Tubes for clear acrylic blanks

[Stwil]

I would like to turn a clear acrylic 7mm pen. Does anyone know if you can get clear tubes that will work for the 7mm pens? Thank you.

 

[RKB]

Would you even need tubes?

 

[Stwil]

I would think so but not sure.

 

[PatrickR]

Check industrial supply houses (McMaster, Grainger). I doubt you can get it for the specs needed but maybe. Definitely not in cast acrylic and that's what you would want. Buy some cast rod and make what you need.

 

[Kenny Durrant]

Something to think about. If you can polish the hole after drilling or have a clean hole however you decide. If you drill or cast if the hole isn't polished it will look cloudy or at best scratched all to pieces. My thinking is slide a tube in the blank but don't glue it in. When the blank is finished take the tube out. Cut a piece of the brass tube just as long as the piece of the part that needs to be pressed in. Your not going to see through the nib, transmission or the part that holds the clip on so let it be a piece of polished brass.

 

[Stwil]

Thank you that is something to try. Thank you

 

[randyrls]

Look up "Flame polishing" It may work to polish the inside of the tube to remove scratches. Otherwise you will have to finish the inside of the tube just like you do the outside.

 

[farmer]

Polishing the inside of a tube is no big deal
Make tool like gun cleaning rod put a patch ( piece of cloth )
use polishing cream use drill or your lathe or drill press .

 

[darrin1200]

You don't need a tube, if you are using acrylic. Just drill the center hole the same size as the metal tenon on your part. You will not be able to use your bushings though. Glue the parts in using epoxy, but make sure you are using an epoxy that dries clear.

It takes me three time longer to polish the inside, than the outside. And I still haven't done one that I was fully satisfied with yet.

 

[farmer]

https://www.amazon.com/MECCANIXITY-Acrylic-Length-Lanterns-Cooling/dp/B09D7Y46QD/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=8mm+id+acrylic+tubing&qid=1653307288&sr=8-2

https://www.amazon.com/uxcell-Tubing-16-inch-8-inch-Plastic/dp/B07TRKXJF3/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=8mm+id+acrylic+tubing&qid=1653307412&sr=8-6

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B083J8N6KT/ref=sspa_dk_detail_4?pd_rd_i=B083J8N6KT&pd_rd_w=Ijuns&pf_rd_p=ed02e65e-bf3f-46c8-aedd-152f4fca56ac&pd_rd_wg=zmc20&pf_rd_r=6ZJ066AB7475EA5TGV4D&pd_rd_r=6c5570f5-195f-4934-a8a1-5c8c12d4af76&s=arts-crafts&smid=A25P4OVD8J0C6N&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzQjhLMUgyU1kxRlNWJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMDE2NjcxMzVMQ0RVSklNSFhNOSZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMTA3NzE0MjdCN0hDS0hYSDBDVyZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2RldGFpbCZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU&th=1

 

[RunnerVince]

You don't need a tube, if you are using acrylic. Just drill the center hole the same size as the metal tenon on your part. You will not be able to use your bushings though. Glue the parts in using epoxy, but make sure you are using an epoxy that dries clear.

It takes me three time longer to polish the inside, than the outside. And I still haven't done one that I was fully satisfied with yet.

I'm just curious, have you found bits close enough to the diameters you'd need? Is this idea limited to kits where the necessary hole diameter happens to hit on standard drill bit size?

 

[darrin1200]

I have a 118pc drill bit set, plus a large accumulation of odd sized bits from Kit pens. The difference between bits, is measured in thou/in. There really isn't too many holes I won't catch some where in the group.

 

[Aurelius]

I know it definitely isn't the way most people do it, but I got the 118 pc metric set. With that set, any of the letter or number sizes are no more than a thou or two away from a bit I have. Of course the set stops at 13mm and I need to get a 13.2mm to handle 14mm caps but that is no fault of the drills.