Turning Ferrule Stations

I may have posted this before, but I thought it was worth adding to the list of Secret Stuff. I've tried several recommended methods of turning ferrule stations. I've used sand paper, files and lathe bits all with varying degrees of success. I've read about home made cutters made from tubing and then there's the high dollar station cutters that are way beyond my hobby budget.

I've settled on the process shown in these pictures. There are probably a hundred other makers doing this, but I'm not aware of any at the moment. This is something I dreamed up a couple years ago. It's simple as dirt. Just clamp a file to the tool post and ease it down on to the bamboo. Use the file like a lathe bit to make the cut. Make a couple passes at a time to allow for deflection at the end of the rod blank. Put a little more downward pressure on the file and repeat the process until the ferrule fits. It just takes a few minutes to cut a perfect ferrule station.