# Tubeless pens



## wyone (Oct 9, 2014)

So I am just curious if anyone has tried making pens out of acrylic or PR and not using tubes?  I was drilling blanks today and said to myself, I wonder what would happen if I just had the proper drill bit that would match the inside of the tube, so I would not have to glue a tube in. 

Has anyone tried it, or is it just one of those ideas I have that is a bad idea?


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## plantman (Oct 9, 2014)

Mitch; I have done this many times when making kitless or cutom pens. It depends on the denceity of the wood and the amount of meat you have left on the blank when matching the fittings. Only thing to watch is that you don't drill the hole so small and make a tight press fit. If you apply to much pressure putting your fittings in, it will crack your blank. Better to have it a little loose and CA glue your fittings in. If you don't want to drill and tap for a nib use a sleave that the nib fits  or screws into. Now you can also make your pen any length and size you want.   Jim  S


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## wyone (Oct 9, 2014)

I was mostly thinking of trying that while using acrylics.. but I can definitely understand the possibility of cracking the blank is much higher.  And finding the right drill bit might be tough.    I might still try it, just because.


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## plantman (Oct 9, 2014)

wyone said:


> I was mostly thinking of trying that while using acrylics.. but I can definitely understand the possibility of cracking the blank is much higher.  And finding the right drill bit might be tough.    I might still try it, just because.



I have the Harbor Freight 115 piece drill bit set which will cover about any size you need to drill. Only exception was the Rockler Washington kits that require a 33/64th drill with a 1/2 shank and can be purchased from them or from Victor. The acrylic blanks will crack just as easy as the wood if put under to much strain. Most odd or oversized drills can be purchased with the kits.   Jim S


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## wyone (Oct 10, 2014)

I have the same set.. it was on sale..  how could I NOT buy it..  lol  I think the next pen I make in acrylic I may try tubeless.  Not sure I am confident enough to try wood, although I guess the reality is the wood thickness will actually be more than when I use a tube..  not sure about the strength however of brass tube and wood compared to just wood.


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## raar25 (Oct 13, 2014)

Why would you want to?  The brass is much stronger and than wood or plastic material and it what provides most of the strength to the pen once it is glued in.  Without the brass the pen woule probably just crumble if anyone squeezes it in their hand especially with wood.


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## wyone (Oct 13, 2014)

I was mostly thinking of that with Acrylics..  and was thinking.. it might add a different kind of visual effect if the blank was semi transparent..  would not be able to see much maybe, but might be able to see mechanism


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## 79spitfire (Oct 13, 2014)

Watch Art used to make kitless wooden pens by making an ebonite section to hold the "business" end, and then match it with an ebonite sleeve to hold the threads for the cap. I don't see where the wood wouldn't hold fine as long as you didn't use something known for being fragile to begin with.


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## glycerine (Oct 13, 2014)

I thought about cutting the brass tubes and just gluing them into only the ends of the blanks, so you at least have something to press the parts into, but never tried it...  I tried kitless instead!  I'd say don't rely on the parts being pressed into the acrylic, but rather use some epoxy instead to hold them in.  Do you have a means to do threading?  If so, I would encourage you to try a kitless pen, once your curiosity starts wondering like your has, it's probably time to give it a shot!


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## Smitty37 (Oct 13, 2014)

I see no reason it can't work, but there is no compelling reason to do it - what's the advantage? Personally I think many, if not most, pen kits out there would benefit from smaller holes (certainly most single barrel kits at the least) and thicker sidewalls.


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## BSea (Oct 13, 2014)

glycerine said:


> I thought about cutting the brass tubes and just gluing them into only the ends of the blanks, so you at least have something to press the parts into, but never tried it.


  I think this may be a problem.  Some parts really need some pressure to press in.  I can see where the wood and most acrylics might easily crack because of the pressure.

If I were going to try this, I'd use alumilite or ebonite.  Most other materials that I have experience with would be problematic.  




glycerine said:


> I'd say don't rely on the parts being pressed into the acrylic, but rather use some epoxy instead to hold them in.


I agree




glycerine said:


> Do you have a means to do threading?  If so, I would encourage you to try a kitless pen, once your curiosity starts wondering like your has, it's probably time to give it a shot!


I agree with this too.  There is a great tutorial on doing a kitless click in the library.  I think it's a great place to start.


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## Brooks803 (Oct 13, 2014)

Also consider how you plan to hold your work on the lathe. I wouldn't do it between centers without making custom bushings. The heat you'd generate would melt acrylics and ruin the blank.


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## wyone (Oct 13, 2014)

I was thinking if I used the same diameter drill a the inside of the metal tube, the bushings I have would be the same dimensions as the ones I have now for the tubes.


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## BSea (Oct 14, 2014)

wyone said:


> I was thinking if I used the same diameter drill a the inside of the metal tube, the bushings I have would be the same dimensions as the ones I have now for the tubes.


The odds that there would be an exact match are pretty low.  Add to that any runout from drilling, and I think the chances are pretty close to zero for a press fit.  Even if it did work, I'd be surprised if the wood or acrylic didn't deform over time.  Even the brass tubes will loosen over time.  I learned that loctite is your friend when doing the final assembly.

So if you try this, I'd suggest using epoxy to glue in the lit parts.


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