I am going to make a political reply to you, Dr_N.
And in keeping with that stance, I am going to ask how many pen blanks/kits you have assembled in the few weeks you have been on the membership here ! [emoji3]
Have you actually tried to avoid bushings ? . Can you think of any strategies to deal with the issues you raise ? Perhaps you can contribute your solutions.
One suggestion might be to avoid kits that require a razor sharp transition between the turned/sanded barrel and the (usually) metal hardware. . Many people on here have actually stated that they prefer to turn their blanks a bit oversize and deliberately round the blank ends a little bit. . A lot is personal preference. . I think penturning is as much an art as it is a science ... and it is certainly not a precise science that can be controlled by levels and protractors.
So how have you coped ?
Have you read any posts in which the writer has recommended using skew chisels to turn the blanks so precisely and smoothly that no sanding is required ?
I might get slammed for this response, but so be it. This is indeed a thread about Slimlines vs Funlines and it might be time to start a new thread ... a thread which can attract the participation of the people who are true experts. . My offer to help is out there, but I was actually doing that with regard to the basic mechanics of the turning-between-centers-without-bushings techniques.
Back to you.
Honestly, as a fellow educator, I'm surprised that you aren't more accepting of those who are trying to learn/improve their technique. I've taught wood shop for 11 years, so I'm pretty familiar with the various ins and outs of working with wood and plastics. You had offered help with eliminating bushings and I thought I would pick the brain of someone with far greater experience with it than I.
If anyone needs to know, I have probably completed 18-20 pens since joining IAP, but in the past 8 years or so of making pens casually I could not accurately say how many I have made. I did not think that the number of pens made would increase the value of a person's questions or interest in improving.
As I had stated, I have not tried many times without bushings, and almost exclusively use bushings. I recognize many of the issues associated with their use. I have interest in moving beyond bushings, which led to my questions about moving in that direction.
Perhaps my question does belong in a new or different thread, but let's not overlook that the original intent of this post was comparing slimline and funline pens, and I was not the one who made the first off topic post suggesting between centers turning without bushings. We have further derailed the intent of the original poster with this conversation.
I appreciate that you have taken notice of many of my other posts since your initial response, and have provided some valuable answers to some of my other questions. It's good information like that that encouraged me to move from browsing the forum to joining. I hope to continue learning from you and all the other good people on this forum. There is much to be leaned.
