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If you want to keep glue out of your pen tubes when assembling them, twist them in some paraffin before inserting them into the blanks.
I found some paraffin at my local grocery store the other day for $3.59 a pound.
It should last me several 100's of pens.
It comes a little thick, so you probably will need to melt it down in a cheapo aluminum pan to about 1/8" thick.

You only need enough to seal the end off.
Once the glue is dry, use a chopstick to poke out the paraffin. A lot of people use dental wax, but that stuff is way too expensive.

Just cut a slice of potato about a 1/4 inch thick. Use your tube like a cookie cutter and you get a plug for each end of the tube and your done.

Al

I use silly putty but potato, paraffin wax will also work great!

Use a dowel to push out putty out the tube & rifle bore brush to clean the tube before turning.

I do use Gulf Canning (paraffin wax) as an end sealer. Need a hot plate, frying pan, and old pot depending upon size of blank.

Or don't do anything. I keep my old chainsaw files and these are perfect for getting the glue out of the tubes. Takes me about five seconds to clean a tube.

EightFingers said:

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Or don't do anything. I keep my old chainsaw files and these are perfect for getting the glue out of the tubes. Takes me about five seconds to clean a tube.

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Been turning pens for over 10 years and have never plugged the ends. Do as you do, use an old chainsaw file.

Mel