44Ronin
14th April 2009, 06:53 PM
Glueless method, you don't need to rough up tubes either.
1. Find an appropriate undersized drill bit for your brass tubing.
For instance, when using a 7mm brass tube, select a 17/64" (6.74mm) drill bit.
To get it right, it must be easy to line the end of the brass tube into the hole, but as you push more into the hole it becomes snug and then impossible to push in any further by hand.
You should test the suitability on some mock blanks cut from some waste. When you have it right, now use this drill bit for all fiction fit blanks.
2. Use a pin vice, quick clamp, woodworking clamp or similar to insert the tube.
Push the tube in slowly. If you push it in too fast or hard the brass tube may distort, bend, twist etc.,
The brass tube will stop where the clamp face can no longer push it.
The flatter your blank end and straighter your drilling, the better.
3. Flatten the end of the blank where the tube went in by either lightly disc sanding with a jig to set the tube at 90 degrees to the disc sander, or via your normal pen mill.
The pen mill is also the best way of testing the reliability of your friction fit, as the tube will fly out once you trim if the fit isn't any good.
4. Pen mill the opposite side down to size.
Your finished blank will probably a bit harder to get on the mandrel because of the threading for the brass mandrel nut, but all will be well.
1. Find an appropriate undersized drill bit for your brass tubing.
For instance, when using a 7mm brass tube, select a 17/64" (6.74mm) drill bit.
To get it right, it must be easy to line the end of the brass tube into the hole, but as you push more into the hole it becomes snug and then impossible to push in any further by hand.
You should test the suitability on some mock blanks cut from some waste. When you have it right, now use this drill bit for all fiction fit blanks.
2. Use a pin vice, quick clamp, woodworking clamp or similar to insert the tube.
Push the tube in slowly. If you push it in too fast or hard the brass tube may distort, bend, twist etc.,
The brass tube will stop where the clamp face can no longer push it.
The flatter your blank end and straighter your drilling, the better.
3. Flatten the end of the blank where the tube went in by either lightly disc sanding with a jig to set the tube at 90 degrees to the disc sander, or via your normal pen mill.
The pen mill is also the best way of testing the reliability of your friction fit, as the tube will fly out once you trim if the fit isn't any good.
4. Pen mill the opposite side down to size.
Your finished blank will probably a bit harder to get on the mandrel because of the threading for the brass mandrel nut, but all will be well.