# Storing Pen Bushings? Problem solved.



## Herb G (Oct 17, 2016)

If you're anything like me, you like to keep your bushings straight.
If you mix them up, you have a lot of work to sort them out again.
Well, I found a little storage solution you guys (and gals) might like.

Here's the link. This link is posted strictly so you'll know what I am referring to.

They are big enough that you can fold up the little plastic bag the bushings come in, and you can use some masking tape to mark the sides as to the contents of it.
If you look around, you can find them cheaper. I got mine at AC Moore Craft Supply. They are made by a division of Plano.
They are the company that makes all the great tackle boxes.

My wife liked mine so much she got some for her bead crafting work.
They are very handy.

I hope this helps someone out there.


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## walshjp17 (Oct 17, 2016)

Here's my bushing storage solution.  From Harbor Freight ($4.99 ea.) (24 Container Storage Box)

Two rows of 12.  Individual boxes.  Take a set of bushings in the box to the lathe.  Turn a pen.  Put the bushing back in the box.  Return the box to the container.


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## SteveG (Oct 17, 2016)

I favor individual closed containers. The reason, is the inevitable 'spill' of the contents. Think...which would you rather deal with? ALL you bushings intermingled on the floor, OR, ONE set of bushes (only) on the floor, hiding under your work bench? :biggrin:


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## southernclay (Oct 17, 2016)

SteveG said:


> I favor individual closed containers. The reason, is the inevitable 'spill' of the contents. Think...which would you rather deal with? ALL you bushings intermingled on the floor, OR, ONE set of bushes (only) on the floor, hiding under your work bench? :biggrin:



I keep mine in a pen part Baggie and in its space in a similar container for this exact reason.


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## liljohn1368 (Oct 17, 2016)

I picked this up at HF. I don't do a lots of pens anymore so it works perfect for this.


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## Davidh14 (Oct 17, 2016)

I store my bushings with my kits. Each container has one or two pen styles stored in it. I keep extra tubes, bushings, parts, etc. in them. I even had a friend build me a cabinet to store them.


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## Davidh14 (Oct 17, 2016)

It wouldn't let me post both pics on one post...


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## JimB (Oct 17, 2016)

I leave bushings in their original bag. I also leave kits in their original bag. I take all of each style kit, it's bushings and instructions and place it in a zip lock style bag. If I have any drilled blanks with tubes glued in they go in there too. They all go in a drawer.

If I want to make a particular pen I just pull out that bag and everything is there. If i had extra drill bits they would be in there as well.

My wife already had the extra bags so it didn't cost anything. If I drop it nothing happens.


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## flyitfast (Oct 17, 2016)

I agree with these - they have solved my bushing organization situation
Have three boxes full.  I cut the bushing description off the bag and it fits inside each little box nicely.
I have a spreadsheet showing the contents of each big box and what bushings are in each little box and what pen they are for and the vendor.
Gordon




walshjp17 said:


> Here's my bushing storage solution.  From Harbor Freight ($4.99 ea.) (24 Container Storage Box)
> 
> Two rows of 12.  Individual boxes.  Take a set of bushings in the box to the lathe.  Turn a pen.  Put the bushing back in the box.  Return the box to the container.


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## keithncsu (Oct 17, 2016)

walshjp17 said:


> Here's my bushing storage solution.  From Harbor Freight ($4.99 ea.) (24 Container Storage Box)
> 
> Two rows of 12.  Individual boxes.  Take a set of bushings in the box to the lathe.  Turn a pen.  Put the bushing back in the box.  Return the box to the container.



After John showed me these bins I immediately purchased one. Worked great for me ever since.


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## CREID (Oct 17, 2016)

It says "Screw together". Does that mean, "ASSEMBLY REQUIRED"?


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## Dan Masshardt (Oct 17, 2016)

I used to use cases like those shown.  Call me lazy but I like the drawers cabinet so much better.  Just reach over and pull the bushings out with one hand if needed.  


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## larryc (Oct 17, 2016)

Haven't had to worry about bushing storage since I started TBC.


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## Brian G (Oct 17, 2016)

walshjp17 said:


> Here's my bushing storage solution.  From Harbor Freight ($4.99 ea.) (24 Container Storage Box)
> 
> Two rows of 12.  Individual boxes.  Take a set of bushings in the box to the lathe.  Turn a pen.  Put the bushing back in the box.  Return the box to the container.



