Alternative Bushings

[Kaspar]

Somewhere on this board, I thought I saw some people talking about bushings made of things other than metal.

I continue to have problems with black grains from the metal (aluminium, I assume) getting into my lightest colored woods.

I can imagine bushings made of other hard materials being very useful.

Does anyone make such bushings for the various kits?

 

[Dario]

The one that sounds most promising is Delrin.

NOT super hard but CA doesnit stickt o it. I imagine if you use the while ones, it will be fine for white wood too.

Just bought me some 3/4" rods of eBay cheap!

 

[JimGo]

Corian is what Don Ward uses in his tutorial in the library.

 

[guts]

Kaspar,look on the home page in the middle,don ward has a tut. there,don't know if anyone sells them or not but it might be a good idea for someone to think about.

 

[Kaspar]

I'm sorry, I don't quite know my way around here yet. Can you link me?

Oh, okay. I found it.

 

[Kaspar]

Ah, yes, that's easy. I do something like that when I make inserts for the pilot tubes for the pen mill. Rather than measure, I work directly with the inner step on the bushing to turn down the insert.

As for the glue sticking to them, I used to just break the bushings free after every coat. Other methods included rubbing a bit of wax on them.

I am definitely going to turn bushings for all kits 8mm or bigger to put on the Berea 8mm Mandrel. So much more stable.

 

[Randy_]

All commercial pen bushings that I have ever seen are made out of steel and not aluminum. Some time ago I posted an idea that I thought was original about cutting some 1"± disks out of a plastic milk jug and punching a 7 mm hole in the center. These disks are then placed on the mandrel between the bushing and the blank and act as a shield to prevent sanding the bushings. Fact is, however, that as you practice and gain more experience, your sanding technique will become more precise and the problem will disappear by itself.

BTW, it turns out that the idea was not unique after all. There were several responses to my thread by folks who were already using or had used in the past a similar method.

 

[Kaspar]

Yeah, I've done that too. What I like is the idea that I can use an 8mm mandrel on anything with tubes 8mm or above.

 

[bradh]

You can make bushings out of anything. I have made some quick ones out of maple even. You just have to be careful with them or they do not last long.
One material I have heard that works well is brass. I have not tried this yet, but I heard it is soft enough to turn with wood lathe tools, yet stands up quite well to sanding.
Brad

 

[Sylvanite]

Originally posted by Randy_
<br />[...as you practice and gain more experience, your sanding technique will become more precise and the problem will disappear by itself.

I had the same problem until I changed my sanding pattern. Instead of sanding across the entire blank, I now start in the middle and move towards the ends. That, and using a fresh spot of sandpaper with each swipe, keeps the metal dust off the wood. Strangely enough, the wood dust doesn't seem to stain the steel bushings [].

Regards,
Eric

 

[Firefyter-emt]

JUst curious, while I mostly use Lacquer, I am trying the CA method with so so results so far. I had some burl that had to be finished that way. What I do for the CA is to use strips of cut brass tube to keep the CA off the bushings. I then end mill the build up off the ends. Once the pen is rough sanded say to 220, why not drop the bushings for final sanding thru MM ?? Any tiny rounding that might happen is more of a help if the wood moves due to the weather. I have been doing this on a couple after the blanks fit with a caliper I start with the MM without the bushings and just the brass tube.

The derlin would make nice sand/glue tubes if you mill them undersized so you don't even sand the bushing.I am watching the caliper more than the bushing anyway.