<div dir="ltr"><div>Back when I was making a ton of pens (I had over 1500 kits at one point), I stopped using bushings and started "turning between centers". Once you do it a few times, it gets easy.</div><div><br></div><div>Use a 60 degree cone drive, and use a 60 degree cone on the end support. Mount the blank in the center, and then just turn down to final diameter using calipers. No bushings needed or required. You probably want to turn a few more pens before you try this method, though. </div><div><br></div><br clear="all"><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div>Regards,<br>-Steve<br><a href="http://woodworking.bigelowsite.com" target="_blank">http://woodworking.bigelowsite.com</a><br></div><br></div></div></div><br></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr">On Thu, Aug 23, 2018 at 6:46 AM Roy Shrove via Woodworkers <<a href="mailto:woodworkers@lists.sawdusters.org">woodworkers@lists.sawdusters.org</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div dir="ltr">Tom,<div><br></div><div>One more thing you gotta be watchful for is the minute differences between manufacturers. As with most everything else, most kits are Chinese made so sometimes quality control, especially regarding size can be wanting. What Woodcraft calls a "Slimline" pen MCLS may call a "Trimline" and every other vendor/manufacturer calls each essentially "identical" kits something similar but actually minor differences but since they are from different manufacturers you CANNOT always rely on them being the same size.....once again, the cheap Harbor Freight digital Caliper to the rescue. When I was doing a lot of pens, I got so fed up with the minor differences that I made it a habit to buy two sets of mandrels from each manufacturer that I bought kits from. One set of mandrels were for use and one set was for "size verification." You'd think it would be easier to buy everything from one manufacturer/supplier but I found there is ALWAYS that one or two designs that my "go-to" vendor didn't have so I would buy from another source and while I was at it, I'd think...oh yeah, I'm short on "X" kit, so I will just restock from the 2nd vendor to save on shipping/postage. BAD IDEA...I can't tell you how many times I got bit by the "just a little bit different" variation between manufacturers.</div><div><br></div><div>Feel free to drop me a private email if you have any questions. rshrove at gmail</div><div><br></div><div>Hope this helps.</div><div><br></div><div>R </div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr">On Wed, Aug 22, 2018 at 7:44 PM Tom Lovelace via Woodworkers <<a href="mailto:woodworkers@lists.sawdusters.org" target="_blank">woodworkers@lists.sawdusters.org</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div style="word-wrap:break-word;line-break:after-white-space">Good advice, Roy !<div>I buy discovered that the 12 kits that I ordered were TrimLine kits and NOT slimline.</div><div>Needless to say, the slimline bushings are a little small for these pen kits.</div><div>O well, guess another order is upcoming.</div><div>Thank for the post !!</div><div>TomL<br><div><br><blockquote type="cite"><div>On Aug 22, 2018, at 3:55 PM, Roy Shrove via Woodworkers <<a href="mailto:woodworkers@lists.sawdusters.org" target="_blank">woodworkers@lists.sawdusters.org</a>> wrote:</div><br class="m_-8293401998682799351m_-1539399693519506559Apple-interchange-newline"><div><span style="font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;text-decoration:none;float:none;display:inline!important">As you get into Pen Turning there is another critical diameter you will need to be on the watch for. The<span class="m_-8293401998682799351m_-1539399693519506559Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><b style="font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;text-decoration:none">diameter<span class="m_-8293401998682799351m_-1539399693519506559Apple-converted-space"> </span></b><span style="font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;text-decoration:none;float:none;display:inline!important">of your mandrel bushings.</span></div></blockquote></div><br></div></div>_______________________________________________<br>
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