How do you evenly apply a thin layer of CA or Epoxy to your tubes?

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lvturner

lvturner

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This is the problem that seems to cause me the most grief. Right now I use a "insertion tool" to put my brass tube on, then I frantically try to put CA or epoxy on lightly and evenly using the bottle tip. Inevitably I get too much on one part and none in a little spot.

Is there a special brush? Brush on CA like the old super glue containers?
 
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For CA (which I don't recommend using on anything important, such as a segmented blank), I use medium or thick and squeeze out a couple lines up and down the tube, then insert with a twisting motion to help spread it around. Takes a little practice, but isn't too hard.

For epoxy, your set time is much longer, so you can do the same process (painted on with the mixing stick), but take more time to make sure it's all over.

Either way, most will recommend sealing the ends of the tube to avoid any adhesive inside the tube, since that can cause problems later. Dental wax is a good option. I've used old babybel cheese wax with decent success.
 
lvturner said:
This is the problem that seems to cause me the most grief. Right now I use a "insertion tool" to put my brass tube on, then I frantically try to put CA or epoxy on lightly and evenly using the bottle tip. Inevitably I get too much on one part and none in a little spot.

Is there a special brush? Brush on CA like the old super glue containers?
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I used to use thin CA but then I had the glue harden before I could fully get a tube in and I immediately switched to 5 minute epoxy. Honestly I just soak the tube in the 5 minute epoxy and then twist the tube back and forth and pull it up and down a little as I slide it in to help the epoxy get everywhere.

If you are using epoxy and twisting the tube as you insert it, the epoxy should level itself out and any excess will come out the sides when you press the tube in. Plugging the tubes is a good idea to stop excess from getting inside, or you can just use a pen mill kit to clean the inside of the tube.

Ever since switching to this method I've had no issues with tube insertion. Hope this helps!
 
As Flintski22 says above, the set time on CA is very short and for this reason, it is difficult to get it spread out evenly and the tube inserted before it sets. I used CA on my first few pens in the (and I still have less than 75 pens turned). One of them was a beautiful spalted maple burl blank that was shaping up very nicely and it blew out. On close examination, I found that there was no CA under the piece that blew out. I found the blowout piece and glued it back in and recovered the blank. I have used BSI 5 minute epoxy on all my pens since.
I have a lot of difficulty with gluing things going back to plastic and wood models in the 50s and 60s. I always make a mess. So this is the way I do it and I am sure there are people on this forum that have better methods, but this works for me. YMMV.
I first cut and drill the blanks and plug the tubes with wax. I lay tape on my bench top to mix the epoxy on (easy to peel up and throw away, relatively cheap and it doesn't slide around). I wear nitrile gloves and just dive in. I always have denatured alcohol in a small squirt bottle and paper towels close by. DNA dissolves epoxy that has not set, washes it right off!! I got that bit of info on this forum after using epoxy forever and dealing with it sticking to everything with no relief. Mix the epoxy and use the popsicle stick to insert some epoxy inside the blank. Then roll about half the tube in the epoxy, insert tube in the blank with a twisting motion, push tube in so it's flush with the other end. Then use the popsicle stick to wipe off excess epoxy, push back the other way and do the same on the other end. I then center the tube in the blank and set aside on it's side so the tube does not move around in the blank. I put the blanks on scrap paper because there is always always epoxy on the outside cuz I'm messy and you don't want to glue the blank to the bench.
Again, I have not had a blank separate from the tube in the last 65 or 70 pens since I starte using epoxy. There may be people using CA without issues, I don't know.
I turn pens because I enjoy it. I have not tried to sell pens and still have almost half of the pens I turned. The others I gave away. If you are turning pens for income, you might want to dig deeper on this website. My time is valuable to me, but not in a monetary sense as it was when I was working, so I have a different perspective than people who are turning pens for profit.

Mike
 
Chad; It is not necessary to make the CA evenly coat the tube.

Do this wearing disposable nitrile gloves over a sheet of wax paper. I plug the inserted end of the brass tube with wax. I insert the brass tube from the center of the to-be pen toward the end of the pen. Put a dollop of thick CA inside the blank. Put another dollop of CA on the outside of the tube near the inserted end and insert into the blank using a twisting motion. The CA will form a ring around the insertion point. I push the tube into the blank until about 1/2" is sticking out and then immediately use a stick to insert the tube even with the end of the blank. The excess glue will squirt out of the far end of the tube. If you do NOT see glue come out the far end of the pen OR there is not a ring of glue at the near end of the pen, you have not used enough CA. It is better to use too much than too little.

