Colarr 20 Pack Woodturning Pen Kit Twist Ballpoint Pen Kit with Refill Copper for DIY Classroom Supplies Teacher Student Friends Gift

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I've turned a lot of pens using name brank kits that cost 4-5x the price of these pens. They looked similar to others I've made, so I ordered 20 of them. Upon arrival, I immediately compared the measurements against the 2 main brands I've used previously. Every dimension was nearly identical. Only difference is the way the pen transmission is installed into the kit, but it works just fine. For those asking - I used the bushing kit I already owned from the Woodriver Wall Street II pens. The results were excellent as shown in the picture - these are the 20 Colarr pens I made.I noted these are ot for beginners only because there are no instructions and no details as to the size to drill the blank for the tube, the bushings, and the actual assembly. So if you follow the Wall Street II instructions, which are available online, you'll have enough to figure out the rest.Of the 20 kits, I had 4 or 5 that needed a little help. The fit of the transmission into the upper cap of the pen was not the greatest, so it slipped a little, causing the pen to not fully extend and retract. My fix was to put a few drops of CA glue on the transmission outer case, cure it, then lightly sand it flat. This raised the transmission thickness slightly and then it fit very snugly into the cap and the pens work great. For roughly $3 a piece vs $12-18 for the name brands, I'll buy more because they allow you to offer to friends and family without a high cost to you, or to sell at craft shows for a lower price point and still make the same profit vs the name brands.They're very nice pens, just don't expect them to provide you with any instructions or bushings.

I want to buy this product, I think the price is a good and fair amount. But I and someone else asked about what size bushings to use, and the store owner keeps stating 27/64 bushings for a kit that needs a 27/64 drill bit.To the Store Owner: It appears you've never made a pen on a lathe. If I was to turn the wood down to 27/64 on this kit, then I would be removing the wood around the tube insert and exposing the brass. It would not fit flush with the edges of the kit, and would be a horrible pen in terms of quality, appearance, and comfort of use. The bushings are sized to mimic the size of the edges of the pen kit parts that the wood will rest against so there is no seam between the two. Your answer of 27/64 for both the drill bit and the bushings is wrong and no one should buy the kits until you have an actual answer to the question.To try and help, these pens look similar to other pen kits. You should measure the ends of the kit parts that will be pressed into the kit with calipers to get the measurements of what the wood needs to be turned to. That, at the very least, would help possible buyers know if they have the bushings they need already, or which ones to get. This is also very important because many pen makers use a 7mm mandrel, and will need bushings that fit into the 27/64 tubes AND have the correct size to turn down to.