Wood without tubes?

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Carl Fisher

Carl Fisher

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Is there a structural reason for using the brass tubes? I'm working on a concept pen where tubes technically wouldn't be necessary to secure the components but I also don't want to compromise the structural integrity of the blanks.

Just wanted to see what the opinion at large is. I know many of the kitless acrylics are good without them, but the main body of this is white oak.

Thanks!
 
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Rich Kleinhenz makes quite a number of designs without tubes---very light weight.

I would imagine he selects his species of wood carefully though. I would think oak would be porous.

FWIW
 
Have you ever tried Ebony, Alfred? Without the tubes, maybe it would not have the "stress" and would not crack??????
 
May I suggest hard Maple as a starter for pens without tubes. It is extremely hard, not really pourous and resists cracking better than most woods.

Ebony would NOT be my choice, neither would Snakewood. In my shop, those two spilt and crack even WORSE (if that's possible) without tubes.
 
If the wood wall of the pen is thick enough it wont need tubes. Many of the pens we make have very thin wall thickness where they meet the hardware at the ends. I made a nose cone for a roller ball out of segmented pieces that was .030 inches wall thickness. ANY and I mean ANY heat from sanding and the glue will start to let go. Ca or TiteBond. You might consider stabilizing the white oak before turning it.
 
I did kitless malle burl without tubes - even tapped it for the finial. It is going to depend on wall thickness and species.

If you don't want to use brass, I've tubed a few with alumilite
 
Unless the wall thickness is sufficiently thick for a given species, the pen will crush easily. The brass tube allows the use of very thin walls in the pens.
 
Ok, so it sounds like better safe than sorry. I "can" use the tubes with what I'm working on, but it just means I have to be pretty exact in my measurements since they'll be buried a bit in the blank and I'll be working them blind so to speak.

I assume acrylic wouldn't have this issue as most of the kitless are obviously "tubeless".

Thanks!
 
So, if one turns a "tubeless" pen, do you mount it on the mandrel as you would a regular "tubed" blank? I know this is a dumb question, but I have to ask anyways.
 
Cherie said:
So, if one turns a "tubeless" pen, do you mount it on the mandrel as you would a regular "tubed" blank? I know this is a dumb question, but I have to ask anyways.
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Usually, tubeless pens are closed end, Cherie.

So you have to design a way to hold it (unless you already have the closed end mandrels).
 
Also consider the intended purpose/user of the pen.
I have made tubeless wood, but they were for show purposes, designed to sit in a collection and used only to show that they work. Never intended as a daily writer. It sits there.

If making a pen for an eighth grader. consider cap'n eddie's 12 cent pen(search you tube). (Or just give them the bic, because it will be lost long before it breaks or runs out of ink.)

Material, type, kit type, quality of components, cost of all of these, etc (as well how much a customer is willing to pay) all of these revolve around the intended user and the intended purpose of the pen.
 
I've done many wood pens without tubes. Even tapped some of the wood if it is hard enough. Done it with maple, padauk, amboyna burl, rosewood burl, and mesquite. Doesn't have to be closed end. Usually do it with home made mandrels made from brass rod. Just size the mandrel to the hole you want to drill and make some bushings. Often, but not always, I use an ebonite or pr insert if I need to tap. Started using square threads on the wood itself which works fine.
 
Ron, I've turned truestone and would be hesitant in trying to use a pen without a tube in the material. It is quite brittle and even being a little agressive when turning results is the blank breaking. Truestone might be a little expensive for experimenting. I would turn a pen using tubes and then use any leftovers to try going without a tube by glueing the truestone onto wood and going from there.
 
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