Interesting...I only ever had issues with burls vs endmills. I don't make many pens anymore, and with so many kits available I just use my metal lathe and a parting tool to square the ends of a blank.
Tell you what though...I visited an auction recently and was able to view everything with the actual owner of the machines. We talked for a good 90 min about certain machinery he had...he was retiring from building couplings for military aircraft, so everything was extreme precision. One of the most common machines he had was a speed lathe. I was not familiar with such a machine before, but if I was making tons of turnings, pens, duck calls etc, I would consider a speed lathe a priority need to own item!! They are not large machines, in fact look more like a bowl turning lathe. Just a motor, 5c collet and very small tooling table. The collets speed chuck using the air compressor. So, set pen rod into collet, press button and instantly tight...turn dial and trim the blank square, hit button out falls part. Although it's more manual than automated he was barrel trimming 45 couplings a minute!! The same machines were also used for polishing...separate row of identical machine. Install part, Polish, flip, Polish, done. Only a fool polishes parts with a polishing wheel...his quote...he proved that to me quickly!! I was unable to bid high enough to purchase any of his equipment but the education he gave me was invaluable and I am certainly planning some changes on my own production line, as my eyes were very much opened. In business there's the right way and the expensive way.
So...getting back to endmills, bushings, other misculanios pen related stuff...I wish when I began I was more educated. On the pen supply side of things, what I am saying isn't really good for business, but on the customer/pen maker business side of things, people need to sit down and do the math!! Let's say there's 40 pen kits...all are different bushings, different endmills different drill bits.
So I buy a drill bit one at a time..$8-10 ea...over time I don't notice but I spent $400 on drill bits that I coulda bought a metric and a standard box set of good quality for $80 or less.
I need end mils...how much is that...$10? If there's 15-20 sizes, I am $150-200 invested into a tool that will wear out and I can't sharpen.
Bushings? $5-10 ea times 30-40? $200-300 perhaps over time and they wear out too.
Why...I coulda bought a junky hf metal lathe for $250 that will drill, mill, turn, make bushings, etc....mind you I would prefer a better metal lathe...but you get the point. Just a metal lathe, had turning tools and some drill bits is an entire pen making company.
Ok...starting to ramble now