Make 6-12 pens at a time. Let the blanks rest and cure for 2-8 hours. Then trim the ends of the pen Meanwhile turn the pens you glued yesterday.
 
I cut up craft foam into one by two inch rectangles. I use one of these to spread CA evenly on a tube, and then insert the tube in the blank with a twisting and back and forth motion.
 
There is NOTHING that coats a tube as well as polyurethane /expanding adhesive (Poly-Gorilla glue) if the drawbacks are overcome.
1. Not ALL "Gorilla" glues are expanding poly, so know or learn the differences.
2. Wear GLOVES.
3. Coat the tube and plug the ends
4. After inserting into the blank, TAPE both ends, or the expanding foam CAN force the tube partially out of the blank!!!!!!!!!!!!!
5. Wait 24 hours for it to foam up and cure.

CAVEAT: I am not suggesting that this should be yours, or anyone's primary method. I'm just saying that if complete coverage is needed, it is one method that will do it well. Extremely well. One advantage of this is that on some segmented blanks, it adds strength to the blank when one is afraid the blank might explode. Don't trust CA on critical segments, use epoxy or poly.
> And a caveat to that is that if there is a minuscule hole in a segmented blank, the expanding foam will find it and leak out - ruining the looks of an otherwise beautiful blank. As for me, I have taken my chances and survived with some well crafted segments.
 
I use CA and epoxy, it depends on the tube in question and my mood. Many times, the longer the tube the more likely I am to use epoxy to give myself more time.

For CA glues, not all of them have the same open time. I generally use thick or medium CA and have personally observed that one brand of thick CA sets in just a few seconds (like under 10?) and another brand that usually gives me 30 seconds or so. I just use gloves and don't use an insertion tool. I do like the ability to twist the tube & blank all around and make sure the inner surface of the blank is fully coated. I put glue on the tube, not on the blank.

My current CA of choice is EZ Bond thick and I get it from Exotic Blanks. I do not use Titebond because it sets in under 10 seconds and doesn't allow me enough time to get the blank coated.

My epoxy of choice is gorilla glue 5 minute epoxy because it's pretty low odor. When I started out I used JB Weld 5 minute epoxy and hated it because it stinked to high heaven and would drift out of my basement shop into the main floor of the house and I'd hear about it. Gorilla Glue Epoxy does not do that.

Mark Dreyer has a video in his 10 Minutes to Better Pen Turning series on Youtube that talks about how he glues tubes too.
 
5 minute epoxy. Stir it up on a notecard with a toothpick, then use that toothpick to liberally coat the outside of the tube. Insert with plenty of twisting and in/out to spread it around an ensure good contact everywhere. Finally use the toothpick to insert it the last little bit and scrap off the excess. Full cure strength in 1 hour.
 
BHuij said:
5 minute epoxy. Stir it up on a notecard with a toothpick, then use that toothpick to liberally coat the outside of the tube. Insert with plenty of twisting and in/out to spread it around an ensure good contact everywhere. Finally use the toothpick to insert it the last little bit and scrap off the excess. Full cure strength in 1 hour.
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This is what I do too and I've haven't had any issues yet
 
I use epoxy but the slow cure version ( 2 hours open time ) and plug tube ends with blu tac although one person on here recommended a potatoe which seems cheap and a good idea too
 
For epoxy (which I almost always use) I plug the ends of the tubes with Foundation Wax, used by my neighborhood beekeeper. If I didn't have a readily available supply, I would opt for Dental Wax. Sometimes, if it looks like there might be a gap or void between the tube and the blank after I square it, I will plug the end with Underhill Casting Silicone Plugs, and then drip thin CA so it wicks down between the tube and blank. Good and complete glue coverage is one of the important factors in preventing blowouts during turning. (I got the idea from watching a Zac Higgins YouTube Video. For spreading my epoxy, I usually use a half piece of Skinny Craft Sticks (about 2.25 inches long) to both mix my epoxy and to apply it. As has already been mentioned, I twist the tube as I push it in to help distribute the epoxy evenly. I also often use small Wooden Waxing Sticks/Spatulas to smear around epoxy and CA - cheap and handy little tools. - Dave
 
Thank you everyone for all your valuable input! Appreciate it. Have some 5 min epoxy on the way. Considering some of the other options!
 
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