Great tips !!!!
Regarding the elevator bushing bearing stock. I cut mine to lenth and then put them in the freezer overnight. This makes them shrink and toughen up enough to allow them to be tapped into the metal bushing housings (I filed one end of the busings to bit of a point to help the process). Once, installed, I bored them out using a 12 inch flex-o-shaft on my drill. Drill bits with a 1/4" hex socket fit on the end of the shaft and lets me drill the bushings out to size.
Hope this helps
Roger