Barrel Trimmer "adapter tube"

Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
C

cjester

Member
Joined
Nov 26, 2015
Messages
157
Location
Illinois
I just picked up the "6 piece barrel trimmer set" from Craft Supplies.

One of the pieces is a brass tube that is apparently an "adapter tube for trimming tubes that require an 8mm diameter hole". I don't get it. How is a brass tube an adapter for a different size hole?

I bought this set because it had pilot sizes I wanted and didn't care about the adapter tube. But since it was included, I'd like to understand how I'd use it with the trimmer.
 
Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
It likely fits over the shaft of the cigar trimmer and then it fits in the sierra tubes to trim the ends. Works well as long as you don't have any junk in the sierra tube.
 
cjester said:
I just picked up the "6 piece barrel trimmer set" from Craft Supplies.
Click to expand...

There was a time when I considered getting the set and decided to make my own and save a fortune. It easy and takes about an hour of your time.
Supplies needed:

7mm pen tubes
Scrap blanks cut to the tube size
Micrometer - measure ID and transfer the OD to the piece you are turning.

Turn the wood to the OD of the kit you need them for (eg., 27/64, 10.5, 12.5, etc)
Slip the correct size over the barrel trimmer shank with the cutter attached, slip the blank to be trimmed over that and there you go.
 
Last edited:
vakmere said:
Turn the wood to the OD of the kit you need them for (eg., 27/64, 10.5, 12.5, etc)
Slip the correct size over the barrel trimmer shank with the cutter attached, slip the blank to be trimmed over that and there you go.
Click to expand...

Yakmere; I also use the sleeves, but for different purposes. Look in the link and scroll down to the last paragraph on the page.
http://www.penturners.org/wiki/Pen_Blank_Preparation

I use the tube itself and a mandrel to size the sleeve. Glue several 7mm tubes into the blanks ahead of time and use as needed.
 
My trimmer only has a 7mm shaft so I made adapters ( using 7mm tube and wood or Corian ) for all the different size tubes I use.
 
Hi Carl, I am sure that all of the above has been helpful but I didn't see where anyone mentioned the secondary use of the pilot shaft. You will have noted that it has a cutter on the small end that is suppose to clear out glue in the brass tube and that maybe the reason for your confusion. The use of the cutter as a clean-out tool is negated when using adapter tubes. In actual practice even when used in cleaning out tubes the cutter is not that effective anyway so losing it's purpose is not that big of a deal. That is most likely why a lot of folks buy only the 1/4" pilot and cutter and make their own adapter tubes. BTW even any of the current full set of pilots do not include every size tube pilot. There are a lot more tube sizes out there these days then pilots available for them so even if you have a full set, you could still eventually run into the need for another size and have to make one.

Hope this has been helpful.
 
Last edited:
You're right. I when I bought the kit I was simply thinking of it as a box of cutters. The inclusion of something that didn't cut seemed odd. I always seem to have a little squeeze out at one of the tube ends, which is why I picked up the kit. I had a couple of gifts started that I needed to clean up and that kit had those sizes.
 
cjester said:
You're right. I when I bought the kit I was simply thinking of it as a box of cutters. The inclusion of something that didn't cut seemed odd. I always seem to have a little squeeze out at one of the tube ends, which is why I picked up the kit. I had a couple of gifts started that I needed to clean up and that kit had those sizes.
Click to expand...
As I noted, as a cutter/glue cleaner it is not very effective. That function is secondary to its primary function of insuring that the pilot runs straight and is centered on the axis of the pen(tube). Centering insures that the barrel trimmer blades trim the tube perpendicular to the pen axis which insures that your pressed in parts fit flush to the barrel all the way around.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom