The next step for Penventory (your help needed!)

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webmonk

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Well I've finally worked it out in my head and put it on paper and I'm about ready to tackle the bushing tracking and suggestion tool. For those who haven't been following all of the little details, here's the synopsis:

a) The system will keep track of which bushings that you have and the condition they're in.

b) If you have a pen kit but do no have the bushing set designed for it, the system will tell you two things. First, if you have the right bushings in your inventory to be able to turn that kit without buying another set of bushings. Secondly, specifically which bushings from which kits in your inventory so you can go and get em.

It's part B I need the help with. In order for the system to figure that out it needs to know one very important thing. It needs to know the sizes of each bushing in each kit available kit.

Now before we all go running out with various gauges and measuring devices, I need a lesson and some input from you guys about standards and how best to measure them and any other helpful bits of info you might have. The starting point I have for this is that it seems like most people measure in inches carried out to 3 decimals. We need to measure each bushing's inner diameter (I consider that the part that slides into the brass tube) and outer diameter (which should bring you flush to the pen kit).

So does anyone have any suggestions for how to tackle a job like this? Does a list like this already exist somewhere? Any advice on how to get accurate measurements if we end up compiling the list?

Thanks for the help!
 
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rpasto92

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rather than measure every bushing and argue because everyones measuring devise could be very slightly off, why not just use the manufacturers code for the bushing set and call it done? For example, if you are working with PSI kits, there are a bunch of kits that use PKM-BUSH3...that should really be all you need to know...does your kit require PKM-BUSH3 and if so do you have a set of those?
 

mrcook4570

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Why not just use the manufacturer's recommended drill size for the inner diameter? I realize that won't be the actual diameter of the bushing. It will tell you the size of hole needed for the brass tube and thus, which brass tubes the bushing will slide into.
 

webmonk

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The reason I need the actual measurements is for the cross-comparison of bushing sizes. For instance, the other night I made a corkscrew/bottle stopper but I didn't have the bushing set for it. After about 10 minutes with the gauge I found that one of the bushings from the Polaris set and one of the bushings from one of the Gentleman sets were the same size as the bushings for the stopper. So I used them and it worked fine.

That got me to thinking that there's no reason the system couldn't do that for me, except instead of 10 minutes it would take less than a second and be way more efficient at it than I was. Had lots of spinoff ideas from that too, but the first step for any of it is telling the system the sizes.

We will be using the part numbers to track the bushings and it will appear to work very much as you suggested, rpasto, with the user just having to worry about the sets they have. However, behind the scenes a part number is really just pointing to a collection of individual bushings of certain sizes allowing the system to help you find sets you didn't even know you had. ;)

Good idea, Stan. Daniel sent me a list of conversions for those. I bet that'll work quite well for the inner diameter.
 

kenwc

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I know I've seen what you're asking for either in this forum or on the "PenShop" forum. It was a complete list of bushings with diameters and even drawings. I'll try and find it.
 

Monty

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I believe tis is part of what your looking for and what kenwc was refering to:
http://www.penturners.org/content/penlist1.pdf
On the Home page it's about half way down under the title:
Daniel's GIANT!
Pen Kit List XLS PDF
Part numbers, bushings
drills, prices.
Updated 10/2005

It also in Excell format there.
 
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Oakville, ON, Canada.
Originally posted by kenwc
<br />I know I've seen what you're asking for either in this forum or on the "PenShop" forum. It was a complete list of bushings with diameters and even drawings. I'll try and find it.
Huzzah posted what I think you're looking for -
http://www.penturners.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=15354
Click on the link in the first post.
 

Dario

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Austin, TX, USA.
Basically, you have 2 or 3 dimension per bushing

1. Inner hole (only 2 sizes...fitting A or B mandrel)
2. Tenon (some don't have this, it varries depending on drill used)
3. Outside (very variable)

As mentioned, though the dimensions on 2 (tenon) is not the size of the bit...the tube usually is the same (but may not be always so please check)

I think knowing these, you can simplify the database a lot.
 

Daniel

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Reno, NV, USA.
As dario points out the drill bit diameter is not the tubes inside diameter which is really what is needed. however, in making a bunch of pilots for my end mill I have found that deducting 0.032" from the bit diameter is a pretty accurate average. tube wall thickness does vary but they still come well within close enough.
 
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