First Turnings

**Whaler** · 04-07-2009, 06:11 PM

It looks like you are off to a good start Bernie.
Plan on ruining a few pens as you practice, they are the ones you keep around the house to use I have quite a supply of them. I suggest that you stick with inexpensive slim line kits to fine tune your turning and then step up to the more complicated and costly kits.

Which CA are you using, I recommend the medium it gives you a little more time and fills minor gaps.

I have used a lot of Woodcraft kits and have only had problems with one or two other than Woodcraft I use PSI and Craft Supply for kits.

Keep at it.

**dbhost** · 04-07-2009, 06:18 PM

Looks like you aren't all that good at lathe work. Just pack it up and send it to me and I'll see what I can do... >-)

Okay seriously though, nice work. I keep wanting a lathe, but other goodies get in the way...

**leehljp** · 04-07-2009, 06:31 PM

Dick recommended medium CA to eliminate your problem, and I do also. Even thick CA will do. Thin CA is known for leaving gaps - or rather not being a good "gap" filler. I would start now using at least "medium" on gluing up blanks. When you get more experience and start using $5.00 - $10.00 blanks, you will get very angry when the glue "catches" and holds before you get the tube all the way in - thereby ruining a great blank. For this reason, I went to epoxy only for all but slimlines, and that is when I am using plain blanks only. I had one tube "catch" and set - using medium CA and no way to get the tube out without ruining the blank or discoloring it by soaking it.

On all but slimlines, I use epoxy. 5 minute epoxy if I am doing one or two pens; 15 to 30 minute epoxy if I am gluing up 3 or more pen blank sets. Epoxy, along with medium and thick CA are much better at gap filling hold better in the situation that you mentioned. But Epoxy does give you notice of its "setting" with a minute to spare - unlike CA of any thickness. All of this is moot until you ruin your first $10.00 or beautiful blank. The downside is - who wants to wait until the glue sets? I want to turn a pen now!

On the click pens - I don't use WC pens as I order mine from a few vendors that ship overseas, and their prices are a little cheaper than WC. That said, the only click pen that I remember that works well is the Sierra click. Not sure what WC calls it - "Wallstreet" I think.

By an large, click pens have not been of high quality from any vendor in the past - until the click Sierra/WallStreet came along. There have been a few people with success with click pens but that has been few and far between.

**MikeMcM1956** · 04-07-2009, 07:19 PM

Bernie,

Those look great for your first pens, can't wait to see your #100.

I stopped using CA for gluing tubes, I only use it to glue in loose caps, tips, etcetera. And for that I use medium CA, so I've got time to get it together before it sets up. For most tube gluing, I use Gorilla Glue. It's a little messy, and takes a while to dry, but it's really strong. What I'll usually do is on one night I'll cut/drill/glue a bunch of blanks and then turn them the next night or later. It's always good to have a bunch backed up for whenever the urge to turn strikes (which is fairly often). If you can't wait that long, I'd recommend using 15 minute epoxy. Whatever you use, scuff the outside of the brass tubes with some coarse sandpaper for something for the glue to 'grab'. I also put a light coating of glue inside the tube with a Q-Tip before putting glue on the tube and inserting it with a twist to spread it around.

And you will find some kits with 'iffy' quality, especially in the lower end kits. Almost every slimline I have bought from a major retailer whose name starts and ends with 'R' I have had to glue in tips and caps. I've had better luck (and quality) buying in bulk from another place at half the price....

Mike

**Uncle Cracker** · 04-07-2009, 07:38 PM

First: Keep your first pen! You'll wish later you had...

Second: Make sure when you face off or mill the ends of the blanks that you are perpendicular to the tube, not necessarily to the side of the blank.

Third: Use calipers to measure your fittings, and then to check your turnings as you cut and sand (remember to allow for the finish to "fatten up" the finished piece a few thousandths, more or less, depending on the finish you use)...

Fourth: Ditto what the guys have said about medium CA, and also epoxy.

That said:
Your work looks fine for first-off. Never be ashamed of your work, just try to make each one a little better than the one before. You're on your way down the slippery slope... You may be dead meat already.

**Tarheel** · 04-07-2009, 07:50 PM

In addition to what has been suggested regarding the medium CA glue, make sure that you clean and rough up the brass tubes with a little 150 grit sandpaper.

I too have had the tubes spin on me as I turned and I figured that - a.) I didn't wait long enough for the glue to set-up. (A squirt of acelerator fixes this issue.) and b.) I didn't rough up the tube enough.

I haven't tried a click pen as I have heard horror stories about the quality of the kits.

Wayne

**seabat** · 04-08-2009, 07:14 AM

Nice first effort my friend.

Be sure to post the pics of the mesquite as that is one of my favorite woods.

The only thing I use CA for now is finishes and to stabilize spalted wood.

Lost a couple of nice blanks because of blow outs where the glue + wood did not adhere to the brass tube.

Epoxy is good but because I'm an impatient fellow and want to turn now not tomorrow, I now glue 90% of all my blanks with JB Qwik Weld.

This stuff dries in 4 minutes and (fingers crossed) I've never had one blow out.

I get mine at the local Walmart in the auto department and I think it's $3-$4 dollars.

**bfrikken** · 04-08-2009, 08:31 AM

I also use a thicker CA glue. Much better then the thin stuff. I finish the pens with the thin.

Like Tarheel, i clean and and sand the tubes to rough em up a little. That has made a significant difference in the quality of my glue ups.

**leehljp** · 04-08-2009, 09:52 AM

Originally posted by seabat

Epoxy is good but because I'm an impatient fellow and want to turn now not tomorrow, I now glue 90% of all my blanks with JB Qwik Weld.

This stuff dries in 4 minutes and (fingers crossed) I've never had one blow out.

LOL!

4 minutes . . . And 5 minute Epoxy is only one minute slower! You don't have to wait until tomorrow with that!

I glued up a coffee bean blank tonight while I was waiting on some thick CA to set on a pen. Then finished the coffee bean blank an hour later.

**BerniePA** · 04-08-2009, 05:01 PM

Thanks for all the input and advice. I have been doing everything that has been suggested concerning the CA. I use a medium, scuff the tubes first w/sandpaper, twist while inserting, etc. I was wondering if the brand of CA I was using was maybe a bad brand, but I guess it is just the expeirience of everyone sooner or later that the CA will break loose on you. Seems like I will have to look into epoxy or JB weld or maybe some concrete -- yeah, that's the ticket, concrete, yeah!

I did my first acrilic today and all the while I was cussing about how messy it was, and it smelled, and it curled up around the lathe and how I would never do another one -- but they sure do come up purty!!! Now I guess I have to get now photos on here.

**leehljp** · 04-08-2009, 07:02 PM

Mike above mentioned Gorilla glue. GG is the best gap filler. I just can't get any over here. GG has a bit of learning curve itself. It sometimes "pushes" the tube out as it expands. It is sticky and messy in ways different from epoxy and CA.

BUT it is the BEST gap filler!

**SARGE..g-47** · 04-08-2009, 09:37 PM

I can't comment on any of the techincal stuff as I don't turn nor have a clue but... the pens look nice to me.

**jcjrsmith** · 04-09-2009, 01:47 AM

Nice work, Bernie. Turning pens really is a lot of fun, isn't it?

First Turnings

First Turnings

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