redfishsc
Member
Russ raised a good point about using the calipers since the bushings you guys sell us aren't aways what we might say...uh.... CORRECT.
Anyhow, the problem of bad bushing sizes and the problem of mandrel whip (which is my fault moslty for not having the collet chuck), I have assembled more pens that I'd like to mention that turned out UGLY. Now I have to unassemble the thing, perhaps re-turn it or even remove the wood and just make a new blank.
If you had a template kit that I could fit together with my fingers to test the joints out before actually assembling the kit, you would make my life so much easier. Blood pressure dropping by the inches of mercury while assembling the kit worrying that one of the ends is oval or a bit too fat/skinny.
Just take your cheapest version of the kit (ie, the 24k gold or even unplated) and have the tenon that presses into the brass tube made slightly smaller. Small enough that we can slip it into our newly turned blank (before it ever gets finished) and feel the joint. Then slip it out.
I plan on purchasing a cheap version of each kit I make and using jaw chucks to sandpaper the tenon down to an appropriate size for this- at least for pens that don't cost $40 even on the cheapest. A "dry run" kit for something like the Emperors and Imperials would, to me, make life much less stressful!
If you guys would offer these, perhaps unplated and with slightly smaller (talking hundreths or thousandths) tenon that would provide for easy insert-check-and-removal, you have at least one buyer. No refill included, only the fitted parts. Of course, cheap.[8D]
Anyhow, the problem of bad bushing sizes and the problem of mandrel whip (which is my fault moslty for not having the collet chuck), I have assembled more pens that I'd like to mention that turned out UGLY. Now I have to unassemble the thing, perhaps re-turn it or even remove the wood and just make a new blank.
If you had a template kit that I could fit together with my fingers to test the joints out before actually assembling the kit, you would make my life so much easier. Blood pressure dropping by the inches of mercury while assembling the kit worrying that one of the ends is oval or a bit too fat/skinny.
Just take your cheapest version of the kit (ie, the 24k gold or even unplated) and have the tenon that presses into the brass tube made slightly smaller. Small enough that we can slip it into our newly turned blank (before it ever gets finished) and feel the joint. Then slip it out.
I plan on purchasing a cheap version of each kit I make and using jaw chucks to sandpaper the tenon down to an appropriate size for this- at least for pens that don't cost $40 even on the cheapest. A "dry run" kit for something like the Emperors and Imperials would, to me, make life much less stressful!
If you guys would offer these, perhaps unplated and with slightly smaller (talking hundreths or thousandths) tenon that would provide for easy insert-check-and-removal, you have at least one buyer. No refill included, only the fitted parts. Of course, cheap.[8D]