Gorilla glue-Is it feasible for gluing tubes ? I

[BULLWINKLE]

I've always used 5 minute epoxy to glue tubes in my pens. Recently saw someone on YouTube use Gorilla Glue. I know it's strong but I always thought that the swelling, and extrusion would damage the blank. He used a q- tip to wet the inside of blank he drilled and applied glue to the tube. Anyone else use this technique? Had success with it or problems. How long do you give it to fully cure ?
Thanks.

 

[Bryguy]

I only use Gorilla glue. Never had a failure since I started using it. I usually give it 24 hours to cure. I usualy roughen the tubes and leave them in water. I then smear them with glue and insert . I wear disposable gloves as this gets messy!

 

[monophoto]

There's no one absolutely right answer about which glue is best for this application. It comes down to choice.

In my opinion, there's no significant difference between using polyurethane glue and epoxy. Either fill the gap between the tube and the blank, and both are resilient enough to withstand the transient torques imposed by turning. And both are extremely messy. But the alternative is thick CA - which is also very messy, but which cures to form a brittle acrylic bond that can easily easily fracture. And I don't like the smell of CA.

I've usually used polyurethane because it doesn't have to be mixed. I run a little water through the hole in the blank to wet the inside before applying glue to the tube and inserting it. I use a shop-made insertion tool (the tapered 'nose' is made from high-density polyethelene so that any residual glue on the tube will just peel off after it has cured.) I generally let the glued blanks cure for 24 hours before taking any further steps.

 

[KenB259]

I like popcorn, I'm just going to relax and eat my popcorn.

 

[philipff]

Ten years of GG and no failures. -- enough said. p

 

[RDHals]

Ten years of GG and no failures. -- enough said. p

Same here 10 years GG, no failures. It just works.

 

[jrista]

So I don't exclusively use GG, as sometimes its just not appropriate (i.e. translucent blanks, even when the hole is painted, there can still be some risk of visible glue). I use T88 epoxy most of the time, but I've used GG when I feel I need to gap fill. The T88 is great stuff. A bit on the expensive side, but nevertheless, it holds really well, which was the most critical need I had.

I've also been getting into segmenting recently (started to in early 2022 before life stopped me from turning), and in past discussions there have been some good points made about normal foaming GG potentially breaking segmented blanks or oozing out between segments. I think its a valid point, and something to consider. GG has been great for single-segment blanks and it seems to be pretty darn strong in my experience, but, it is useful to know where it might not be optimal or viable.

The T88 is excellent for segmented blanks where you have different materials...resins, metals, woods. I had problems with the JB Weld epoxy I was using before...it just didn't seem to bond well.

 

[penicillin]

I switched to Gorilla Glue (polyurethane) for gluing pen tubes a long time ago. The smallest bottle of Gorilla Glue will glue many pen tubes. Here is my procedure. It looks longer and more complicated than it really is because I have a tendency to document every little detail:

Pen Tube Gluing Procedure Using Polyurethane Glue (by penicillin)

• Have an open trash can and appropriate surface protection on hand. You do not want a polyurethane glue mess.
• Roughen the brass pen tube(s) with sandpaper; not just the long way but "twirl" the pen tube in the sandpaper too.
  • Use a rag to wipe off the dust.
• Put water in a small bottle for convenience.
  • I use a small amber plastic pill bottle from the pharmacy.
• When you are ready to start glueing, put a disposable glove on your dominant hand.
• Dip a cotton swab (such as a Q-tip) into the water.
• Use the wet cotton swab to dampen the walls of the hole in the pen blank.
• Hold the pen tube in your gloved hand. Use the other hand to hold the bottle of polyurethane glue.
  • Have the pen blank nearby, in easy reach.
• Apply a spiral of polyurethane glue on the pen tube.
  • Hold the pen tube over the trash can or a work surface in case the glue drips.
• Insert the pen tube into the pen blank.
  • Twirl and spin the pen tube and slide it in and out as you insert it.
    • The goal is to coat the tube and hole evenly with polyurethane glue.
  • Use your thumb to press the tube inside the hole.
  • Slide your thumb across the top of the blank to wipe off the excess glue.
  • Set the pen blank on its side on the wax paper or a silicone mat to cure.
  • Use a paper towel to clean the excess glue from your thumb and gloved hand if you are going to glue/insert another pen tube.
  • Be careful when disposing paper towels and used gloves to avoid a mess.
• Leave the pen blanks on their sides on wax paper or a silicone mat overnight or longer to cure.
  • -> Cure time is minimum overnight, but 24 hours is better.
  • The glue will foam out, which is why a wax paper or silicone mat is important.
  • Note: I have heard stories of pen tubes being pushed out by the expanding glue, but never had it happen to me, nor anybody I know. I wonder whether it is "urban myth." You should not worry about it.
• After the 24 hour (or longer) cure time has elapsed, use the "drill" part of a pen mill to pop out (or clean out) any excess glue from inside the tube.
  • Normally I hold the "drill" in my hand.
  • Most of the time a small glue plug (if any) just pops out and you're done.
  • Some people use dental wax or Play-Doh as a filler to keep the glue out of the tube.
    • It never worked for me, so I just knock it out with the pen mill "drill".
  • If the dried glue gets really messy in the tube, use a rattail file to clean it up.
    • Honestly, it is not an issue. I have had to do it once or twice, and it took 5 seconds at most.
• Use a "beater" chisel to scrape the hardened cap of glue from the top of the pen blank. It may pop off cleanly.
  • DANGER: Keep your thumb and fingers away from the path of the sharp chisel. Pay attention.
  • Don't use your favorite chisel set here. Use a "throwaway" chisel for this step. Sharp helps.
  • I do this step to limit how much hard glue the pen mill must scrape off.
• Mill the pen blank to square it with the pen tube as usual.
• Turn the pen.

