Most frustrating part of pen turning...

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Herb G

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Nov 13, 2015
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The most frustrating part of pen turning is when you mull over the kit that attracts you, and pair it up with a nice blank, only to find out you forgot to order the bushings for that kit.
It would be nice if there were a limited number of bushings, but I realize that's another way of getting more money from you.
Every single kit requires a different bushing set.

I bought some Dragon kits back in January. I went to start on them yesterday and found out I forgot to order the bushings for them. Oh well, it could be worse. :tongue:
 
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Skie_M

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Aug 7, 2015
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Lawton, Ok
I'll 1-up you, Herb .... try turning your pen thinking you are using the right bushings ....



I went to turn my Pretty Wood Pen out of curly Koa ... grabbed my Sierra bushings. Oops .... somehow I had ordered Sierra Vista bushings (50A) instead of Sierra bushings (20A). I turned and finished them ... they were gorgeous .... and there was no way in hell it was fitting on my pen kit. :eek::eek::eek:

They both use the same tube size!!!! But the barrel on the Vista is a good deal larger. Thankfully, I happened to have some Le Roi bushings laying around, which also happen to be size 20A so they work for my Sierra pen kits.
 

jttheclockman

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This topic seems like dejuvu. I swear we just had this same talk recently. Had to check the date on this one. I think I have been here too long. :)
 

leehljp

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Feb 6, 2005
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Tunica, Mississippi,
Adding my two cents here: If we are making pens, we obviously have a lathe. A lathe can make bushings if you want - wood, deleon, UHMW and even aluminum. I made the first TBC dead drive published on IAP out of aluminum round stock, and it wasn't 60°.

One of our greatest members (here before me) has made bushings out of wood. The turned size of the blank should not be done by the shoulder size of the bushing anyway. Do it by measuring with calipers. It only takes a minutes or two to learn these steps.
 

Edgar

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I'm with Hank & others on this one...

I don't always order bushings for a new kit, particularly if I'm not sure that I'll ever want to make any more.

Sometimes I'll make my own bushings - usually from wood; sometimes I'll turn without bushings; sometimes I'll check to see if I have any bushings that are somewhat close & use those for a guide.

In any case, calipers should always be used for homing in to the exact dimensions of the kit hardware anyway.
 

jttheclockman

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If I am buying a new kit I am buying at least one set of bushings for it. I do not care if I have other bushing that may or may not fit. The bushings is one of the least expensive part of doing a kit. Come on. Tying to look through all these kits todays and see if some simple bushing fits is got to be time wasting. Time is money if you are in it for a business. If I use a kit a lot I will buy multiple sets of bushings. I make sure to mark the bushings or the container for the bushings and store them properly. All part of being organized. I spin with bushings and finish without. I use and trust my calipers for final dimensions.

Now if you forget to order bushings then that is on you and no one else to blame. Want to play the guessing game for bushing sizes go ahead but maybe you will learn a valuable lesson organize. have your order written down in front of you and check off each item as you place order. Simple business sense.
 
Last edited:

Rockytime

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Jun 3, 2014
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Arvada, CO 80003
The most frustrating part of pen turning is when you mull over the kit that attracts you, and pair it up with a nice blank, only to find out you forgot to order the bushings for that kit.
It would be nice if there were a limited number of bushings, but I realize that's another way of getting more money from you.
Every single kit requires a different bushing set.

I bought some Dragon kits back in January. I went to start on them yesterday and found out I forgot to order the bushings for them. Oh well, it could be worse. :tongue:

Hi Herb, You have a mill so I am wondering if you also have a metal lathe. I sometimes make my own bushings if I need to. Usually I buy bushings because at my age I get too lazy to make them. Also If you can, make some TBC bushings and use a caliper as suggested. I admit, I turn to bushings.
Regards, Les
 

Rockytime

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Jun 3, 2014
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Arvada, CO 80003
If I am buying a new kit I am buying at least one set of bushings for it. I do not care if I have other bushing that may or may not fit. The bushings is one of the least expensive part of doing a kit. Come on. Tying to look through all these kits todays and see if some simple bushing fits is got to be time wasting. Time is money if you are in it for a business. If I use a kit a lot I will buy multiple sets of bushings. I make sure to mark the bushings or the container for the bushings and store them properly. All part of being organized. I spin with bushings and finish without. I use and trust my calipers for final dimensions.

Now if you forget to order bushings then that is on you and no one else to blame. Want to play the guessing game for bushing sizes go ahead but maybe you will learn a valuable lesson organize. have your order written down in front of you and check off each item as you place order. Simple business sense.

I always buy bushings also. One thing I do is tag all my bushings with the OD's. If a bushing in the set disappears, rolls into an inaccessible place or whatever, I have the information to make one.
 

Herb G

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Nov 13, 2015
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Southern Maryland
Hi Herb, You have a mill so I am wondering if you also have a metal lathe. I sometimes make my own bushings if I need to. Usually I buy bushings because at my age I get too lazy to make them. Also If you can, make some TBC bushings and use a caliper as suggested. I admit, I turn to bushings.
Regards, Les

You must have me confused with someone else. I don't own a mill.
My cousin in Ga. has an entire machine shop, but he ain't doing me much good here. :)
 
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