Help on glue

[Luff]

Hi

I was using CA glue to glue my tube inside my blank and wanted something better after getting some fail while turning.

Went on my favorite pen supplyer online. Found the Titebond liquid glue wich is a polyurethane glue rated 5 stars and everybody was saying it was the best. So I went for it.

Glued 5 tube with it friday night waited 24h. Came back and the excess glue was hard and dry so I tried to trim 2 blank and the tube slipped right out on the other side. I tought I did not wait long enough even if it said 4hours on the bottle.

Came back sunday tried again on another. Went well but unglued while turning so I glued it back with CA. Finally coming back monday, so like 72hours later. The 2 left slided out while trimming...

What am I doing wrong? There must be something or it's the worst produt I tried...

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[PatrickR]

I recently started using poly glue. Very important to rough up the tube. Otherwise it peels right off. So far I like it better than epoxy as it fills any gaps.

 

[gtriever]

Hmm, what kind of blanks? If they're acrylic and you're painting the inside, are you waiting at least 24 hours before gluing? That's the first thing that comes to mind for glue failure.

 

[Luff]

I use epoxy blank that I cast my self. I always sand my tube. And I don't paint my tube.

And It's not like the glue break... it's still sticky like it don't cure at all except the excess at both end

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[PatrickR]

Do you wet the blank first? I dip them in water right before inserting the tube.

 

[Dale Allen]

Do you wet the blank first? I dip them in water right before inserting the tube.

There ya go, that may be the answer. Those glues are moisture cure so the inside of the joint may be starved for moisture.
One sure way to tell is to see if the glue dries after the tube pushed out.

 

[Jolly Red]

I use a small spray bottle to shoot a quick shot of water in the blank before using the polyurethane glue. Be sure to have the tube ready to insert as soon as the water hits the wood. The wood will swell quickly and make the tube hard to insert.
Tom

 

[Luff]

Wow I would have love to know this before!
I didn't know at all and it's not common sense since most of the glue ask to be dry.

I'll definitively try it.

And more I think more it make sense. The glue probably dry at both end and and seal the gap so the humidity can't get any further.

They should write it on the bottle that would have saved me some curseds words.

Hehe

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[PatrickR]

I'm surprised it doesn't. I use gorilla glue brand and it recommends wetting anytime the two parts don't contain moisture.
Yes, if you have a porous wood and a tight joint it can swell it enough to make a too tight fit.

 

[Luff]

I'm surprised it doesn't. I use gorilla glue brand and it recommends wetting anytime the two parts don't contain moisture.
Yes, if you have a porous wood and a tight joint it can swell it enough to make a too tight fit.

Wow I feel so dumb... I only have read the direction steps and skipped the safety warning on the other side of the bottle thinking it was the usual... don't put it in your eyes,wear protection,etc.They talked about moisture in direction steps but in a way that made me feel like it was bad to have moisture.

What I did not see was the small paragraph over the warning called "user tips".


Sorry everybody. Lesson learned I'll read everything next time.

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[1080Wayne]

I just dip the blank in a cup of water spread a drop of glue around in each end of the blank , spread glue all over the tube , and push it in . Beware though that a hole which is marginally tighter at one end may cause the tube to walk as the glue cures , especially with plastic blanks . Not a great problem if the blank is 1/4 inch or so over length , but if it is the exact tube length some means of preventing tube movement is wise .

 

[jttheclockman]

Not a big fan of polyurethane glue for pen making at all. As mentioned that glue reacts with moisture to cure. If doing a wood blank you now added the one element you try to get rid of before using and that is water. people dipping blanks in water and spraying water on wood to me looks and asks for trouble. Then you have to be aware of creep. As that stuff expands it pushes the tube out so you need to use rubber bands or some other source of blocking method.

I like to use epoxy to glue tubes in. None of the above problems and if you let set and cure the proper time never have a problem. Yes polyurethane will take up any spacing if there is any but so does epoxy. Just some pointers. have fun

 

[magpens]

So, Luff ...

