This is a method I use that you might try. After you have sanded and applied your CA, but before you polish your blank. Take a fine 6" half round metal file, and with the lathe running, place the flat side toward the blank and the rounded side toward the bushing and carefuly remove the glue down to the bushing. You can also use a knife file for this as it is tapered to almost a knife edge. last method would be to use a parting tool to just break the connection between the blank and bushing. Now Polish your blanks. On the pen you made, you could have used a squareing devise of some kind and a disc sander on your blank ends and removed enough to get rid if the chips in them. Your transmisson is adjustable as you press it in to allow for the shorter blank, and the cap end won't make any difference if it's a 1/16" or 1/8" shorter. Never just press your transmission up to the line the first press. Always leave it about an 1/8" long, put your refill and spring in, twist it back and forth to make sure that the point comes out the desired length, and retracts all the way into the barrel. Now you can slowley press your transmisson a little farther in until you reach your desired position. If you have any other questions just ask and one or more members of the IAP will try to help you out. You can also use the synthetic bushings Chris mentioned above, tapered bushings, or turn between centers to get away from this problem. Welcome aboard !!! Jim S