Plugging Tubes Before Gluing

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donstephan

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Cincinnati Ohio
Plugging tubes must be so simple that there's no discussion in videos and instructions. Because I have a large quantity on hand, I tried DAP 33 window glazing compound. Made a layer about 3/16" thick, then about 5/16" thick. Plunged the end of the tube and carefully lifted out. Every time, the compound had pulled away slightly in one spot along the inside of the tube, regardless of whether the tube was simply pushed straight down or rotated slightly while being pushed down.

What works well, how thick, and could you describe the process slightly, including glitches and causes.

Kit instructions from Berea Hardwoods mentions "base wax" but I'm not familiar with the term.

Thanks.
 
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I use the sheet plate wax 1/8" thick from my Dentist. he gives me 2 or 3 sheets every time I go in.

Lin.
 
Base wax can be acquired from your dentist. I think they use it to make molds of your teeth. I have been able to get some from my dentist for free. I have also ordered it from eBay. I plug all my tubes with it. I used to also purchase it from BB at Arizona Silhouette.

Craig Chatterton
Puyallup,WA
 
I use a very technical way of doing this. I cut a slice of potato about 3/8 thick and stab the tube into it. Wipe the end before gluing though.
 
Here's an alternative. Instead of plugging the tubes, I just try to be careful not to get any glue into the ends of the tubes, but when it does happen, the tube can be cleaned out quickly and easily with this little $3 tool from Harbor Freight.

It's generally a good idea to chamfer the ends of the tubes slightly anyway and make sure there are no barbs & that the tube is nice and round before assembly. This tool helps with that also.

Reamer - Save on this T-Handle Hole Reamer
 
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Edgar said:
Here's an alternative. Instead of plugging the tubes, I just try to be careful not to get any glue into the ends of the tubes, but when it does happen, the tube can be cleaned out quickly and easily with this little $3 tool from Harbor Freight.

It's generally a good idea to chamfer the ends of the tubes slightly anyway and make sure there are no barbs & that the tube is nice and round before assembly. This tool helps with that also.

Reamer - Save on this T-Handle Hole Reamer
Click to expand...

Thanks for that link Edgar! (I've been using some harbor freight small files that are many times useless.)

But, to me, the dental wax (I get mine from Exotic Blanks) are a life and time saver and well worth the $4.
 
I use the base wax sheets. Got a one pound box from eBay that will last "forever". It works pretty well--I do double up on it with larger tubes as it can push in. Still sometimes you get a little glue in the tube. I remove w/Exacto knife. I always chamfer the ends of the tubes, then wrap a punch w/320 grit and chuck it in my portable drill and spin it inside the tubes. This gets rid of any schmutz and helps relieves some of the pressure when assembling. As a final step, I run a brass gun cleaning brush through the tube. I use blue Loc-Tite to make sure nothing moves after assembly, and you can still get the pen apart if need be.
 
Add play dough to the list. Any color and the cheap stuff works.

Several vendors are now selling bees wax foundation sheet for plugging tubes. Thinner than basewax, and does have a shorter shelf life than base wax, but works well. Bee keepers often have scraps if you know a bee keeper.
 
Playdoh...steal it from the grandkid when the little tyke is not looking! :eek:

ONLY KIDDING! :biggrin:

I use the wax plate: it has worked like a champ for years!
 
OK newbie question, but when you reference plugging tubes, are we referring to plugging them up before we glue them to go in the blanks?
 
The tube is "plugged" with whatever medium, wax for example, to prevent glue from entering the tube as it is slid into the blank during glue-up. After the glue sets a bit, the wax can easily be pushed out, leaving a clean, clear inner tube.

Dried glue, unnoticed and residing inside the tube can result in cracking the blank as the coupler is pressed into place during assembly, which is highly undesirable!
 
Funny, I was thinking about this just yesterday as I noticed I don't bother to plug the tubes anymore. Even when I plugged it wasn't fool proof - I would still get a bit of glue at times. I use the HF Reamer afterwards and just don't worry about plugging - I don't seem to get much glue in the tubes anyway.

I guess I should add I use two part epoxy and let the tube cure overnight... not sure if using CA would make plugging more or less desired.
 
Over the years I've tried many things, including potato and dental wax. But I've found that modeling clay from Michael's works best for me. It doesn't harden, and is just the right consistency. I roll it out to about 1/8" thick with a piece of PVC pipe.

Plastalina Modeling Clay by Craft Smart®
 

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Dental base plate wax.... comes in Soft , Med, Hard..... the hard is very brittle. Soft is perfect. Wax is Yellow or Pink. I use the Pink.
Ebay or a dental supplier (might sell a box). A box will last more than a few lifetimes. If you see a local dental lab around maybe they will sell or give you a few sheets.
 
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