# keeping CA off bushings



## maxwell_smart007 (Sep 3, 2007)

I haven't tried a CA finish yet, but I was wondering - won't the CA glue the bushings to the blanks?


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## Firefyter-emt (Sep 3, 2007)

Yes, and it is a real issue... Well, for some anyway. I gently hold my blanks between center without the bushings to apply the CA and it will end having a glued on bushing or chipped finish for good.

I know I have been harping this for a while now, but you really should try turning with a $5.00 dead center in the headstock and your normal live center. It works so well for many reasons, one being the CA finish. I can quickly remove the blank for measurement, my blanks are perfect pretty much 100% of the time now and I love it.


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## leehljp (Sep 3, 2007)

What Lee said above! Use a dead center! If you don't do that, you can wax the bushings but the wax can migrate onto the wood in a spot or two and hamper the finish on occasion. And even then, the bushings stick somewhat to the blanks, but not nearly as bad as without.

For that reason, the dead center usage is fantastic. Something to note on this - learn to use calipers to check the blanks in turning the blank down to size and building up with the CA finish. Bushings are best thought of in terms of getting the blank to the rough size, but actual sizing should be done with the calipers.

By doing the final sanding and finish on a dead center, you eliminate the glued up bushings as well as getting bushing dust on light colored woods. Also, if there is a minute' out of center bushing, the dead center will help sand out any out of roundness.


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## redfishsc (Sep 3, 2007)

I only use CA as a sealer prior to spraying on a lacquer-type finish, so my CA film is fairly thin. I just "snap!" the bushings (bottom down, as you would slam a root-beer mug on the table) onto the bed of the lathe. That usually makes a clean break. I then use some fine grit (400-1500 grit, doesn't matter) sandpaper to "round" the edges of the barrels to a nice, smooth feel. Then I spray them. 

Some who do a straight, thick CA finish use and X-acto knife (lathe off, I'd hope!) to cut the CA at the bushing. I tried this once and cut the wood with my lousy hand-eye coordination. Reason #486 that I'm not a sniper.


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## Firefyter-emt (Sep 3, 2007)

The problem with "cutting" the CA is you will not leave a perfect slice, but more of an action like when you cut a cake. The CA may be disturbed even if you do not see it, which could give you problems down the road. Like Hank said, the solution is just so simple it's not even funny.

I also strongly agree with him on the calipers. If the hardware is say .331 like a slimline, plan to make the wood say, .295 to .298 depending on how thick you finish will end up. How do you know this? What you do is trial & error. Measure and record your blanks once you have finished sanded them and then apply your finish, be it lacquer, CA or what have you. Once it's finished and polished, re-check the sanded and polished blanks and record the measurements. This will tell you exactly how thick the finish is. Do this for say half a dozen pens and if your results are close to the same you now know how far under the kit diameter to turn the blank. Now this said, I use those plastic storage boxes for my kits and will mix them up, but when the time comes to make a pen, I will remove just the hardware for one pen and seperate it. I measure that hardware exactly and log the measurements on a post-it note at my lathe. This is what I turn to (less finish thickness)

Other than that, remember that softer wood will sand down faster than say Ligium Vitae so remember that and sand as you see fit.

Here are a couple of my "notes."


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## keapople (Sep 4, 2007)

Has anyone tried this...
After turning and sanding, remove the bushings and put a drilled out washer, or a coupld of them over the bushing and tighten it back up. THen the CA is not getting on the bushing, but the washer.

I have the problem now with some Sierras I was tunring. and I ended up turning the CA off the bushings on the next pen, but hard on tools and risky. I did have good luck gettting the bushing loose with the hitting the bushing method while on the mandrel, and they came off pretty cleanly...minro sanding required...

However, I need to make that sanding jig for cleaning the ends.

Kirby


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## loglugger (Sep 4, 2007)

007, I use Johnson paste wax on my mandrels and bushings,  but most any wax would work.
Bob


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## leehljp (Sep 4, 2007)

> _Originally posted by keapople_
> <br />Has anyone tried this...
> After turning and sanding, remove the bushings and put a drilled out washer, or a coupld of them over the bushing and tighten it back up. THen the CA is not getting on the bushing, but the washer.
> 
> ...



Take the bushing off and use the "no Mandrel" dead center, which does even better!


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## fuzzydog (Sep 4, 2007)

I've tried many waxes, including the HUT wax which I no longer use as a finish, but recently I changed back to petrolum jelly being careful not to get too much on the bushing. No problem.


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## Firefyter-emt (Sep 4, 2007)

One down side I can see with that method is that you "could" CA the bushing to the blank on the inside of the tube, not a pretty sight then.


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## gketell (Sep 4, 2007)

For mandrel use, I turned some bushings out of the UHMW (ultra high molecular weight) plastic you can get at woodcraft/rocker.  I cut a 1/2" piece of UHMW into four 1/2 x 1/2 x 1 pieces; drilled each piece with a 1/4" bit; put them on my lathe and turned then round and then put an angle on each side so they taper down to about the thickness of a 7mm tube.  







Now I turn the blank, remove the steel bushings, add my mandrel with a UHMW-blank-UHMW-blank-UHMW. Since the UHMW is tapered I can use it with any tube size.





Once the finish is applied I remove the blanks and use my trimmer by hand to clean up the edges again.  This has the added benefit of sealing the edges of your blanks too.

And CA doesn't stick to UHMW plastic.
GK


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## Texatdurango (Sep 4, 2007)

> _Originally posted by maxwell_smart007_
> <br />I haven't tried a CA finish yet, but I was wondering - won't the CA glue the bushings to the blanks?


Maxwell Smart, As mentioned by others, especially firefyter-emt, once you start using a dead center, a lot of your problems go away and your fit accuracy sky rockets.

I seldom if ever sand a blank while on the mandrel using bushings anymore.  Having gotten a lot more comfortable with my skew, I will turn right down to the bushings then remove the blank from the mandrel and place it between a home made dead center and a live center.  I too use a chart to double check diameters and will sand a little under allowing for the thickness of the CA finish.

The CA glue won't stick the blank to the centers like it does the bushings and I even roll the CA over the edges a bit thus sealing the ends of the blank as well.  

I made my dead center from an old hexagon shaped Exacto knife handle.  In case you haven't seen what everyone is talking about, here is mine....


<br />


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## Firefyter-emt (Sep 4, 2007)

Seeing as how Julia sent me such a nice e-mail asking whence these centers can be found. (Julia, I hope you get a good laugh from the reply)  []

www.littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=1890&category=


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## jcollazo (Sep 4, 2007)

I've got already drilled, ready to turn Delrin bushings here: http://www.penturners.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=27566

A or B size


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## Texatdurango (Sep 4, 2007)

> _Originally posted by Firefyter-emt_
> <br />Seeing as how Julia sent me such a nice e-mail asking whence these centers can be found. (Julia, I hope you get a good laugh from the reply)  []
> 
> www.littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=1890&category=



Man..... $4.95, unbelievable!  I spent over an hour making mine from an Exacto knife handle and when my sweetie found out that it was the Exacto knife out of HER hobby box, I caught heck!

For a couple dollars I could still have an Exacto knife and wouldn't have a knot on my head! [:0][B)]


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