tube into a thin section of the material. This will form a plug to keep the glue from
getting into the tube.
6. Clean the tube, after plugging, with acetone or alcohol on a rag.
7. Prepare your glue. We recommend two part epoxy glue that is available in all
hardware stores. Use a fast drying type, one hour or less. Be sure to mix it
thoroughly. (A Post-it Note Pad makes an excellent mixing place. When you are
finished just tear it off and throw it away.) Polyurethanes and thick flexible CA’s
can be used, but they each have their drawbacks.
LED Flashli
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Berea Hardwoods
8. Place some epoxy into the blank using a small piece of dowel or other small stick.
9. Roll the appropriate tube in the epoxy.
10. Insert the tube with a twisting motion until it is almost in the material blank. Then
use the dowel to push it in until the end is flush with the blank. Use the stick to
rake off the excess glue even with the blank and the tube.
11. Push the brass tube through the blank until the other end is flush with the blank.
Then rake the glue flush with that end. Now push the tube back into the blank
until the tube is an equal distance from both ends of the blank.
12. Move it aside for 60 minutes until the epoxy has had time to reach its maximum
strength.
13. If you are using CA glue, the wait is only about 60 seconds. When using
polyurethane the wait will be about 24 hours.
14. When the glue has cured use a hobby knife to remove the plugs from the ends. It
is also a good idea to clean the tubes with a brass gun cleaning brush to remove
any glue that may have gotten into the tubes.
15. Not cleaning out all glue from the tube is the most common cause of kit failure.
BE CERTAIN that all dried glue is removed from inside the tube before
proceeding.
16. Using a barrel trimmer of the proper size, face off the ends of the blank until you
can just see the bright brass end of the tube. STOP facing at this point. Your kit’s
proper operation is dependent on having the proper length tube. This facing
operation can also be done with the proper jig and a disk or belt sander.
17. Not having the proper tube length is the #2 cause of pen failure. Sanding, on a
disk sander, using a jig to hold the tube square with the disk, is a more sure way
of getting the proper length. It should be tried if you have any doubt as to your
abilities to square the material with the barrel trimmer.
18. Another good method of squaring the ends of the blank is to turn the blank until it
is just round. Using a miter gauge to maintain the blank perpendicular to the
sanding disk, just touch the ends to the disk. Once the blanks are square and you
can see the ends of the tubes brighten, then return the blanks to the mandrel and
finish the turning until the desired contour is accomplished.
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