Thread: Oh Nooooo

7mm tube=7mm bit. Just large enough to get the tube in, you don't want to try to fill any "space" between the two or it will be offset. Even using thick CA glue, the glue doesn't take up much space. Ones on the IAP sight claim the 115 bit set from Harbor Freight are fairly good bits & it has standard & metric sizes. I would stay as close as possible. Have fun with your turning.

If I get a tube I can't readily identify, I simply line it up with the back
side of the drill bit to see if they match.

Then I have to guess which length each kit uses to jog my memory.

Most of the kit instructions are online anyway, so it's no problem
to download them again. Might want to use a 3 hole punch and keep
a little book near the lathe. I keep the instructions for kits as well
as tools, assembly instructions for other projects .. articles for finishing,
plans etc.. nice to have then close by to refer to

I just recently bought a digital caliper and I don't know how I existed before without it. Handy as a pocket on a shirt it is. You can get one that will work just fine for woodwork for not much, we don't need a super fancy one with a certificate certifying it accurate down to half a dozen decimal places. You might find one handy with your problem.

If you know what kind of kit it is, you can pull up the instructions on the internet.

As for the hold size, you don't want it too snug, just loose enough that it can slide on through is about what you want. If it's too tight, the glue won't be able to get in there, or will be scraped off on the way in, and you also run the risk of it cracking when you sand and it heats up, any extra pressure from a tight fit can make it crack.

Also, I use two part 5 min epoxy, you can get it at walmart for $2 a tube, or most any hardware store.


Super glue, in my ever so humble opinion, is for the birds. Barbaric stuff. You'll end up glued to the tube which will be half glued in and half glued out of the blank where it froze in place, your feet will probably be glued to the floor and your other hand to the workbench, take it from me, the epoxy makes tube gluing a much more civilized process.

Squeeze out a dollop the size of a silver dollar, mix it up, coat the inside of your blank, coat half the the outside of the tube, stick that end in the blank with a twisting motion, coat the half that is still outside, push that on in, set it down, a few minutes later you're ready to go, no worries, no rush, your tube didn't get stuck halfway in, you're not glued to anything, it's very nice.

Tom
For your bushing data go to http://www.thepenshop.net/ and on the right hand side is the bushing data and lots of other very helpful information

Originally Posted by Matt88s

Squeeze out a dollop the size of a silver dollar, mix it up, coat the inside of your blank, coat half the the outside of the tube, stick that end in the blank with a twisting motion, coat the half that is still outside, push that on in, set it down, a few minutes later you're ready to go, no worries, no rush, your tube didn't get stuck halfway in, you're not glued to anything, it's very nice.

I'll add to that:
IF you're doing a pen in acrylic, I've found that the color of the brass
shows through the ends of the blanks. SO ...
When mixing the epoxy, also add either a little bit of powdered tint that
closely matches the color of the blank (I got powdered tint to color the
resin that I was going to cast but haven't gotten to it yet)

OR:

pick up a cheap set of colored charcoals / pastels from the art section of
a department store .. gently scrape off powder with a knife and use that
to mix into the epoxy. The colored epoxy can get pretty close to the
color of the acrylic blank and the brass won't show through when it is
turned thin.