I'm CA'd to my bushings, please help!

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angboy

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I tried the CA/BLO finish for the first time and now I have two pen blanks that seem permanently adhered to my mandrels. Does anyone know of a way to get them unadhered? And for my future finishings, how do people do this type of finish and NOT get the blanks stuck to your bushings/mandrel? Thanks!
 
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Adhered to the Mandrels? Or to the Bushings?
Assuming its the bushings that they are stuck to, grab the end bushing with a pair of pliers (I use channel Locks) and then gently twist the the nearest blank. It will crack loose. Repeat for the rest of the assembly. G-E-N-T-L-Y, sand the barrel ends and assemble your pen. Later Soak the bushings in Acetone overnight, to remove the excess CA.
 
I too use pliers....my choice is vise grip but be careful not to set it too tight. You should be able to twist them loose from the mandrel. Once that is done...try to pull them out as one piece...once the joint between blank and bushing is by the end of mandrel "break" it down (supprt the mandrel so it won't bend.

Best way I've used to prevent this is by applying a coat of carnauba wax on the mandrel.
 
Skew the ca down to the bushings at the point where the blank meets the bushings.
Chances are the CA will be a little proud of the fittings.
I have had the finish crack off the barrel by just snapping it it off but sometimes do it anyway.[:(]
When you "skew" off the CA it is not necessary to have the lathe running , you can turn the wheel by hand.
 
Thanks very much everyone. I was finally able to get them off. I had to enlist the help of some "muscle" next door, and it even took him a little while with the pliers to get them off. I think I just overdid it on the CA. One problem was that in the process of making the pen, (don't ask me how I did this) I had managed to turn off part of the bushing on one end, so there was kind of a trough where the CA could accumulate next to the blank and get really thick. So now I need a new set of bushings for that pen type too. I'm still in the process of a learning curve!
 
Angie, I've even had the stuck bushing take part of the pen barrel with it when it broke free. [:(!] However, this usually only happens if I've had to stabilize the blank with a fair amount of thin CA. I use thick CA for my CA finishes and seldom have a serious sticking problem. If you try to sand your bushings back, just make sure you keep them square. You won't like the result if they are not. [;)]
 
You can use that "trough" to your advantage.
Punch a hole the size of the sleeve it it is a step bushing or the size of the mandrel through a square of wax paper.
Before use start the BLO process, fill the "trough" with Ca.
This will harden the end.One of our members acually use to do this intentionally.A post was made about it almost a year ago.
I believe the CA will create a "ring" on the wood but it may be advantageous.
 
I use a paste wax like Johnsons Floor Wax on the mandrel. I found that I can almost always remove the bushings by gently taping them on the lathe way and rotating the assembly as I do. It sometimes takes awhile but on all but one it has worked. Try to not hit the corner of the bushing on the lathe way, hold it so it hits flat on the side. To clean up the CA on the bushings I use a "parting tool" I made from an old screw driver. Just my way of doing it.
Bill
 
I shape and sand to 400 grit using a Fein triangle sander (no rings to sand out), then pull the blanks off the lathe, apply CA, and hang them overnight on a rack. (I do 10 at a time, so I always have pens at some stage or another). Next day, I re-mount, sand with 400, then 800, polish with EEE, and burnish with 8000 and 12000 micro mesh. Then I burn in a coat of Krystal coat. Pens look and feel like glass. No stuck bushings!
 
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