Cigar lower centerband bushing too big?

[gketell]

I just made my 3rd cigar being exquisitely careful to exactly match the bushing size on the centerband because the previous ones were slightly too big where the lower barrel meets the centerband. This pen came out exactly the same. I just went through a handful of other people's cigar pens in the ShowOff forum and it looks like most peoples' lower barrels are a little too big. It is like it is sized for the top of the centerband rather than the bottom of the curve of the centerband. This leaves a small channel between the barrel and the centerband. Ptui!

Has anyone else noticed this? And if so, what do you do to work around it?

GK

 

[thewishman]

My first set of cigar bushings were not correctly sized (I checked them with calipers.) When I reported this to my supplier, he sent me out a free new set.

Chris

 

[johncrane]

l just Use a caliper to check the nearly turned blanks size then check the kit size and match it too the blank,also l use the caliper and checked the bushing against the kit just too make sure there right.[]

 

[mick]

Greg, are you referring to the transmission coupler that presses into the lower barrel? If so Ed4copies has clued several folks in on what he does to make that transition neater. Since the coupler is a rounded piece and the end of the barrel is squared it equals a rather unattractive transition. What Ed has suggested doing is this: After turning to the bushing size use the tip of your skew and do a simple roll over creating a small radius on the end of the lower barrel matching the radius of the coupler.
Another idea I've been toying with is to turn down the bushing just a little bit thus making the final size of the lower barrel small enough to come in under the rolled edge of the coupler. I hope all of this makes sense. Once you do it ...or see it done it's really very simple.

 

[davidrei]

Unlike other pen kits, in my experience, cigar bushings are consistently over sized on all ends. Not by much, but enough to notice. turning & sanding exactly to the bushings always leaves it a little proud for me. It's not a big problem, I just go a little bit lower.

But it sounds to me like you have a different problem since it's just the top of the lower barrel. The fitting for the cigar pen has a rounded edge, which is probably why the wood (or whatever you're turning) looks proud. Other kits butt right up to the edge of the wood, showing no lip. With the rounded edge, you'll get an exposed edge if the wood isn't turned lower than the radius of the rounded edge of the metal coupler. My solution still works, just go a little lower next time. Of course you could disassemble and fix the current one too.

 

[gketell]

Thanks for the feedback guys.

Yes, rolling the edge so that there is a intentional valley rather than an "oops" look would be one fix. I think I like the idea of turning the wood (and probably bushings) down so that the wood meets up with the transmission coupler (thanks Mick) just at the lower portion of the curved band rather than at the top of the curve makes the most sense for me.

ARGGGG tear down and return my first pen to ever get a good CA finish on it. Say it ain't so!! But I should.

GK