Well you first start with a drive spur and live center to turn the square blank down to 3/4. Then swap out the drive spur for a collet and the live center for a drill chuck to drill for the tubes. Then you put the live center back in and replace the collet with a dead center. Then you're ready to turn down to bushing size and finish. With the mandrel you put in the mandrel and a live center and that's it. I was trying to follow the instruction in the tutorial, at least down to the finishing part. I just finished with the same bushings. Don't get me wrong. I like TBC and will continue it. It just takes a little getting used to.
P.S. Make that Chief Master Sergeant or just Chief for you Air Force types.
Spur Center - Got it. :redface: I haven't seen but a very few references on here to using a spur center for turning pens, so I was curious. I am always willing to learn. I use a chuck instead, for special blanks, - where I want precise entry and exit holes. But I can see how that works well for that purpose!
I too use the lathe for delicate and precision drilling when I am doing segments. I just didn't count drilling on the lathe as part of the "TBC time", since I also used the lathe for turning when using mandrels.
CHIEF Master Sergeant it is! Apologies. Tried on several occasions to join up in 70 - 71, but believe it or not, messed up paperwork by some of the people in the lower ranks (can't blame a sergeant of any kind, :wink: ) plus some mixed up medical papers that were not correct about my eye sight - kept me out. Never did get in. So I offer an apology on not using the correct terminology.