Today in the shop (scratching the brass tubes for pens)

reible · Post by **reible** » Sun Sep 28, 2014 3:30 pm

There are many aspects about pen turning that people differ on. For me I like to take those shinny brass tubes and scratch them up before using them. I like to get any junk off the surfaces and to give the glue some more places to "grip".

If this is one of those operations that you don't like to do but do anyway then you are like me. Its slow and since I do batches of pens 10-12 at a time you have 20-24 barrels to do at a time.

I was just starting another batch today and had an idea how I might want to try something new.

I think these pictures will give you the idea of what I did and I will say I loved it. From now on this is going to be one of my processes.

I start by mounting my turning parts to the shopsmith. Note the live pen center in the tailstock.

[ATTACH]26302[/ATTACH]

I can mount 3 barrels of this length at the same time. Use a light touch to tighten it doesn't take much to sand these.

[ATTACH]26303[/ATTACH]

A small strip of sandpaper does a lot of barrels. Ignore hand position as it only to give you an idea of the process, reaching over is not a good thing.

[ATTACH]26304[/ATTACH]

Again ignore the hand position but I do use a rag to clean up any sanding dust.

[ATTACH]26306[/ATTACH]

By location the headstock I can use the quill to hold them and then let it wind back so the tubes can be added or removed from that position.

This really goes fast and you don't get any brass stains on you fingers.

Ed

wa2crk · Post by **wa2crk** » Sun Sep 28, 2014 7:45 pm

Reible
I have done a very similar thing when I had to turn a bunch of pens for Christmas gifts. Really does shorten the time. Be careful that you don't sand too much and get a too loose fit of the tube in the barrel. Things change fast when sanding the soft brass.
Bill V

drl · Post by **drl** » Wed Oct 01, 2014 5:52 pm

I have used that method and it works well for 7 mm tubes. If sanding larger diameter pen tubes you will need to mount the tubes with bushings of the correct size. Works fine but takes a bit longer to set up is all.
Regards,
Dwight

rpd · Post by **rpd** » Sun Oct 05, 2014 11:19 pm

For scratching the pen tubes I have been using my strip sander and an Allen key for a holder.

[ATTACH]26404[/ATTACH]

Lightly touching the tube to the sanding belt for a second or two causes it to spin on the Allen key leaving diagonal scratches.

The tube on the left has been scratched. the one on the right has not.

[ATTACH]26405[/ATTACH]

I think this would work on a belt sander or a disk sander also.

rpd · Post by **rpd** » Mon Oct 06, 2014 12:34 am

For scratching the pen tubes I have been using my strip sander and an Allen key for a holder.

[ATTACH]26406[/ATTACH]

Lightly touching the tube to the sanding belt for a second or two causes it to spin on the Allen key leaving diagonal scratches.

The tube on the left has been scratched. the one on the right has not.

[ATTACH]26407[/ATTACH]

I think this would work on a belt sander or a disk sander also.

charlese · Post by **charlese** » Mon Oct 06, 2014 8:35 pm

Thanks for the Idea, Ron!!! I have previously done mine by hand - this looks easier:)