It's interesting Frank. I would have made it look more like a euro, not that there is anything wrong with your way..the euro way is just more pleasing to me. You don't need to make it as 3 pieces, you make it as 2 pieces. The center band is glued on to the upper blank before you drill it and you would let it be maybe a 1/16 longer than you want it to be. Then you drill it. The centerband is what..3/16 wide? Mark the width of the centerband with a ruler on the blank..so 3/16 from the solid blank into the centerband. place the tube on the blank and mark it's location. Trim the blank. Glue in the tube so it's basically flush with the solid end, not the centerband end of the blank. You barrel trim that end flush. The centerband end you will only barrel trim off about 1/16 of material. So the blank is longer than the tube, but only on the centerband side. It will still fit into your bushings the same as before. You can spin the nib side of the pen first, then mic the centerband side of that spun blank. Now you can spin the upper half to be the same size or larger. Of course, since you use a mandrel system, you can spin both blanks just like any slim, but in the center you don't need to go all the way down to the bushing unless you want to..or you can just take out the middle bushing once the blanks are rounded enough that the barrel trimmed ends will snug together.
