# It blew apart..



## txcwboy (Oct 30, 2006)

My beautiful $9.00 piece of stabilized spalted maple split in 2 and flew off the mandrel tonite. Any way to tell why this happend ? 

Dave


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## JimGo (Oct 30, 2006)

Can you show us some pics of the tubes?  We might be able to help you diagnose the problem then.  Also, make sure you're using SHARP tools and take LIGHT cuts - the more expensive the blank, the lighter the cut and the sharper the tool!!!!!

Can you glue it back together?


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## Charles (Oct 30, 2006)

I have to second Jim's comment. Sharp tools are a must. Take you time with material removal. If you have a bur on your tool it might have caught a portion of the wood and split. Were you sanding when it happened. Excessive heat could cause the blank to fracture. Gives us some more info.


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## chisel (Oct 31, 2006)

It could have had a tiny crack to start with. Sometimes it just happens. []


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## ctEaglesc (Oct 31, 2006)

I am suspecting something amiss in the glueing technique when prepping the tubes


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## Skye (Oct 31, 2006)

> _Originally posted by ctEaglesc_
> <br />I am suspecting something amiss in the glueing technique when prepping the tubes



I was about to say the same thing.

If you get a small area that's not bonded to the brass it'll tend to want to pull away from the tube. The area around it is fully glued so it doesnt want to pull away. Put those two conditions together side-by-side and I think that's why a lot of tubes blow out.

Just my guess.


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## Rifleman1776 (Oct 31, 2006)

You are the first person this has ever happened to. [][]
First, it is part of penturning, it will happen occasionally. And the law of Murphy usually means it will happen most frequently with the most expensive/beautiful blanks. [V]
Lots of possible causes, some have been suggested.
Lathe speed is a big factor, IMHO. Slow speeds tend to catch. You can use very high speed during the entire penturning process. Catches are far less likely.
Tell us more. What tool were you using? What was your lathe speed? Are you sure you did a good job of glueing? Blow-outs often occur at points with no glue coverage on the tube. Check yours.


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## JimGo (Oct 31, 2006)

> _Originally posted by Skye_
> <br />
> 
> 
> ...



Hence my request for the pic of the tube.


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## les-smith (Oct 31, 2006)

Take it for what it's worth from a beginner, but I blew out a dymondwood blank the other day using my barrel trimmer.  I had the large trimmer installed instead of the small one and it caught the edge of the blank and busted it.  I put it back together and CAd it with thin CA.  After I finished the pen with my CA finish you couldn't even tell it had broke.  I was happy.  I don't know if that will work with burl or if you can even find all the pieces, but if so, that might be worth a shot.


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## woodbutcher (Oct 31, 2006)

The first big clue is the spalted part. The rest is to some extent a matter of luck. I would also suggest a high rpm for your spindle speed. I usually turn at the highest rpm my lathe will allow. Don't forget your eye protection but i'm guessing that thought has hit you already.[] Hang in there things will improve.
              Jim


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## txcwboy (Oct 31, 2006)

Upon futher examination, it appears to have broken along some line..maybe a spalted line.? Tools were just sharpened, Speed was slowish ( I hadnt even gotten it trued yet) Tool was a 1 inch gouge. I even stood on my left foot with my tung out as I glued it to make sure that wasnt an issue []   Thanks all !

Dave





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## chisel (Oct 31, 2006)

That's too bad...it looks like that wood had some nice curl to it. 

Sometimes the pressure part of stabilization can cause cracks in spalted wood, or at least fail to mend cracks/spalt lines already present. 

There probably wasn't anything you could have done to prevent it. You could try CA gluing it back together....but I would just move on.


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## les-smith (Oct 31, 2006)

I really hope you glue it back up and try to finish it.  I'd like to see how it turn outs.


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## Jim in Oakville (Oct 31, 2006)

Looks like you can reglue that with no problem, it split on the long grain of the wood.  It might have been a crack or a plane of weakness that was created when you drilled the blank.  


I know that turning a square blank round there is a lot of stess on the wood till you get smooth contiuos shavings, it was probably that force that blew it open.

Glue it up and show us what you turned[]


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## JimGo (Oct 31, 2006)

Glue it up, then trim the corners off on the bandsaw or use a belt/disc sander to take the edges off.  That will make things a lot easier.

Looks to me like you didn't get good glue coverage.  What kind of glue did you use?  What size drill bit did you use?  You might try slathering the tube with poly glue like Gorilla Glue, then gluing the halves together with CA.


