underdog
Member
Just got another pen done this weekend.
After I lined up my lathe centers. I got a center turning kit from Johnny CNC and realized that I'd not really be able to use them unless my lathe centers lined up. I'd gotten two tailstocks from Jet to fix the problem, and the last one was worse than the original.
So I took the best of the three, and filed and scraped and tested and filed and scraped... I worked the bottom of the tailstock over until the @#$! centers finally lined up, and the tailstock set level.
You just don't know how much, and how long that's bugged me. I was on top of the world.... I felt like someone had lifted a hundred pounds off my shoulders. WHOO HOO! Now when I drill with the tailstock it won't wobble so badly, and when I use the tailstock to center faceplate turnings, it won't cut circles...
So you can see the new centers lining up, the new slimline bushings, and the first pen I've turned between centers...
This is another MadrePerlato acrylic blank from Exotic. Bergundy on a fancy slimline with comfort band. The nib end was perfect! I'm not sure I got the centers dead on the money because the tailstock bushing put some fret marks on the tailstock center... still it's a lot dang closer than it's ever been before.
Only problem I had was the slimline bushing seemed to be too small for this center band, and I didn't measure.... So the band looks a little big on this pen. Still it turned out ok...
After I lined up my lathe centers. I got a center turning kit from Johnny CNC and realized that I'd not really be able to use them unless my lathe centers lined up. I'd gotten two tailstocks from Jet to fix the problem, and the last one was worse than the original.
So I took the best of the three, and filed and scraped and tested and filed and scraped... I worked the bottom of the tailstock over until the @#$! centers finally lined up, and the tailstock set level.
You just don't know how much, and how long that's bugged me. I was on top of the world.... I felt like someone had lifted a hundred pounds off my shoulders. WHOO HOO! Now when I drill with the tailstock it won't wobble so badly, and when I use the tailstock to center faceplate turnings, it won't cut circles...
So you can see the new centers lining up, the new slimline bushings, and the first pen I've turned between centers...
This is another MadrePerlato acrylic blank from Exotic. Bergundy on a fancy slimline with comfort band. The nib end was perfect! I'm not sure I got the centers dead on the money because the tailstock bushing put some fret marks on the tailstock center... still it's a lot dang closer than it's ever been before.
Only problem I had was the slimline bushing seemed to be too small for this center band, and I didn't measure.... So the band looks a little big on this pen. Still it turned out ok...
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