Bushing and Tube Database

[jeff]

I have been working on developing a web database version of our bushing and tube data. This data, compiled over 20 years by @Wayne, has been available in the form of PDF charts, and as mobile device apps developed by @Edgar. This data has been extremely popular in the penmaking community, and the charts and apps have been downloaded thousands of times.

We have never released the underlying data directly because we wanted to control a single source of accurate data. Some people have converted the PDF charts into spreadsheets, which we have asked them not to distribute, and most have honored our request. We have been told that these conversions have been done to allow greater manipulation of the data, especially in a desktop format. While the apps provide a great experience, we can do more with a web database. While we still plan to maintain control of the data, the web database will allow broader manipulation of the data. The web version will self-adapt to any size screen, so using it from your phone or desktop should be very similar. You'll just need internet access, which is pretty ubiquitous these days.

I've completed most of the database work, now I'm starting to work on the user interface. To help me along, I'd appreciate input from current app users:

What features of the app do you use most?
What features would you like to see beyond the current app capabilities?
Would you like to see links to purchase kits, tubes, and bushings within the application?

Any comments you may have are most welcome.

 

[randyrls]

What features of the app do you use most?
What features would you like to see beyond the current app capabilities?
Would you like to see links to purchase kits, tubes, and bushings within the application?

Jeff; I don't use this app much. So these suggestions may already be in there. I buy pens in a group and then I make them and put any extras in a zip lock bag. I've run into the odd situation where a kit I bought 6 months ago is just a bit different than the one I bought yesterday.

Features I would like to see. Alternate Names / Groupings to pen "family". Sellers re-name their pens making it difficult to cross reference.

Tolerances: Allow searches to vary slightly.

Links to the instructions. If the link doesn't work, display a link to archive.org "Way-Back Machine". (any get that reference??!!)

 

[Mortalis]

Jeff; I don't use this app much. So these suggestions may already be in there. I buy pens in a group and then I make them and put any extras in a zip lock bag. I've run into the odd situation where a kit I bought 6 months ago is just a bit different than the one I bought yesterday.

Features I would like to see. Alternate Names / Groupings to pen "family". Sellers re-name their pens making it difficult to cross reference.

Tolerances: Allow searches to vary slightly.

Links to the instructions. If the link doesn't work, display a link to archive.org "Way-Back Machine". (any get that reference??!!)

Rocky and Bullwinkle

 

[Mortalis]

I like the data that is available in the bushings and tubes database. I'm not a fan of using the app. Just my opinion. The app may be nice and I know a lot of work went into it.
Some time ago I created a searchable database with the info available from the bushings and tube data but received a bunch of flack for it so I deleted it. I work better from a desktop than I do my phone for something like that. Again that's just me. I have a PC available either in my workshop or only steps away in the house.
I would like to see a lot of what @randyrls mentioned above. Family's of pen types especially.

 

[Curly]

I used it a lot for tube lengths when cutting longer tubes to size for casting. The searchable function might be more useful if one could use two dimensions, length and diameter. I appreciate all the work that everyone has and continues to put in compiling the information that we can use. Thank you.

 

[rherrell]

I don't have a smart phone so I've never used the app but I do a lot of searching in the .pdf when I have a customer that wants a pin chuck for a "new" pen kit
I'd like to be able to input a set of tubes and have it tell me which kit(s) they fit. There is quite a bit of cross over with different kits sharing the same tubes so it would be nice to be able to search for that.

 

[TonyL]

What features would you like to see beyond the current app capabilities?

I love the app. I think a reverse lookup would be helpful: where one enters the OD of a bushing, and a list of possible pens kits that accept that buhsing is displayed. I would equip the app to add +/- .002 to allow for worn or slightly mis-measured bushings. I bet it would re-unite a lot of "orphaned" bushings with pen kits. Just an idea. Great work!

 

[Mortalis]

What features would you like to see beyond the current app capabilities?

I love the app. I think a reverse lookup would be helpful: where one enters the OD of a bushing, and a list of possible pens kits that accept that buhsing is displayed. I would equip the app to add +/- .002 to allow for worn or slightly mis-measured bushings. I bet it would re-unite a lot of "orphaned" bushings with pen kits. Just an idea. Great work!

That is why I store my bushings by diameter(s) and not pen kit. Just sayin'

 

[TonyL]

That is why I store my bushings by diameter(s) and not pen kit. Just sayin'

I engrave the diameter on many of them.

 

[RDHals]

What features of the app do you use most?
What features would you like to see beyond the current app capabilities?
Would you like to see links to purchase kits, tubes, and bushings within the application?

Any comments you may have are most welcome. day

Fist off I love the app. I've used the app fairly often over the years. Just the other day I searched the app by bushing size .466 and found what I was looking for. You gotta love that. Most often I use the drill info and metric conversion. Links to purchase kits or parts would be nice.