wood to bushing

[Ray1955]

Well I was wondering I am making some very simple stream line pens.

I like making mind with a little bit more bubble up.....vs real skinny.
However I was wondering, do you always sand to the bushing I know at some point you buy new bushings but was wondering.....sometimes the hardware doesn't match perfection....what say you?

I was trying to use a skew tip to get close to the bushing....then sand couple people on line looked like the sand right to the bushing and their bushings are shinny from doing it.

Thanks.

Ray

Oh by the way anyone cross cut a blank of 1/2 oak WOW its hard to turn but if you go slow the results are freaking awesome from the straight grain blanks.

 

[Skie_M]

Yes, people do crosscut quite often .... but usually it's quite a bit easier turning one that's been stabilized! Try soaking your crosscut oak blanks in thin CA and see if that helps your process (let it cure overnight or longer).

I typically sand down right to or on the bushings before I add my CA finish, which builds it up just a tiny bit ... and then do my finish sanding and polishing. If you want to be closer to perfection, use a digital caliper or micrometer to check the actual diameter of the pen parts you are wanting to match up to, and use those measurements for your finished turning diameters. If you do it that way, you don't really even need the bushings, they are just a guideline.


Also ... many people like to do many things with their pen outlines. Sometimes it's the straight and narrow, other times it's a bit of a dip to aid in the grip, and sometimes they like it a little on the wide side...

 

[TDE]

On some of the pens I turn several of I actually have an extra nib from a kit I messed up so I use that to check my size. I also use a caliper. I don't like to sand with my bushings on because of metal getting on the wood. Light woods are really bad. Finishing bushings help there. Happy turning, Ted