Ends of wood barrels

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miket in stl

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Mar 26, 2010
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Location
Ballwin, Missouri
I seem to be having issues with trying to make the wood pen barrels without having defects at the ends. My current process is:

I use an end mill to square the ends before I turn the blank. I finish the tubes with CA glue, about 6 coats of med. I am using the delrin bushings, with mixed results. I score the finish with a knife before I seperate the tube from the delrin bushings. After the CA glue dries overnight I use the end mile to clean up the ends. Then I sand, starting at 600 wet/dry thru all grits of micro mesh.

Some tubes come out great, while others have defects in the finish at the edge. Any additional ideas? Sorry I can't post any pics. I am currently out of town on work and the pens are at home.

Mike
 
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I seem to be having issues with trying to make the wood pen barrels without having defects at the ends. My current process is:

I use an end mill to square the ends before I turn the blank. I finish the tubes with CA glue, about 6 coats of med. I am using the delrin bushings, with mixed results. I score the finish with a knife before I seperate the tube from the delrin bushings. After the CA glue dries overnight I sand, starting at 600 wet/dry thru all grits of micro mesh.

Some tubes come out great, while others have defects in the finish at the edge. Any additional ideas?

Mike
 
are you sanding thru the CA finish near the ends of the tubes ending up with dull spots?
are the delrin bushings cone shaped or shaped more like the metal bushings?
are you using the pen mill with power or by hand the second time when cleaning up the glue?
is your pen mill sharp?
 
Pen Mills on finished barrels is a disaster waiting to happen. So far you have only ruined the finish at the ends. Wait until the pen mill peels off the TNIN veneer of wood from the tube. It doesn't take much of a "catch". If you must use a pen mill on the finished barrels the a hand held pen mill is needed.

Check out the sanding mill that Derek pointed out. It works great and is an excellent investment.

Do a good turn daily!
Don
 
I think the problem is using the pen mill on the CA finish. I keep a 4x8 piece of 3/4 plywood with 80 grit on one side and 360 grit on the other, I use the 80 grit to scuff the tubes before gluing and the 360 to gently sand the CA after it cures to get it flush again. I think the pen mill would chip the CA finish. I also do 15-20 coats of thin CA lightly sanding twice between coats then the last 2 coats and using MM and I can usually start at 3200 grit.
 
I use the pen sanding mill mentioned all the time on CA...BUT I use it as soon as I am done with the CA, The CA is still a bit soft and not fully cured. I found in the beginning I would wait over night then use the mill only to cause the end to heat up to much causing spots at the end. I switched to my method now and get the excess CA off the ends as soon as I can and I have not have one single issue since. I then wait over night and then sand the rest of the pen and micro mesh, then I very lightly kiss the ends one more time to square the edges I might have rounded.
 
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A pen mill, IMHO, is way too aggressive for a finished pen barrel. I just run the end lightly over 220 sandpaper in a circular motion on a block of wood. It seems to work for me.
 
You can successfully use a pen mill to remove excess CA ONLY if you turn it by hand and your pen mill is sharp. Don't be too aggressive as stated earlier. If you use your drill press, you are just asking for problems. I use one of Rick Herrell's sanders and pen mills (depends on which one is handy at the time) with no issues.
 
I just hand sand the dried CA oversplash by placing some 400 grit or higher flat on a workbench and gently, with a circular motion, remove the CA that is hanging over the edge of the blank.

The sanding mill that D. Oliver suggested looks like a nice addition to a penturners arsenal, if used at very low speeds, in my opinion.
 
Just to throw my. 02 cents in, i think when he uses the mill on the end after he has applied his ca to the barrel, he is exposing the end of the wood, therefore, he is getting the end wet when he is wet sanding and its getting under the ca. Maybe? Just a thought.
 
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