the tube to slide inside the blank. The blank does not have to get hot enough to melt, to soften the CA.

It is an interesting situation and not at all obvious what caused the situation.

 

[Quality Pen]

Yea it's crazy...

The blank definitely took it from the heat.

The part from the clip makes it pretty much 99.8% sure. It wasn't enough to melt the thing apart, but it was just from the gentle stress of the clip pressing into it. Also, the same thing with the blank "retracting" happened to the lower barrel. Hence, I thought someone tugged at it.

My best guess is that it happened while in a temporaily closed case in Texas heat. I didn't see it happen to other pens but this pen is dark too so that could have played an important role.

 

[KenV]

Most of the adhesives we commonly use soften in the 150-185 degree F range. They do not turn to water, but more like thick honey.

A bit more heat, and the plastics start to soften.

 

[79spitfire]

It was likely left in a car, possibly in the sun.

 

[wizard]

A few years ago, my wife and I went to a pen turners meeting near San Marcos, Texas. Curtis was kind enough to show us his shop and have the meeting there. I brought some pens with me in the event I could show them off.
Once I got to the meeting, I totally forgot about them and they sat in a leather case visible through the back window. It was a pretty hot day. We didn't get home until late. I wanted to put the pens back up on a display shelf so I went out to the car and got them. I noticed that the case was still really warm.
One of the pens was made out of real casein had literally cracked. Two pens dressed in Amboyna burl with a CA finish turned cloudy. Two pens with Dawn's PR resins (Ancient Mars and Verdigris) were perfectly fine. Two made out of Italian resin had distorted. I disassembled them and noticed a gap between blank and tube on both. Definitely learned a lesson.:redface:
Doc

 

[Quality Pen]

A few years ago, my wife and I went to a pen turners meeting near San Marcos, Texas. Curtis was kind enough to show us his shop and have the meeting there. I brought some pens with me in the event I could show them off.
Once I got to the meeting, I totally forgot about them and they sat in a leather case visible through the back window. It was a pretty hot day. We didn't get home until late. I wanted to put the pens back up on a display shelf so I went out to the car and got them. I noticed that the case was still really warm.
One of the pens was made out of real casein had literally cracked. Two pens dressed in Amboyna burl with a CA finish turned cloudy. Two pens with Dawn's PR resins (Ancient Mars and Verdigris) were perfectly fine. Two made out of Italian resin had distorted. I disassembled them and noticed a gap between blank and tube on both. Definitely learned a lesson.:redface:
Doc

I bet that did get super hot!

Like you, I imagine this pen was super heated but I can't put it on exactly WHEN... but once I did put this pen in a closed case in direct Texas heat. It was a complete accident where I left it off to the side.

I've had various resin pens get direct Texas heat, but there's nothing like putting them in an enclosed place!