glueing up segments

[Jimbo1943]

I need advise on gluing aluminum to walnut or other woods. I rough up both the wood and aluminum then wipe both down with denatured alcohol. the applied CA glue or 2 part epoxy. neither one is holding. Any suggestions????????????? Thanks in advance.

 

[jttheclockman]

I would be happy to explain my method of doing this. First it would be advantageous for you to explain what it is you are trying to do. If you are segmenting pens maybe you could show us a photo of the setup. There could be just simple tricks we could help with in your procedure instead of changing everything. I will say this CA is not the adhesive to use. It is too brittle when dried.

I am an epoxy user for most of my segmented projects. I like to use System3 T88 two part epoxy. It is a strong holding epoxy but takes at least 24 hours to cure. Whenever I am gluing acrylics or wood to metals, I like to sand with about 100 grit paper all sides. I also will take a utility knife or exacto knife and make cross hatch marks in all sides of the pieces to help give the piece some tooth or adhesion. If I am building a simple segmented pens with bands and things like that I will predrill the pieces and then proceed to build the blank on the tube. This way I avoid the stress and tension of drilling a completed blank. I use the same glue to glue tube in so all works together. Now the only stress applied to blank is when turning down to size which I do with carbide round cutters and finally with a skew. I have included a few examples of my work.

 

[Jimbo1943]

I am doing things like the Celtic knot the type of pen segmenting that requires acrylic to wood or aluminum to acrylic or wood with angles. Your work is beautiful

 

[jttheclockman]

I am doing things like the Celtic knot the type of pen segmenting that requires acrylic to wood or aluminum to acrylic or wood with angles. Your work is beautiful

Well my same rules apply because they work for me. The only difference between these type pens is you can not sand or do cross hatch work for the solid pieces. When doing knots I do not cut all the way through so that the alignment is more accurate. That is a trick I picked up from members here. Others may chime in and add some pointers for you. Good luck.

 

[Woodchipper]

From another John T.: Your work is precise and elegant. When you stack segments on the tube (great idea), do you stack a bit more than the length of the tube or make the whole blank and tube oversize and cut/turn to the needed length? I'm interested in your technique. Do you have a video of this? Would be most welcome. Thanks for sharing your technique and pens!

 

[jttheclockman]

John, whenever I stack cut like that I just make the blank with about 1/32" overhang on each end to allow for sanding the ends true. That is all that is needed. It also allows me to center the design easier on the tube because I can judge the left over easier on both ends. Been doing it that way for a long time and works for me. Sorry I have no videos. Here is a couple other photos of another pen. As you can see I cut the segments exactly to what I need to make design and then just stacked them properly and glued with same glue as mentioned. I use a clamp to hold everything together while glue dries and then true up ends and turn down to size needed.

Now when making other type segmented blanks such as the knots I just make the design and then center tube on design and cut the ends where need be. Hope this helps.

 

[jttheclockman]

 

[Jimbo1943]

I would be happy to explain my method of doing this. First it would be advantageous for you to explain what it is you are trying to do. If you are segmenting pens maybe you could show us a photo of the setup. There could be just simple tricks we could help with in your procedure instead of changing everything. I will say this CA is not the adhesive to use. It is too brittle when dried.

I am an epoxy user for most of my segmented projects. I like to use System3 T88 two part epoxy. It is a strong holding epoxy but takes at least 24 hours to cure. Whenever I am gluing acrylics or wood to metals, I like to sand with about 100 grit paper all sides. I also will take a utility knife or exacto knife and make cross hatch marks in all sides of the pieces to help give the piece some tooth or adhesion. If I am building a simple segmented pens with bands and things like that I will predrill the pieces and then proceed to build the blank on the tube. This way I avoid the stress and tension of drilling a completed blank. I use the same glue to glue tube in so all works together. Now the only stress applied to blank is when turning down to size which I do with carbide round cutters and finally with a skew. I have included a few examples of my work.

View attachment 338932View attachment 338933View attachment 338934

Thanks for the info. I will get some new epoxy and be careful to follow your info. THANKS

 

[Woodchipper]

JohnT, thanks for the photos and your instructions. How do you do the thread wrap blanks? Not into casting but I thought I could get my wife casting molds and resin for Christmas. Won't she be surprised?

 

[AllanS]

View attachment 338935

Just to confirm what I think I'm seeing - is this 1 "full" cut through the blank and 2 half way cuts? Because that's elegant.

 

[jttheclockman]

JohnT, thanks for the photos and your instructions. How do you do the thread wrap blanks? Not into casting but I thought I could get my wife casting molds and resin for Christmas. Won't she be surprised?

John, those are not thread wrapped. They are actually colored rope. Cast in epoxy resin. The cap portions are all segmented strips. I included the photo because it played into what the OP was asking.

 

[jttheclockman]

Just to confirm what I think I'm seeing - is this 1 "full" cut through the blank and 2 half way cuts? Because that's elegant.

Hello Allen. In that photo they are both cut about halfway through the blank. The difference is the angle they were cut at. One on the left is 60 degree and the one on the right is 45 degree but has end caps with aluminum.

 

[AllanS]

Hello Allen. In that photo they are both cut about halfway through the blank. The difference is the angle they were cut at. One on the left is 60 degree and the one on the right is 45 degree but has end caps with aluminum.

Appreciate that
That's not aluminum is it? If so, was it the System3 T88 that allowed you to drill through it?

 

[Woodchipper]

Johnt, very creative.

 

[jttheclockman]

Appreciate that
That's not aluminum is it? If so, was it the System3 T88 that allowed you to drill through it?

Yes if it is silver it is aluminum. Yes that is the same epoxy glue I always use. I rarely have a problem when drilling any combination segmented blank I have made. With that said I do have one on the bench that will give me all kinds of problems when I drill but I am working on a solve for this when I get back to making pens. If I pull it off I will be the most surprised guy around. I will make sure to take pictures of blank because I want to at least say I tried.

 

[leehljp]

From another John T.: Your work is precise and elegant. When you stack segments on the tube (great idea), do you stack a bit more than the length of the tube or make the whole blank and tube oversize and cut/turn to the needed length? I'm interested in your technique. Do you have a video of this? Would be most welcome. Thanks for sharing your technique and pens!

Here is another layout of stacking - in three different forms - loose not stacked, stacked and glued, one turned.

Blank construction

30 Pieces of Silver blank construction layout pict

www.penturners.org

I made dry runs and measured. If I had a minuscule amount such as .5mm too long, I did not worry about that. But I did do dry runs before gluing up. I was not as perfect as JohnT and do not have his artistic ability, but close to perfection can come from trying and trying again.