3D printed Sanding and buffing bushings for PSI Bolt action pen

[mmayo]

I am finally seeing quality results from my 3D printing efforts. I use the two Brian Nikitas stainless steel TBC bushings to turn my 30 caliber bolt action pens. I quickly remove the SS bushings the second I achieve a final perfect diameter. You could verify here with your calipers. I use the two 3D printed TBC bushings at the far right to sand the blank. This prevents metal dust from entering my blank and prevents sanding the SS TBC reducing it's accuracy. After applying CA glue using other delrin bushings I again sand using the 3D printed TBC bushings. After sanding I use the middle two bushings and a dowel to buff the blank in a Beale buff. If you don't use a bushing the ends can be rounded. If you use a metal (stock) bushing the metal will blacken the buffing wheel.

I'm well on my way to the following pen kit bushings:
Sierra/Diamond Knurl ballpoint
Triton/Jr Gent II
Saturn/Streamline/Comfort
Slimline
Steampunk

Yes I'll sell you some when I'm positive everything is perfect. It takes me time to continuously adjust the CAD image to make perfect bushings. Once achieved it stays perfect. Rough estimate is $3/ bushing plus $4 shipping. So for a Bolt set of four - $16 shipped to CONUS.

 

[J_B]

Hi Mark, This could not have come at a better time. Can you help/make some bushings to replace the lousy PSI bushings for the Ultra Cigar pen? Not certain if anyone else has been having any issues with these bushings for this kit.

I recently ordered an ultra cigar kit (in good faith as I always do from my un-named fav. vendor) and its bushings and soon found out that only the nib bushing was accurate to the kit nib size. Emailed back to the vendor and after a couple of days researching he simply stated in a reply "yup you are right. They are incorrect and you will have to either make your own bushings or mic the blank till it is the correct size." Unfortunately, no offer to refund the price of the bushings. Did'nt say if he was going to send all his stock back to PSI or not. I just hope he did.

And get this...the other three bushings were terribly off/small in relation to the cigar kit parts. Then to top it off when I went to turn the dang blanks two of the upper bushings would not even fit onto my 7mm mandrel nor would they fit into the tube. Totally useless. Finally had to resort to turning between centers with my makeshift dead center & 60deg. oneway cone. just kept using my micrometer and measuring and measuring...and oh yeah...measuring until I was blue in the face. Any help with those bushings bud? Its either this or I am swearing off bushings forever and learn to live with mic'ing constantly ahh! Sorry about the rant.

Thanks
jb

 

[Drewby108]

Nicely done. I might have to get my printer working and try my hand at this for some of the kits I do more of.

 

[wayner123]

This is a great way to combine 3d printing and turning. I can't believe I never thought of it before. Let us know how well it turns out.