Thread: Bang, and yet another slimeline bites the dust

My blowouts have fairly well stopped since I changed over to 2 part epoxy and roughed up the tubes with 150 grit paper to allow the glue to key in. I also rotate the tubes as I insert.

Originally Posted by KevM

My blowouts have fairly well stopped since I changed over to 2 part epoxy and roughed up the tubes with 150 grit paper to allow the glue to key in. I also rotate the tubes as I insert.

Exactly what I do.

Matt, along with that other advice, question , what type of wood is it? Does the mandrel spin evenly or is it vibrating? If it is a softer wood, you might consider "turning" the last bit with courser sand paper. You are not alone in blow outs, happens too often and usually just when you are near the end Good luck with the next one, Amos

ho hum, slim lines..........
just remember one thing.......
there is always another day, which means there is plenty of time to finish a slim line.

just relax, take it as it comes, and NEVER EVER give up,
keep trying as it will end up working.
good luck

Matt yes I too hate slimlines with a passion. After you drill your blanks, line the inside of the drilled hole with thin CA. This will create a key for the glue to adhere to when you glue the tube in and will also wick into any fine internal cracks within the timber prior or after drilling. Do a test fit with the tube, if it slides in then glue it in place, if it doesn't clean the hole with the drill of the tube size that you have used. Then you can use your preferred glue, CA, Epoxy or Vice Glue ( Gorilla Glue ). Good luck with the next one and remember become one with the pen and use the force Matt

1 how hard is your wood ? if it's realy hard is it glazing the inside of the hole you've drilled ,ive got some 100 year old bull oak that glazes every time i drill it (yes the drill is sharp) so i get some (just a little bit) of sand paper and gently rough up the in side so the glue sticks.
2 is the glue new?
3 are your tools sharp .
4 it's small so small cuts gently does it .youve only got 2-3mm of timber there when youve finished.
5 and for heavens sake if it's a hard exotic (purple heart,cocobolo,ebony etc) dont get it hot or it will crack and explode. this also applys for sanding.
hope this helps.

It's Cocobolo, that may be the problem. I was wondering if the high oil content of the wood was keeping the glue from adhering but maybe it is just glazing over like rodent said.

Perhaps I need to drill, run a Q-Tip with a bit of solvent though then rough it with sandpaper. I may try again.

I'd sharpened my tools right before and was going slowly.

I, too, get blowouts with cocobolo. But, usually only when I am attempting to turn it cross grain. Which is, of course, the flashiest way to turn cocobolo.

Matt I have not had a problem since I used the method I mentioned. Rodent has covered all the are they questions and that is something I check each time I start,. I like the idea of roughing the inside of the hole with course paper. Only blow outs I have is if there is a hidden flaw within the blank I did not know about or if I have a brain f**t and try and remove way too much in one go.
Darren

Matt, maybe Ciscokid has answered the question, are you turning cross grain?? Amos

Originally Posted by Woodenink

Matt, maybe Ciscokid has answered the question, are you turning cross grain?? Amos

Naturally, what other way is there to turn Cocobolo?

I've never had a blowout on Cocobola. I use CA or Epoxy. My 'guess' would be you're turning it down too far. Look at one that is finished, right off the mandrel. A slimline is THIIIIIIIIIIIIN. Almost no wood left. Try not turning so small. Maybe you're bushings are worn. Make it even bigger diameter and replace the small center ring with something bigger to account for the bigger dia.

just my 2c.

Rance

O.K. Now that we've established that you are, in fact, turning cross grain, let me tell you what has helped for me. Start with a sharp tool. Turn the pen until you're starting to get to that point where you get the blowouts. Sharpen you're gouge again. Real sharp. Then proceed with real light cuts and sneak up on the finished size. I hope this helps for you since it's the only way I've found so far. For what it's worth, Kingwood is even more of a buggar.

Until I read this thread, I didn't realize what is most likely causing my blow-outs. I recently turned a couple of cocobolo cross grain pens with no blowouts. The difference for me was drilling slowly and backing out often during drilling. I had noticed before how unbelievably hot the blanks were getting with my normal overly agressive drilling, but was to ignorant to associate the drilling with the blowouts. COOL!

Rick