Question about gluing up painted tubes.

[Freethinker]

Hi everyone;

I had an order for a Breast Cancer Awareness pen with a white Aquapearl blank.

I painted the brass tubes white, and was using 2 part epoxy (I really don't trust CA glue long term for things like this) to glue them in, as I always do.

I added a little white paint to the glue mixture, and it turned a putrid shade of yellow, although a somewhat pale yellow. I though -- "Ah, it probably will not show thru."

Wrong.

As soon as the blanks were rounded and nearing correct size, the sick looking yellow color came thru.

Arrrgh! Two ruined blanks. The yellow color destroyed the beautiful dazzling white effect the blanks should have given. And, it was the last white aquapearl blank i had on hand.

I use CA extensively, and finish with it on all wooden blanks, and have NO problem with using it for that...

...but I have many times had joints (wood to wood, aluminum to wood, aluminum to plastic, you name it) fail when using CA and for joints that I want to be very strong, I have always used 2 part epoxy.

So....can painted brass tubes be successfully glued into plastic blanks with CA glue? CA ,being clear, should not cause the yellow color, but it just seemed to me that CA was not strong enough for the critical connection between the tubes and blanks.

Are there any added precautions or techniques i can use to make sure the CA glued tubes (into plastic blanks) have adequate strength?

Thanks for any help you can give.

 

[longbeard]

I will reverse paint the blanks (the drilled hole). Let dry til next day. I have painted the tubes and blank also with no issuses. I use 5 min. epoxy gorilla glue and have had no problems yet, but i have NOT tried mixing the glue with a color. As far as using CA to glue in painted tubes, my experience is yes, but i have waited at least 24 hours before i did making sure the painted tubes are dry.(toaster oven helps this process) I have used satellite city med ca or thick ca, this was before i started using the 5min epoxy though. Hope this helps, i'm sure others will chime in with more experience.

 

[Lucky2]

Dan I don't underestand what all the fuss is about when it comes to using CA glue. I turn a fair amount of pens, and all I ever use for gluing in the tubes is CA glue that I purchase at one of the dollar stores. And I've never had one fail so far. As for what precautions to use while using CA glue, don't glue your fingers together that's about it. CA glue is very simple to use, all I do is plug one end with wax and then I put some thick Ca glue inside of the blank. After doing that, I spread a fair amount of CA glue on the brass tubes. And then I slide them into the blanks, while installing them inthe blank I push the brass in so far, and then pull it out a ways to help spread the glue evenly once I've pushed the brass tube all the way into the blank so that it reaches the oposite end I give the ends of the blanks a shot of excelerator to help set up the glue. I can do a glue-up, and then be turning the blank in about 15 minutes after doing so. Ya gotta love that old CA, just steer clear of the fumes.
As for the painting of the brass, I don't! I paint the inside of the blank, because most time CA glue will remove the paint as you insert the brass tubes. At least that is what happens to the ones I used to paint, I hope this info helps. Good luck.
Len

 

[ssajn]

I paint the inside of the blank and the tube using Rust-Oleum primer. Let dry overnight then use medium CA, letting dry several hours. Then turn. I've never had any problem with CA failures.

"ZIP IT"

http://www.penturners.org/forum/f18/zip-man-109993/

 

[airborne_r6]

I never had any issues with CA not holding the tubes in, painted or not.

I switched to epoxy because I was sick of getting CA on my fingers and I ruined a couple good blanks when the tube stuck before being completely inserted.

 

[Monty]

I use the "$1" can of spray paint from the borgs or Wal Mart with thick CA and have never had a problem as long as I let the paint dry over night.
The only paint I've had problems with id Dupli-Color brand. It released from the tube several times before I gave up on it.

 

[Chasper]

I've used CA to glue in the tubes in thousands of resin pens over several years. I don't think I ever had a glue failure.

Paint the inside of the hole, not the tube, and it will not matter what kind of glue you use.

 

[Freethinker]

Thanks for the responses guys. I painted both the tubes and the inside of the (new) blanks, and waited a day for them to dry...then used medium CA and will let it dry overnight. I'll see how it goes, I guess.

Everyone's success with CA glue as an adhesive seems to be vastly superior to my success. I love it for building a glassy finish on wood blanks, but as an adhesive i have had it fail many times......most notably on segmented blanks with aluminum. I finally gave up on it.

I went to great lengths to prepare the aluminum and the wood (or acrylic), yet ANY sort of shock stress was placed on the joint, it would fail. I have just dropped a wood/acrylic/aluminum sub-assembly on the concrete floor and had it fall apart as if I had only spit on it. Now for aluminum to wood, i use only epoxy.

I have to admit that I am astounded by some of the things people use CA to glue together, and have it make a lasting bond. (I buy CA mostly from Wooden Wonders --EZ Bond- and keep it in the fridge for freshness, taking out only a small bottle-full at a time. I have used brands from the dime store brand to the EZ Bond, and found little difference in them. )