Especially since it would mean all new bushings, and this is a hobby for me still.
Quite the contrary... Turning between centers can be done with no bushings at all. The bushings serve 2 practical purposes:
1: They make it quick to get close to size, since you can see the rough target size you're looking for.
2. They prevent the blank from cracking if you over-tighten the tailstock.
Either of these can be overcome when not using bushings. The first just takes time, since you need to stop the lathe every so often and measure the blank with a set of calipers to check the size compared to where you want it to be ( by measuring the pen components. ) The second by being careful not to over tighten the tailstock. It should be tight enough to keep the blank spinning while making light cuts, but if the tool catches, the blank should stop spinning. This has the bonus of minimizing many blank breaks. It does tend to flair out the tube a bit on the ends, but I've never had that cause a problem, since it's usually just a little bit of the tube at the ends.
You will likely find that every so often you will need to tighten the tailstock a bit, but you'll quickly get the hang of it. And it's a great method for doing pens that you aren't sure you are going to do all the time, just to try before you invest in the bushings
The big downside is that you can only do one barrel at a time, so it can take almost twice as long to make a pen...
I am not brave enough to try turning in between centers yet. :biggrin: Especially since it would mean all new bushings, and this is a hobby for me still. 
