paramount Pen
Member
What can I do to keep tru-stone or in this case Penn-stone from cracking when pressing the parts together? The tube seems too thin to grind for relief and glue parts in.
Question
- Thread starter paramount Pen
- Start date
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jttheclockman
Member
Is it the stone that cracked or the finish on top?? It looks like an acrylic finish on top. Did you do a CA finish or something else on top?? The best way is to file the inside of the tube down and have a slip fit of the components and then use blue locktite to glue in. You really should do this for any fragile thin blank. Nothing wrong with doing this. Plus you do need to have both parts and blank as straight as possible when pressing in. Usually a finger fit works best.
mbroberg
IAP Activities Manager, Emeritus
Make sure your tubes are free from any glue or debris in them and also make sure that your parts are not crooked when pressing them in. Once the component meets the barrel release the pressure. Resist the impulse to give it a little extra nudge.
Ted iin Michigan
Member
Agree with above comments 100%. When I work with those materials I typically do a "test fit" when getting ready to assemble. After checking for "junk" in the tube as Mike Broberg says, I will scrape off any big stuff with a small blade or an Exacto-style knife. I'm looking for a fit that is stiffer than a "slide in". Then I'll take some 220 (or 400) and wrap it around a rod and sand the interior till I get a fit where I can force it in but pull it out, too.
If at any point the component slides in easily, I stop doing anything that will enlarge the ID and proceed as below.
Then I will take a wee bit of thin CA and put it on the inside of the tube - NOT ON THE COMPONENT - and complete the assembly. Doing this prevents the CA from getting on the outside of the blank or the component.
Note that I said a WEE bit of CA. Takes very little to coat the mating surfaces and give a super good bond. You don't want too much CA on the inside as it will kill your twist or click. Never tried Loctite as JT says above. I think I might try that one.
It's a dance but doesn't take too much practice.
By the way, excellent finish on that pen and great pairing of the blank to the pen.
If at any point the component slides in easily, I stop doing anything that will enlarge the ID and proceed as below.
Then I will take a wee bit of thin CA and put it on the inside of the tube - NOT ON THE COMPONENT - and complete the assembly. Doing this prevents the CA from getting on the outside of the blank or the component.
Note that I said a WEE bit of CA. Takes very little to coat the mating surfaces and give a super good bond. You don't want too much CA on the inside as it will kill your twist or click. Never tried Loctite as JT says above. I think I might try that one.
It's a dance but doesn't take too much practice.
By the way, excellent finish on that pen and great pairing of the blank to the pen.
MRDucks2
Member
Also alignment is critical on the harder items. A little bit of angle between the component and tube may "self-align" with a little force in most wood but not stone, harder resins and very hard woods.
ed4copies
Local Chapter Manager
Avoid CA. It can "offgas" and discolor your plated parts. Loctite red or blue are much better choices.
paramount Pen
Member
Thanks for y'all's comments on filing, I'll do it over and file the tubes before assembling.
No CA finish just micro meshed and buffed with cotton wheel loaded with a carnuba wax bar.
Thanks again for the info everyone.
No CA finish just micro meshed and buffed with cotton wheel loaded with a carnuba wax bar.
Thanks again for the info everyone.
paramount Pen
Member
Thanks to you also for the info about the glue Ed, I'll be buying that kit and blank again.
Fuzzy63
Member
I agree with all the above. I have also had one to crack from drilling the blank in a pen vise. It doesn't take much pressure from the vise to crack these blanks. I have herd it crack and then not show up till I have started to press the parts in.
Jarod888
Member
Head down to your local sporting goods store and make sure it has a gun section. Pick yourself up a set of bore cleaning brushes and a reloading hand reamer. Before you assemble your pen, run the bore brush down the inside of the tube and use the reamer to remove any burrs on the inside of the tube.
Sylvanite
Member
Another option: Press the pen parts into the bare tubes and knock them back out. Then glue the tubes in and turn. That pre-expands the tubes a little so there is less stress on the blank when you assemble the pen.
