flyrod
Member
Been playing around with clear blanks, How does one go about polishing the inside?
polishing the inside of a clear pen parts?
- Thread starter flyrod
- Start date
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InvisibleMan
Member
I take pieces of micromesh,wrap them around a very small diameter knock-out rod and polish the inside the same way as the outside. It's a pain, but necessary.
johncrane
Member
I would add some soapy water to the above method.
Chatham PenWorks
Member
I've found that the most important part of the finish is how you start. Make sure your drill is sharp, go slow, and keep it wet to keep it cool. Extra time spent here, pays dividends later.
flyrod
Member
Thanks you guys for the advice...
So do you polish before you tap the inside?
So do you polish before you tap the inside?
PenMan1
Member
I use "culture swabs" (tightly woven q-tip type heads on long wooden dowel) mounted in a variable speed drill. I first polish with Novus heavy scratch remover, then Novus 2, and finally McQuire's PlaxtX.
It's easy to do and works well.
It's easy to do and works well.
plano_harry
Member
Andy, sounds like the best idea yet -- have you found any sources for larger swabs? The ones I saw online looked pretty small dia.
I have used cut down, rounded oral sponge swabs to apply epoxy and paint.
I have used cut down, rounded oral sponge swabs to apply epoxy and paint.
PenMan1
Member
Yeah, Harry, I found a source and once again I forgot where. Someone here pointed me to a medical supply source that had these cheap. But for the life of me, I can't remember the name of the company.
Fireengines
Member
I use a gun cleaning cotton ram connectd to a drill. I use the stuff from CSA Scratch Free on the swab.
InvisibleMan
Member
Yes, good point. I do use water, but not soapy. Never thought of soap, but it can only help I would think.
BSea
Member
You can find the long swaps on amazon. I bought some awhile back.
As for the initial sanding, I use a 1/4 dowel with a slit cut down about an inch. I did this on the band saw. I then use different grits of abranet. Just slide a piece into the slit, and sand the inside while it's on the lathe. The take use progressively finer grits up to 600. I'm sure you could use wet/dry sandpaper too.
As for the initial sanding, I use a 1/4 dowel with a slit cut down about an inch. I did this on the band saw. I then use different grits of abranet. Just slide a piece into the slit, and sand the inside while it's on the lathe. The take use progressively finer grits up to 600. I'm sure you could use wet/dry sandpaper too.
PenMan1
Member
Thanks for the idea! THAT is a MUCH BETTER MOUSE TRAP! You can buy the gun cleaning "inserts" at any WalMart or sporting goods store for about $1 in each size.
I have these in every caliber for use on my weapons. These cleaning pads are washable, reusable and the gun cleaning rod will stand considerably more abuse than a "tonsil swab".
Culprit
Member
For those who polish the inside of a plastic blank with sandpaper on a dowel, do you drill the hole slightly undersized, or does the sanding not enlarge the hole enough to cause a problem?
BradG
Member
cnirenberg
Member
Brad,
I like that method. Although, the pucker factor must increase exponentially when the flame enters the pen barrel.....
I like that method. Although, the pucker factor must increase exponentially when the flame enters the pen barrel.....
BSea
Member
Has anyone tried this with PR? This has been discussed before, but I don't know if anyone actually has tried it with pr.
BradG
Member
Unfortunately not as PR contains styrene monomer
Brooks803
Member
Has anyone tried this with PR? This has been discussed before, but I don't know if anyone actually has tried it with pr.
I tried it with a small butane torch. Didn't do anything on colored PR. I only did the outside since I was only trying it out. It DID work pretty well on a well cured CA finish. It was sitting in the shop for 3-4 months before I tried it. I had only sanded it with 400 prior to trying the flame so it was pretty rough but smoothed out after hitting it with the flame.
So maybe 1 possibility would be to run thin CA on the inside of the barrel to fill in any drill marks, etc. and then try the flame polish on that. Lots of work, but it may work.
Haynie
Member
Played around with flame polishing a ruined brooks blank and a propane torch. Here is what I learned.
1-It is doable but not easy
2-There is a miniscule line between polished and screwed up. And when I say miniscule I mean so thin it is not worth the effort. and that was just the outside.
1-It is doable but not easy
2-There is a miniscule line between polished and screwed up. And when I say miniscule I mean so thin it is not worth the effort. and that was just the outside.
duncsuss
Member
wortmanb
Member
I'm a tad late to this party, but I ran across this and thought it might be worth contributing to this discussion. Brian Gray's approach to making demonstrators....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPsij3XRZFo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPsij3XRZFo
wood-of-1kind
Member
Darley
Member
Have been playing around with my clear PR 3 years ago and to drill the blank I use oil if your bit is sharp enough you will not have any marks and no sanding is require, don't remember witch speed I drill though but work well, this was for a trial (s) for my Nautilus pen
Hope this help