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## clement (Nov 1, 2006)

When i read all this posts, i realise how carefull i've going on work with stabilized wood. It's amazing how much information i've collected since 1 month that i suscribe to this forum. Thanks to everyone, 
clem


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## kent4Him (Nov 1, 2006)

I would definately say you did not use enough glue.  I also agree that you should be able to glue it back together again.


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## Rifleman1776 (Nov 1, 2006)

You said the speed was "slowish". The faster your speed the less chance of a catch. With small items like pens you can go full-out from square blank to final cuts. When I have concerns about possible catches I'll use a 1/2" gouge to round then switch to the 1" skew. If wood is exceptionaly hard I might use a 1" gouge for reducing diameter. Bad glueing and slow speed were probably the villans in this instance. Consider it a learning experience.


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## txcwboy (Nov 1, 2006)

I tried to piece together again but there is 2 sections that are missing..one on each end.So its toast ! I used EZ bond CA thick. I ll try the higher speed next time. I still have the barrel section of the wood that wasnt turned. Ive been making pens a longggggg time but dont have this happen but once in a blue moon and I had looked at that piece and thought how nice of a pen it was going to be. So when that happened I was []  and thought I would ask.

thanks all

Dave


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## JimGo (Nov 1, 2006)

Dave, if the holes in the blank aren't TOO big, you can fill them with shavings and sanding dust.  Some times that blends in pretty well.

The problem with CA is that, even the thick stuff doesn't fill gaps TOO well.  If you look at the specifications, thick only fills a few thousandths of an inch, if I recall correctly.  Depending on the kit and the drill bit, you might have been better off with a different glue.  Of course, I use CA on most of my pens, and I know others (such as Eagle) also do the same, but I try to be conscious of the size of the "gap" I'm asking the glue to fill, and will switch to a different glue if need be.


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## byounghusband (Nov 1, 2006)

> but there is 2 sections that are missing..one on each end



Sound to me like you should glue it back up, turn off the broken ends and replace them with "Oops bands".  Any other gaps can be filled with glue (CA) and your choice of filler....

<b>NEVER GIVE UP!!!</b>


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## Skye (Nov 1, 2006)

> _Originally posted by txcwboy_
> 
> 
> <br />



Like Kent said, not enough glue.

If you look at the blank where the hole is, you can see a spot of glue, then a lot of area with no glue. That's 99.9% of your problem right there.

Oh, and it's 'TONGUE' not 'TUNG', you can tell you've been woodworking too long, lol


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## txcwboy (Nov 3, 2006)

found the pieces.Glued it all back up.Turned at high speed (1500rpm) patched a hole here or there and it came out pretty nice []

thanks for help all

Dave





<br />


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## Skye (Nov 3, 2006)

Very, very nice recovery! Can you tell where the cracks are?


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## les-smith (Nov 3, 2006)

Now that's what I'm talking about!!![]  Good job.  Now that's kind of like the fish that didn't get away.  I'm glad you brought it back from the brink.


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## TBone (Nov 3, 2006)

> _Originally posted by txcwboy_
> <br /> it came out pretty nice []



Dave, that is a huge understatement.  Beautiful pen and even more special with the extra work, lessons learned and the story that goes with it.  Good job


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## loglugger (Nov 4, 2006)

Txcwboy, Great save on a great piece of wood, equals a great pen. Well done.
Bob


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## ctEaglesc (Nov 4, 2006)

The best time to shut the barn door is before the horse gets out.[^]
Though I don't turn a lot of spalted would, my glue ups are made of a lot of joints.I don't profess to be the best blank gluer upper.
One after noon about a year and a half ago I blew out 3 blanks that I had glued up.
Since that day my normal routing with anything I spend time or a lot of money on is to make sure I do EVERYTHING possible within my control to make sure it doesn't happen a gain.
Drizzle thin CA inside the blank after drilling.Wait about 5 minutes and spritz with accelerator. wait a minute and clean the hole out with the DP.
Plug the end of the tube with wax or a potato and put glue IN the hole as well as on the tube.
The plugged tube will act as a plunger and spread the glue in the hole.
[^]


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## NavyDiver (Nov 4, 2006)

Nice recovery. I've got to try Eagle's glue method.[]


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## Rifleman1776 (Nov 4, 2006)

Nice save and you are to be complimented for your perserverence.


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