Bushings

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PenCasso

PenCasso

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Joined
Jan 31, 2023
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254
Location
Oklahoma
The warping or the change of the end of a bushing, is that normal?

How often do you have to replace your bushings?

Are their better bushings then others?

I have a mandrel saver that I use, I just now started using the turn between centers.

I only tighten enough where the blank is snug, not overly tight.

I couldn't find a thread in this. Unless I didn't know how to search for what I'm asking.

Thanks
 
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If your bushings measure different diameters from one end to another then I would replace them. Depending how you make pens now and in the future it could impact how you're making the pen and affect the final fit and finish.

I'm not even going to try and stoke the fire of the debate over how close to the bushing you should go vs sanding vs digital caliper measurement vs finish adds thickness vs its a day that ends in Y and someone wants to argue their method is best. Same comment on whether or not one bushing is better than another.
 
When you say warping I assume you mean they wear down from the tools hitting them when turning your blank.?? Are you talking metal bushings.? You can put the bushing in a vise and you will not bend a bushing. So not following what you are asking.

If you are talking about wearing down from tools hitting, here is my theory on that. So what, You should be turning with calipers and not relying on bushings. Bushings are just to hold the blank and get you close to the diameter you need for the blank. No bushing measures out to be the exact measurement of components. I never found one to be so. I even turn my bushings down on purpose to get below the diameter of the components so they do not get in the way when I turn the blank down. I always use calipers to measure the components and then turn down that way.
 
I will post pictures this evening of what I'm referring to.

I do use the caliper and not the bushing as my guide. Again, I think posting pics will help.

Thanks!
 
PenCasso said:
The warping or the change of the end of a bushing, is that normal?

How often do you have to replace your bushings?

Are their better bushings then others?

I have a mandrel saver that I use, I just now started using the turn between centers.

I only tighten enough where the blank is snug, not overly tight.

I couldn't find a thread in this. Unless I didn't know how to search for what I'm asking.

Thanks
Click to expand...
I have never worn out a bushing. I turn down to about .020 and then switch to a dead and live center to finish up. I find the bushings just get in the way. So the answer to your question, in my opinion, is that it's dependent on your method. It's good practice to measure and compare them to the pen components.
 
bugradx2 said:
Same comment on whether or not one bushing is better than another.
Click to expand...

I'll say this - the Beaufort bushings are a notch above the usual - both in quality and in the fact that they also can work with TBC.
 
Here are several pictures of what I'm talking about.

Thanks!
 

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From WC, for the slimeline.
 

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Wow, I've never seen bushings that look like this. My guess is you do a lot of sanding with these bushings on.
 
I do! Is their another way to sand without them?

Everything I've read and seen, has bushings when sanding.
 
PenCasso said:
I do! Is their another way to sand without them?

Everything I've read and seen, has bushings when sanding.
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If I need to sand I do it with no bushings using a dead center and live center. Best method is no sanding at all, takes some experience to get to that point, but very doable. Sanding with the bushings on usually causes contamination of the blank, showing up as darker rings at the ends. Sanding also causes darker woods to bleed into lighter woods.
 
I don't want to create another post storm. For wood pens, it takes me at most 2 minutes to go through the sanding grits. You are only sanding about 2 square inches of material. I final turn the blank with a skew used with a shearing cut and then start sanding with 150, 220, 320, 400, 600. Synthetic material takes about 3 times as long and adds sanding grits, 1000, 1200, and 2000, then micro-mesh (used slow & wet), and buffing at the end.
 
I turn with the bushings down to "close enough" then rely on HDPE bushings and the dial calipers. BTW, need to cut and turn some more HDPE bushings.
 
My goodness. Have to say I suggest as others that you change your method of turning slimline pens. That is alot of sanding of metal. My suggestion will be the same as Ken's, use a dead and live center to do final sanding after you get close to final measurements with tools. Take those bushings off.
 
Replace and toss 'em. Bushings are, in a way, also a consumable product.

And I prefer to sand with my CA bushings. I learned to do that when working with holly and noticing that I was getting metal dust in the ends of the blank.
 
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Wow. I sand very little. I usually start with 600 followed by 800 before finishing. Occasionally I'll start with 400 but only if I have a lot of visible tool marks. Probably 10 seconds with the lathe on at 1000 RPM then with the grain with the lathe off.

My bushings get damaged/worn more from being touched by carbide scrapers than from sanding.

Dave
 
So I assume this process is not correct?


Can you share an accurate process?

Thank you for all the advise.
 
As many folks know, I gave up on bushings years ago. I use a caliper to measure the end-pieces of each component then turn the material to that dimension. END OF PROBLEM AND NO EXPENSE!! P
 
PenCasso said:
So I assume this process is not correct?



Can you share an accurate process?

Thank you for all the advise.
Click to expand...

I'm far from the expert some of the other turners are so I'll try to state back to my original response. Your original post read like you had the ends of the bushings at different diameters, not the center of the bushings. Something in your process has you taking a lot of meat out of your bushings. The video you showed does not have the demonstrator taking a bite out of his bushings with the tools or sanding process. (if it did, I missed it)

My opinion, for what it's worth, you're either using bushings that are years past their life or are doing something to really chew them up.
 
To me, the pictures make it look like the bushings are flared out on the ends.

If you measure with a caliper, is the inner diameter of the bushing larger at the ends than in the middle?
 
d_bondi said:
To me, the pictures make it look like the bushings are flared out on the ends.

If you measure with a caliper, is the inner diameter of the bushing larger at the ends than in the middle?
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Yes! So does that happen for over tightening?
 
On a magnet.
 

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Well this what my pens look like, hopefully you can get a visual of what my tubes look like.
 

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jttheclockman said:
If you are flaring them out from overtightening, man what does your tubes look like. ?? This is not normal.
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Well this may have answered my question. Im obviously over tightening, by the results of the bushings.

I tighten enough where the blank doesn't spin freely and where it gets caught while shaping the blank. Again I'm obviously over tightening pee the shape of the bushings.
 
You can see the ends, I think they are fine?
 

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If you are over tightening your biushings to an extreme, wouldn't they be bulged up in the center? I really think it is sanding issue, you can literally see the sanding marks on the bushings. I think the answer to your original question is to replace the bushings when you can no longer create a quality pen with them.
 
KenB259 said:
If you are over tightening your biushings to an extreme, wouldn't they be bulged up in the center? I really think it is sanding issue, you can literally see the sanding marks on the bushings. I think the answer to your original question is to replace the bushings when you can no longer create a quality pen with them.
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It may be both. It's possible that the over tightening is causing the ends to flare - though I would think that more likely with a mandrel saver than a nut.
But the sanding marks are pretty clear too - though I would imagine that sanding would start at the edges due to the slide from blank to bushing.

I guess I'm saying that I got nuthin'. The puzzle is interesting though.
 
The center of your bushings are a smaller diameter than the ends, correct? If so, then you've sanded or touched them with your tools enough to shave them down. Smaller in the center would be from stretching, not compression.

If it were possible for you to overtighten the blank and bushings enough to change the diameter of the bushings it would most likely mean the compression would break your blanks all time too. The brass and wood/resin will give way before the steel in a bushing.

Either way, your original question about replacing the bushings still stands. Yes, replace them.
 
Are you keeping your bushings on while using CA? If so, that's CA buildup. Soak them in acetone and scrape the ends with a hobby knife if that's the case. I had a couple like that before I discovered the CA bushings.

You have to be really aggressive to sand metal enough to change the shape with the higher grits you should be using.
 
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