The small containers can all fit on edge in the large container.  If you label the bottom front of the small container, you can select the correct bushing without having to sort through the stacked small containers.


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## flyitfast (Oct 17, 2016)

Brian, great observation.  Why are all my good ideas discovered by someone else before I think of them???  ;-)
Thanks for posting.  
Gordon


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## dtswebb (Oct 21, 2016)

Plastic 35 mm film canisters work great.  Get rid of the little plastic bag the bushings come in.  The caps fit tight and you can drop a canister without having the lid pop off.  The canister will store one set of any sized bushings and they don't take up a heck of a lot of room.


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## MTViper (Oct 23, 2016)

I've been through most of the methods described above and finally settled on a different solution that works well for me.  The pics below show my method.

When I make a new pen, I take the plastic bag the kit comes in with the label on the bag and insert a piece of construction paper.  I cut one sheet into thirds and fold it so one side is about 2" longer than the other so it will stick out the top of the bag.  I put a printed label on the construction paper so I can see what kit it's for.  I put a copy of the instructions inside the fold of the construction paper and put the bushings - in the plastic bag they come in - behind the construction paper.  I store the plastic bags in ammo cans I got from Harbor Freight.  Keeps them organized and handy.

Steve


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## Jim Smith (Oct 23, 2016)

I switched over to a revolving spice rack that I picked up at my local Goodwill store for under $3.  Holds 16 sets of bushings each in their own jar labeled on the top as to which kit(s) the bushings go with.  Uses very little bench space and is right where I need it.  Just one more solution...

Jim Smith


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## GaryMadore (Oct 24, 2016)

I have a couple of these screwed to the wall behind my lathe.






Drills, mills, bushings, spare parts, etc., are organized in columns such that everything I need for a particular build is all in adjacent drawers.

OCD? Yeah, maybe 

Cheers!

Gary


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## wfsteadman (Oct 24, 2016)

Can you share where you purchased this?


GaryMadore said:


> I have a couple of these screwed to the wall behind my lathe.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## GaryMadore (Oct 25, 2016)

wfsteadman said:


> Can you share where you purchased this?



I bought mine at Canadian Tire, but they're massed produced in China and are likely available (maybe with a different paint job) in any place that sells import tools: Harbor Freight, Princess Auto, Home Depot, Lowe's....

They go on sale for around $20 (Canadian) from time to time - that's usually when I pull the trigger.

Cheers!

Gary


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## randym (Apr 25, 2017)

walshjp17 said:


> Here's my bushing storage solution.  From Harbor Freight ($4.99 ea.) (24 Container Storage Box)
> 
> Two rows of 12.  Individual boxes.  Take a set of bushings in the box to the lathe.  Turn a pen.  Put the bushing back in the box.  Return the box to the container.



Thanks for posting this! Stopped by HF on my way to work this morning and bought two of them and they are going to solve a big problem for me. I tried using some other small Plano boxes, but they took up a lot more room and it was a pain to find the bushings I wanted quickly. 

I noticed these a while back, but never figured out there were 24 small boxes inside.Much happier now! Thanks again!!!


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## Yablonsky (Apr 26, 2017)

Picked up 2 of the Harbor Freight boxes. Problem solved...Until I need a 3rd.


Ken


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## Woodchipper (Apr 26, 2017)

I don't have a lot pen bushings.....yet.  I have a multi-drawer cabinet that I plan on using.  Mounted it under a shelf unit where I'm keeping all the things related to pen making.  No, the lathe won't fit- tried it. :rotfl:


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## KB8JXO (Apr 26, 2017)

*Simple solution*

especially for us old farts who take meds. I use the small pill bottles with lids to put my bushings in. I then print out the name of the bushing and tape to the outside (in large type because I am an old fart.)


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## OklaTurner (May 1, 2017)

I, also, use the pill bottles. I have a plastic shelf next to my work bench to which I screwed the bottle lids. It's pretty handy to just reach up and grab what I need.


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## gtriever (May 1, 2017)

Just getting into pen turning, but while I was in the electronics biz I used all of the above methods plus these storage bins - 

20 Piece Poly Bins and Rails


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## OklaTurner (May 1, 2017)

OklaTurner said:


> I, also, use the pill bottles. I have a plastic shelf next to my work bench to which I screwed the bottle lids. It's pretty handy to just reach up and grab what I need.



Here's a pic of my pill bottles


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