ARRRRGH!

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Dan_F

Dan_F

Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2007
Messages
959
Location
Spokane, WA, USA.
Was all excited after getting my Johnnycnc cigar bushings, so went down to the shop and got out a nice acrylic blank (my first) thinking I would have a new pen for work tomorrow. I first carefully selected the bushings, largest and smallest for the cap, and two middle sizes fot the barrel. Well, anyone that's familiar with cigars will know what went awry...got two of the bushings on the wrong ends of the pen. I would have looked at the sheet, but I had just turned one a couple of days ago, and thought I remembered the proper placement. Oh well, I do have a couple of nice shiny plasic thingies to play with now.

Dan
 
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Dan, I dont know about anyone else;);) but I can asure you that I truly do feel your pain. I keep my "shiny plastic thingies in a prominent spot so as not to repeat the error again.

K
 
Ken, I did the exact same thing last night. I havent made many cigar pens and like you, thought I had the bushings all worked out in my head, so after cafefully drilling, painting tubes and blank holes, turning, sanding and micro mesh and polish, I realized it looked a little thin. Then it hit me, along with all of the familiar vocabulary I learned with the destruction of my first few blanks, I had the bushings in the wrong order. The constant asking for a new pen from my wife overcame my urge to throw it on the pile of my "almost pens" blanks, and I decided to put it together. To my supprise, it wasnt as obvious as I thought it would be. After telling my wife that I messed it up, she said she didnt see the problem. Thats when I decided to call it my "Oversized Euro Pen" and tell her it was the only kit I had of that type. Ive now decided to change my quote below to ... "NO,

2008215163024_green%20gold%20cigar.jpg

Really...Thats how it's supposed to look!"
 
I did my expensive rattlesnake cigar. Hadn't turned a pen in about a month. I put the bushings in the right spots, but the wrong barrels. So the short barrel became the lower barrel, doh! I even assembled the pen not realizing. It all fit so nice and sweet, but the refill stuck way out the nib. Dangit..I had to send the blank out to get re-poured.
 
My tip for this one:

Since the cigar has 4 different sized bushings - this used to really bug me too... Until the day that I turned a pen that the wood was just too plain for me... Didn't like it at all.

Now the 2 lower bushings are stored with the lower blank, and the 2 upper in a separate storage with the upper. Since they blank is already turned, it is very easy to see which bushing goes on which spot because I can slip the bushing into the finished barrels if there is any doubt.

Now I don't have to even think about cigar bushings any more - I barely have to check to see if I have them right.
 
OOPS, wrong forum, meant to post in "turning". Oh well, it's symbolic of the rest of the night. :D

JohnU---Thought about doing that, but want to be able to use any of my own pens as "demos" to drum up sales, and would not want this one to be seen in that way.

Sorry John---will have pics soon of some successful efforts (I hope) . Love those bushings though.

Dan
 
I have done this performance not just once but many times. What i did similar to dean I took the bottom bushing and took a file to them so I could identify them easier. Cheers!

Bill Daniels
 
do a custom center band. I have done that a couple of times.

follow the same steps you would to do a custom CB for a slimline. It works and you can give it some flare.
 
Cigars are one of my favorite pens to make, but I don't start any pen .. any pen .. without looking at the instructions first... I have a most severe case of CRS when it comes to certain things and the pens bushings sizes and placement is at least in the top 10 if not the top 5 of what I can't remember.
 
Originally posted by Dan_F


JohnU---Thought about doing that, but want to be able to use any of my own pens as "demos" to drum up sales, and would not want this one to be seen in that way.
Click to expand...

Totally understand. I have a drawer of pens that we use around the house and then there are those that people actually see. :)
I just hate to deny all of those happy little blanks that have their minds set on being a pen someday!
 
Been there, done that. I have now marked the bushings with stokes from a hacksaw I, II, III from the headstock end which is always the clip end.

The unmarked one is number four and obviously the nib.
 
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