Please try it again and give it a drink next time. Let us know how you make out, please.

 

[Bryguy]

John,
You don't need to wet both sides of the joint. If you wet the tube only the glue still activates and the wood stays dry. I use a Q-tip to glue the hole, then I insert the wet tube. I've never had a fail and I don't have to mess with mixing and wasting epoxy.

 

[philipff]

Save yourselves a whole lot of trouble and worry, all of you, by using Gorilla Glue (no stock in my 0 portfolio). Use water to accelerate the drying to 1/3 of the normal time. I keep preaching this and so few listen! Philip

 

[Luff]

Save yourselves a whole lot of trouble and worry, all of you, by using Gorilla Glue (no stock in my 0 portfolio). Use water to accelerate the drying to 1/3 of the normal time. I keep preaching this and so few listen! Philip

Hi philip

Can you post a pic of the bottle or name me the exact name of the glue? I might give it a try


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[jttheclockman]

John,
You don't need to wet both sides of the joint. If you wet the tube only the glue still activates and the wood stays dry. I use a Q-tip to glue the hole, then I insert the wet tube. I've never had a fail and I don't have to mess with mixing and wasting epoxy.

Sorry Brian if you are directing this at me, not of my interest. I will never use polyurethane for anything. Have tried on some wood projects years ago and threw the glue away. If you found a way to use it good for you and anyone else who wants to deal with it. Just another method of gluing in tubes I guess. I do not waste epoxy because that is my method and have learned to use it as you have with poly. Good luck. By the way in over 12 years of making pens never had a failure either.

 

[tbfoto]

I tried using Gorilla glue about 10 years ago for a different project and did not like the results but recently had a woodworking project that I thought it might be good for so I tried it again and all I can say is WOW it set up rock hard and worked out really well for that project. However, for pens I still prefer 2 part epoxy.


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[Rifleman1776]

Don't know anything about that particular glue. I use two-part epoxy and rough up my tubes with coarse sandpaper before gluing into the blanks. Messy and time consuming but works. And, BTW, I use toothpicks to apply the glue. IMHO no shop is complete without a supply of toothpicks.

 

[PatrickR]

Save yourselves a whole lot of trouble and worry, all of you, by using Gorilla Glue (no stock in my 0 portfolio). Use water to accelerate the drying to 1/3 of the normal time. I keep preaching this and so few listen! Philip

Hi philip

Can you post a pic of the bottle or name me the exact name of the glue? I might give it a try


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Luff, I doubt there is any real difference in the brands. Try what you have with some moisture. I'm pretty sure it will work for you. The only downside from epoxy for me is the cleanup of the expanded glue getting inside the tube but a rod with sandpaper on it cleans it up.

 

[gtriever]

Two-part Epoxy is all I use now as well. I keep both 5-minute and 30-minute in my shop. With a little practice you learn how much to mix for the job at hand.

 

[MTViper]

Woodcraft and Rockler both carry a 2 part epoxy from System 3 called Barrel Bond. It expands as it cures (similar to Gorilla glue). I generally glue one day and turn the next. I have never had a failure as long as I've left it to cure over an hour though.

It's a gel that comes in tubes like toothpaste. Easier for me to get equal parts of resin and hardener. I mix it in a paper saucer with a nail for a stirrer.

I have no stock in any of these companies, just what I like to use.

 

[TonyL]

Dozens of choices out there. I have used many and still switch it up. However, I happened to prefer the Mercury Brand 5 minute or 15 minute working time epoxies. I let it cure about 2 to 3 hours - even though it says it cures in less time. Again, many good choices out there.

 

[PatrickR]

Agreed, and all of them will work in most circumstances. I only used epoxy until a recent project that I'm doing, where I'm turning the wood very thin for casting purposes. The dry spots turned into blow outs. urethane has been much better for this use.

 

[whickman]

So, Luff ...

Please try it again and give it a drink next time. Let us know how you make out, please.

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