# pen tube prep



## ripjack13 (Jul 16, 2015)

So I'm standing here at my lathe prepping some tubes for glue up and I'm gettin sore shoulder. (Rotator cuff surgery at the end of this month) and I'm wondering...how do you prep your tubes when you have a few or a couple to many to do.....

I'm hand scuffing them while they are at the end of my mandrel...


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## manbuckwal (Jul 16, 2015)

ripjack13 said:


> So I'm standing here at my lathe prepping some tubes for glue up and I'm gettin sore shoulder. (Rotator cuff surgery at the end of this month) and I'm wondering...how do you prep your tubes when you have a few or a couple to many to do.....
> 
> I'm hand scuffing them while they are at the end of my mandrel...



I never prep more than four or five at a time........ I don't mass produce cuz im slow . I just grab a piece of 100 grit and rough up the tube by hand

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 3


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## Tclem (Jul 16, 2015)

I give mine to Paxton and let him roll them around the concrete floor.

Reactions: Funny 2


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## Sprung (Jul 16, 2015)

Just like Tom, I do it by hand with a piece of 80 or 100 grit sandpaper. About 10 or 15 at a time, then take a break and do something else, then scuff up some more tubes.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 2


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## Sprung (Jul 16, 2015)

Perhaps Colin @Schroedc could shed some light on how he does large quantities? He's a turning machine! Aid of a machine? Child labor? Man up and just do it?

Reactions: Like 1


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## Schroedc (Jul 16, 2015)

Dead center and a big cone live center on the lathe. Just enough pressure to hold the tube without flaring out the ends. Spin at low speed and use a strip of sandpaper (I use 180-240 grit, whatever I have around)

Reactions: Like 2 | Thank You! 1


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## Schroedc (Jul 16, 2015)

Another thing you can do if you are a reloader is to throw them in your vibrating case cleaner with some sand.....

Reactions: Like 1 | Informative 1


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## Tclem (Jul 16, 2015)

Schroedc said:


> Dead center and a big cone live center on the lathe. Just enough pressure to hold the tube without flaring out the ends. Spin at low speed and use a strip of sandpaper (I use 180-240 grit, whatever I have around)


And Colin is way more experienced at this than me so this is not a knock on Colin. Just be careful not to get to aggressive and sand to much off the ends of the tube if you do it this way. I have and still do it like this sometime but I also have ruined the ends of the tube

Reactions: Like 2


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## David Seaba (Jul 16, 2015)

@ripjack13 
If you use two part epoxy there's no need to scuff the tubes. I been using it for years and never had a issue. I've squared the ends on the disk sander and turned them in as little as 30 minutes. Hope this helps.

David

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## Fsyxxx (Jul 16, 2015)

I use my cheapo belt sander. It's the one wc sells. I put the tubes on a dowel so they'll spin and touch them to the sander. Could do one or hundreds no effort at all.

Reactions: Like 2 | Agree 1 | Useful 1


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## Bean_counter (Jul 16, 2015)

Just like David I don't rough up any tubes. I use epoxy and have never had a failure that I know of.

Reactions: Like 1


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## rdabpenman (Jul 17, 2015)

I TBC with 320 grit.

Les

Reactions: Like 1


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## ripjack13 (Jul 17, 2015)

Thanks for all the comments fellas....


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