TWP24: Bushing “Poop”, Milling Lumber, and Cremona for President 2020

Episode notes:

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Referenced Channels/websites:

Braxton's Boy Scout chairs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HeQGJP42vM

Submitted Questions/comments:

Just listened to the last episode. Regarding the one guy’s question on bushing “poop” contaminating his friction polish finish on his pens, I have several suggestions.First, he’s likely either cutting the bushing slightly during turning or sanding them when sanding. Either way, that’s obviously where the dust is coming from. You guys mentioned that pretty much.Also, compressed air to blow off the turned tube after turning and sanding is always a good idea regardless.

Here’s what I do to avoid this:

1. The best way is to get rid of the bushings completely when finishing. I don’t use a pen mandrel. I turn pens between a cone tipped “dead” center in the headstock and a normal cone live center in the tailstock. After turning and sanding to the bushings, take the bushings off and just hold the tube between those centers. Obviously don’t clamp down too tight as the turned pen tube is pretty fragile. Anyway, apply finish or additional wet sanding or whatever from there. The down side to this is you can only turn one tube at a time, so for kits with upper and lower tubes, they have to be done separately, but I’ve found this to be the best approach over all. Here’s a link to the “dead” center I’m talking about. http://amzn.to/2goZwnw

2. If you don’t have a dead center or don’t want to buy one, another option is to take the turned tubes off the mandrel and replace the bushings from the kit with “nylon” finishing bushings. These are intended for doing CA Finishes, but they work fine for any type of finish. They are non stick and cone shaped so they center the pen tube. Multiple pairs can be used to do multiple pen tubes on the mandrel at the same time. Here’s a link to these: http://amzn.to/2go3qJt

3. Finally, the last option would be to just turn your own finishing bushings out of small scraps of wood. Turn a ¼ to 3/8 tenon to fit the pen tube on a small scrap of wood (pen blank cutoff for example). Then turn another 3/8 or so section larger than the tenon but about the same or smaller diameter than the pen kit bushings. Make a pair of these and replace the kit bushing with the shop made wooden ones (these could be turned from acrylic as well). Then finish the pen blank as normal.

Just a few options to avoid bushing “poop” contaminating the pen finish. In case it’s of interest.

Kevin

"Peter Bako - Listening to episode 23 and you are talking about sharp blades. I'm a beginner woodworker myself, only at it for a few months, but getting to where I need to start to sharpen my various tools. Any tips on how to get started with that? Don't have sharpening tools/stones/etc., so what would be the basics to get started with and any guides to help hold things at the right angle? Mostly have chisels to worry about for now, but also have a few old handsaws that would be nice to fix up.

Sandpaper and a flat plate for the abrasve is a good place to start.