 

[jrista]

• Note: I have heard stories of pen tubes being pushed out by the expanding glue, but never had it happen to me, nor anybody I know. I wonder whether it is "urban myth." You should not worry about it.

I have definitely had this happen myself. I suspect, however....I probably used too much glue. I think in general with GG, I probably use too much. I think I mostly have this happen, if somehow my holes ended up a bit larger than they should have. Some of my bits seem to wobble ever so slightly, and it produces a larger hole than the rated diameter of the bit, and I think that allows the tubes to shift....and if I use too much GG, then I think the foaming gets out of hand, and the tube can shift. I try to keep the blank longer enough than the tube, that the shift doesn't matter if it occurs, but on a couple of occasions, it did indeed shift outside the blank. Thankfully, they weren't particularly special blanks (i.e. segmented or rare resins), so I didn't really lose anything important.

I've actually taken to wrapping something, a rubber band or something, around the blank, to try and keep this from being a problem.

I am curious, what an appropriate amount of glue is?

 

[leehljp]

For me, Primarily GG, and especially on delicate segmented blanks, but do use epoxy on occasion if I need something quick. I do use epoxy in assembling segments, but GG between tube and blank.

 

[sorcerertd]

I use Gorilla glue unless it's a translucent blank. I use epoxy on those even if I painted the blank and the tube. And yes, Gorilla glue gets messy. I like that it foams and fills gaps, but put something under the blanks as they dry or you'll be scraping it off of places you didn't want it to stick.

I usually prep a few/several pens at a time and just let them sit until whenever I get around to working with them. Usually I stay a few ahead so they sit for days, though not intentionally. I leave them overnight at the very least.

 

[studioseven]

I always let my glued blanks cure overnight. The one time I tried GG, I applied the glue to 4 blanks in my basement. I left them to dry overnight. To my horror, all of the brass tubes were pushed out when I checked the blanks the next day. I know it was the force of the GG foaming over that caused te blanks to pop out. I've always wondered if humidity might have caused this. I never considered that I used too much glue. I look forward to hearing from others.

Seven

 

[zig613]

Gorilla Glue (polyurethane) is the only glue I have ever used. As noted above, wear gloves because it is messy and seal the ends of the tubes. I leave the blanks 24 hours to cure. I have never had any issues with the glue pushing out the tubes.

 

[Jarod888]

I like gorilla glue. However, I have had a couple of recent failures. I believe they were caused by bad or old gorilla glue.

My procedure is similar to the one posted above, with the exception that I generally coat the first 1/2 inch of the inside of the blank on both ends with glue and the entire tube as well.

I never had a failure with epoxy, but hated mixing it and the "dual squeeze applicators" are a bit expensive, vrs just the two bottles.

I think I've let my gorilla glue get too cold in the garage, epoxy doesn't seem to have that issue.

 

[TellicoTurning]

I haven't turned a pen in years, and probably should not post in this thread, but my personal preference for gluing tubs was the thick CA... I tried Gorilla glue once and didn't like either the mess or the way it worked, so back to thick CA.... don't think or remember ever having a failure.

 

[wimkluck]

I use GG. Sometimes the tube get out of the blank. After 15 minutes i look if the glue foams. Sometimes it take a longer time and i put the tube back in the blank. I clean it with Ever bild wonder wipes or similar product. As long as the glue is not cured you can clean it, It works also for epoxy. And your hands.