Tip: Getting bushing ends square

Probably a lot of you know this already, but a good way to get a nice clean square end on any of the bushings or small tubes is to chuck it in a drill press, put a flat file or piece of sandpaper on the press table and slowly lower the rotating bushing tube onto the grinding surface. I usually only hand tighten the bushing in the chuck to avoid distortion or clamp marks.

greg

OK ... I'll be the first to admit I never thought of that. And it's a heckuva good idea. Thanks much!

You can also cut them to length by sending them through the hole in the center of the drill press table and laying a hacksaw on its side on the table. Use a moderate speed and run the saw back and forth while the thing spins. It sounds kinda half-a$$ed, but works great.

Good idea but I'd need something much better than my HF POS drill press (a better one just went on my Christmas list). I generally use the miter squares on my benchtop bandsaw and belt sander for this chore, though it is a bit tricky for parts less than a couple of inches long.