Ed suggested using a different set of bushings for finishing:
"You might consider making a set of polishing / finishing bushings that are way undersized (just a bit bigger than your tubes). Make them out of just about anything, but acetal (aka delrin) works well for me.
After your blank is to size, switch to your finishing bushings."
Longbeard suggested:
"Why not just put the blank between centers for finishing and do away with the bushings? "
Either way, Ed's warning applies:
"This would require you to be careful to not round off the ends of your blanks while sanding."
Both of these methods can lead to rounding of the ends.
I have had the best success using a set of Delrin bushings turned to just a couple thou less than the kit manufacturer's recommended turning size. The Delrin doesn't leave a residue, and the near-correct size avoids the rounding. The downside is that the Delrin wears and you have to replace the Delrin bushings fairly often.
In my experience over the last 5 years there is no perfect solution. We are dealing with more than one problem here: 1) residue from sanding; 2) rounding the ends of the blank; and, 3) if you use CA it extends past the end of the blank onto the bushings or, worse, onto your centers (when using TBC).
In my opinion, using slightly undersized Delrin bushings is the best compromise. If using CA it doesn't stick to the Delrin but it does project past the blank end and over the Delrin, and then you have to get rid of that projection carefully without causing a chip in the CA at the end of the blank. I lightly manually sand the blank ends on a flat surface to get rid of the CA projection but I always live in fear of the possible chipping. To patch the chip is a painstaking process using a straight pin or a piece of wire to dip into a puddle of CA, some careful "dobbing", gently spraying with an aerosol can of accelerator, and then some careful sanding of the patch. We're going beyond the original issue ... there are several facets to the problem.
