Question about glueing tubes in blanks.

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I will second the use of a good 2 part epoxy glue to always glue in tubes. This does 2 things. Gives a secure adhesion and also fill any gaps between tube and blank. Highly suggest this method. Added bonus it is more flexible and gives longer open times to insert tube. just need to plug the ends to keep epoxy from getting inside tube. but you should do this using any type adhesives. I like to use silly putty. cheap and easy to work with.
 
I only wipe the outside with acetone; don't do the inside. I now use Two Ton two part epoxy in twin four ounce bottles. Has long working time so I can do four or five pens at once. Plug one end with modeling clay...let the blank sit for a few hours and use a transfer punch to clear it. Note: i wipe the end of the tube with DNA as the clay leaves a residue on the tube.
 
I'm a heathen.... JohnU has not fully converted me to epoxy yet but he's getting there.

I've used thick or medium CA a lot of the time still but I know I'm playing with fire doing that. If the tube fits snugly in the hole then CA usually does the trick. I'm not in my shop at the moment but I'm pretty sure I'm using a star bond adhesive and it has a longer open time. I really make a point to make sure the entire inside of the blank is coated before I seat the tube to final position. I'll put glue on the tube, insert and push/pull and twist to coat as much of the blank as I can and then do the same from the other end. I've not had a glue failure in a couple years but there's always the next pen.... For me, CA even gets used on Olive which can be pretty darn oily.

That said, if I have a loose hole when compared to the tube or a particularly long single piece pen (think Long Clicker from EB) then I use epoxy because CA won't fill a gap and/or I don't have to worry about glue strength and coverage on a super long blank.

There is also a dedicated number of turners who use PVA glues (Gorilla Glue) to do their tubes. I think most of them recommend the clear type.

If I paint the tube or the blank then I default to epoxy also.

I'll also so that part of the reason I stayed away from epoxy was I started using JB Weld 5 minute epoxy and it absolutely stinks to high heaven. My shop is in our basement and it's one of the very few things my wife has ever complained about smelling upstairs. She doesn't even complain that much about spray lacquer. I swapped out to the Gorilla Glue 5 minute epoxy a couple years ago and absolutely love it. There's very little smell.
 
bugradx2 said:
I'm a heathen.... JohnU has not fully converted me to epoxy yet but he's getting there.

I've used thick or medium CA a lot of the time still but I know I'm playing with fire doing that. If the tube fits snugly in the hole then CA usually does the trick. I'm not in my shop at the moment but I'm pretty sure I'm using a star bond adhesive and it has a longer open time. I really make a point to make sure the entire inside of the blank is coated before I seat the tube to final position. I'll put glue on the tube, insert and push/pull and twist to coat as much of the blank as I can and then do the same from the other end. I've not had a glue failure in a couple years but there's always the next pen.... For me, CA even gets used on Olive which can be pretty darn oily.

That said, if I have a loose hole when compared to the tube or a particularly long single piece pen (think Long Clicker from EB) then I use epoxy because CA won't fill a gap and/or I don't have to worry about glue strength and coverage on a super long blank.

There is also a dedicated number of turners who use PVA glues (Gorilla Glue) to do their tubes. I think most of them recommend the clear type.

If I paint the tube or the blank then I default to epoxy also.

I'll also so that part of the reason I stayed away from epoxy was I started using JB Weld 5 minute epoxy and it absolutely stinks to high heaven. My shop is in our basement and it's one of the very few things my wife has ever complained about smelling upstairs. She doesn't even complain that much about spray lacquer. I swapped out to the Gorilla Glue 5 minute epoxy a couple years ago and absolutely love it. There's very little smell.
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How long do you have to wait after using epoxy to glue in the tubes before you can start turning the blank?
 
I used to use thick or gel CA to glue the tubes into the blanks. On rare occasions I would have a tube seize up before I had it fully inserted. I started using 2-part 5-minute epoxy due to the number of members recommending it. For maximum adhesion many recommend epoxy with a longer working time and they also recommend letting it fully cure overnight before turning. I tend to be more sporadic with my decisions to turn pens, and by nature I am impatient, thus the reason I was using CA in the first place; however, even with 5-minute epoxy, I usually start turning after letting it set up for somewhere between a half an hour and an hour. So far I haven't had any issues. - Dave
 
I had been using 15 minute 2 part epoxy and letting fully cure (overnight) but have recently switched to 30 minute 2 part because I like the greater open time and it is a stronger and more flexible bond. I still let it cure overnight.
 
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