Pen Tubes Stuck On Mandrel!

[Fred Miller]

I've turned several pens, but never had this happen before. It was probably just a matter of time, but I need to know what to do.

I was turning some 7mm pen pieces, using a standard mandrel. The wood is a very highly figured walnut, and as soon as I got close to the desired thickness the wood shattered. I got the remaining wood off the brass tubes, but now the tubes won't slide off the mandrel. Possibly some CA glue stuck on the inside of the tubes, but these things won't budge.

Is there a way to get the tubes off?

[David Wilhelm]

Nail polish remover will lossen the glue and you can slide it right off.

Just in case you are wondering how, remove it from the lathe or leave it on if you like, take tin foil and make a small tray enclosing the shaft and tube. pinch it of best you can and leave it open at the top. Poour in enough to cover. should take long at all. If you get the straight acetone it will work very fast.

[James Gillespie, Jr.]

Provided it is one that contains acetone. Or one can use straight acetone from the borg. Check the mandrel for scoring once the tubes are removed, they may cause the bushings to sit unevenly, resulting in a not so round pen blank.

[Scott Lux]

Put it in the freezer for a couple hours. Bring it out and gently smack the tube or bushings with a piece of wood or some other thing.
CA is very good at many things, but it is not good when cold, and has terrible "impact" resistance. I can ask my glue distributor buddy the real term, but impact is close.

[Fred Miller]

Thanks guys! I sprayed some WD40 at each end of the tubes, let them sit for a while, and they finally twisted off. After I got them off I polished the mandrel shaft and now it's slicker than my bathroom doorknob.

[Russ Peters]

Wondering what you put on your bathroom door knob