Help! Bushes kits and other stuff

[Kath P]

I'm very new to both wood turning and pen making but eager to give it a go.

I've bought a couple of second hand/job lot kits from people who are giving up pen making on Ebay and local Gumtree. The good bit is It has started me off with all the basic kit, mandrel, blanks, drill bits etc. So here's my problem there's lots of assorted bushes all thrown together, how do I find out which pen kits they are used with. Also there's quite a few different pen kits in there too. Some I have manage to put a name to as they had Axminster codes on the packets, lots more are just in a plain plastic sleeve and I've no idea what the kit is.

Any help would be appreciated

 

[Jim]

Hi Kath, without actually seeing your pen kits we can only guess, but if you Look Here you maybe able to spot the bushings you have and this may help identifying your kits .. Hopefully someone else will be along shortly and give you further help ... :wink:

Welcome to the Forums also Kath ...

 

[Buckeye]

If you have loose bushings then you will need to measure them and match them up with the various penkits.

Peter

 

[Grump]

Hi Kath and welcome.
Don't be put off or confused by the foreigners calling them bushings, they are that same things that we English call bushes.
If you could post pictures with some dimensions we would have a much better chance of identifying your new stock.
Where are you based ? There may be someone local who could give guidance.

 

[Kath P]

I'm in Leeds. It would be good to find anyone near me who does this stuff. There seems to be loads of different pen kits, do they all have a particular set of bushes or do some bushes do for more than one type of pen? I also have a pair of strange looking bi-cone things with steps of different sizes on each side...what on earth are they for??

 

[Kath P]

ooh that's a good link Jim, I haven't come across Pen Crafts. Great prices too. Thank you.

 

[bellringer]

Timber bit has even better prices Pen Kits, Pen blanks, Clock Kits and wood turning accessories.

 

[stevenw1963]

Welcome Kath,
the best way is to find a kit & try the bushes in them, narrows it down a bit. Just make sure the bushes are a tightish fit. Photos also help, especially with the kits you have.

Where in Leed are you ? we lived around Hunslet, Middleton, Beeston & Bramley areas many years ago

 

[Penpal]

Hi Cath on the Forum IAP in the good ole USA there in the library is a fairly comprehensive listing of pen kits using a little engenuity and a caliper you could possibly reach conclusions. Over time you will find identical kits named several different names around the world depending on the suppliers.

I bought a hamper full including 150 Slimline kits from a mate who went out of turning pens and moved away, I have yet to do this exercise (no hurry since I mostly make Slimlines with Streamline centre bands from Timberbits . com). Mind you I have a problem determining when to use Red Green Copper etc kits but every now and again they come in handy.

Have fun along the way use new kits that have instructions while you solve the others.

Kind regards.

Peter.

 

[silver]

Hi Kath and welcome to the forum.

A few things that will help you.
The kits will have tubes in the bags, if they have two tubes then they will usually need three bushes, one tube they will need two bushes. That's the easy bit..


I would mark up the plain bags with numbers for the different kits.

What you will then need to do it get your bushes to fit the tube ends, that is simple and would mean trying the bushes in the end of the tubes. Once you have the bushes that fit the tubes you can put them in a pot with the number of the kit that they fit.

Then the next step, which would be easier with a set of digital calipers..

Take each kit and measure the widest part of the nib, centre band and top, you can then get each bush and measure them and match them up.

Not the easiest way to describe but sure you will get the gist..

If you need anyone to talk too then pm me and I will give you my telephone number to talk it through with you.

Hope this helps..

 

[silver]

This is a link to the IAP, they have an extensive library, Library Index - International Association of Penturners.

Well worth having a look on the reference section ..

 

[turnaround360]

Hi Kath and welcome.

 

[silver]

Oopps, sorry forgot to say Welcome to the forum..

 

[Terry]

Welcome to the idiots guide to pen turning Kath !!!!!!

 

[bellringer]

Welcome to the idiots guide to pen turning Kath !!!!!!

talk about your self

welcome to the forum

 

[rowdyyates115]

Welcome to the forum Kath!!!!!! Enjoy..

 

[JayDee]

This is a link to the IAP, they have an extensive library, Library Index - International Association of Penturners.

Well worth having a look on the reference section ..

Ditto what Silver said. Click on his link then click on "References" then on "Pen Kit Bushings and Tubes". Not sure if you need to join the forum to access this but it is a great reference.

 

[Kath P]

Hi Steve,
I'm actually in Birstall near Batley but work in Beeston. I've had slightly more success with naming things since I first posted but still have a handful of bushes that I've no idea what they're for. The more I play around the more I get my head around stuff.

 

[Jimbo]

Kath
This is Jim from Pencrafts I have access to almost all bushings and if I have not got them and I am home I can turn you up a set if we can identify the pen.

 

[stevenw1963]

Hi Steve,
I'm actually in Birstall near Batley but work in Beeston. I've had slightly more success with naming things since I first posted but still have a handful of bushes that I've no idea what they're for. The more I play around the more I get my head around stuff.

Went to school in Beeston (the old Parkside school, now Coalburn I think) & used to live in Cross flatts Place many years ago.
Remember coming off my motorbike in front of Cross Flatts Park, slid from one end to the other, those were the days lol.