The colour of brass

[Neil]

Painting the blank so you cant see the glue?? If you can see the glue then its time to change the glue! I cant think of one instance where the glue could possibly be visible - if the glue is visible then the tube, whatever colour you paint it will stick out like the dogs proverbials. Painting the inside of the blank in preference to the tube is unnecessary and a waste of time and energy. Some penturners on the IAP site think that they have to make this into some kind of space science, it isnt and life is simple, sadly some try to make it complicated and are trying to make a simple hobby into some kind of science for which you need a six year apprenticeship.

I have a piece of wood with 20 six inch nails stuck through it and I put the tubes over the nails and spray them when necessary depending on the colour and translucence of the blank, and the finished thickness of the acrylic. Q tips I stick in my ear, and even the doctor advises against this.

 

[sbwertz]

Painting the blank so you cant see the glue?? If you can see the glue then its time to change the glue! I cant think of one instance where the glue could possibly be visible - if the glue is visible then the tube, whatever colour you paint it will stick out like the dogs proverbials. Painting the inside of the blank in preference to the tube is unnecessary and a waste of time and energy. Some penturners on the IAP site think that they have to make this into some kind of space science, it isnt and life is simple, sadly some try to make it complicated and are trying to make a simple hobby into some kind of science for which you need a six year apprenticeship.

I have a piece of wood with 20 six inch nails stuck through it and I put the tubes over the nails and spray them when necessary depending on the colour and translucence of the blank, and the finished thickness of the acrylic. Q tips I stick in my ear, and even the doctor advises against this.

1. If you use polyurethane glue (Gorilla glue) it will show.

2. if you are turning a very translucent acrylic, and your epoxy isn't perfectly smoothly applied, you can see the swirls and voids in the epoxy through the blank.

I guess it just boils down to how important it is to you how the pen looks.

3. If you scuff your blanks to make the glue stick better, the paint you apply to the tube can cover the scuffs so the glue doesn't adhere tightly.

4. Painting the inside of the blank is just as easy as painting the tube.

 

[sbwertz]

I don't turn a lot of acrylic. When I do, it is usually because a customer has requested a special pen with school colors, or in one case a gold cross in a royal purple blank. I paid 60 USD for two custom cast acrylic blanks with the crosses inside for a new priest's ordination. Such blanks usually are very expensive, and I want them to look the best I can possibly make them, and I don't want them to shatter on the lathe, so I want them securely glued to the tubes. So I paint the blanks instead of the tubes.