My first TBC so be gentle

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Mickey

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El Grande BlkTi with a plain piece of zebra wood. It was easy just as they say but it took longer than with a mandrel. I suspect that is part of the learning curve and will get faster. I found that swapping out dead centrs, live centers, drill chucks, bushings and so fourth slowed the process down. Part of the slow down was turning and finishing one piece at a time.



 
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RDH79

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It might have taken you longer to make but the out come is beautiful. That is a very good looking pen. It takes time to make them look that good.
 

leehljp

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Beautiful pen, no matter which way it was done. Looks like it was done to the standards that only a Master Sergeant can demand! Beautiful photography too!

Drill chuck changing out - don't you have to do that when using the mandrel also? You can use the same live center for both mandrel and TBC, no need to change that out.
 
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Mickey

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Beautiful pen, no matter which way it was done. Looks like it was done to the standards that only a Master Sergeant can demand! Beautiful photography too!

Drill chuck changing out - don't you have to do that when using the mandrel also? You can use the same live center for both mandrel and TBC, no need to change that out.

Well you first start with a drive spur and live center to turn the square blank down to 3/4. Then swap out the drive spur for a collet and the live center for a drill chuck to drill for the tubes. Then you put the live center back in and replace the collet with a dead center. Then you're ready to turn down to bushing size and finish. With the mandrel you put in the mandrel and a live center and that's it. I was trying to follow the instruction in the tutorial, at least down to the finishing part. I just finished with the same bushings. Don't get me wrong. I like TBC and will continue it. It just takes a little getting used to.

P.S. Make that Chief Master Sergeant or just Chief for you Air Force types. :) :)
 
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leehljp

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Well you first start with a drive spur and live center to turn the square blank down to 3/4. Then swap out the drive spur for a collet and the live center for a drill chuck to drill for the tubes. Then you put the live center back in and replace the collet with a dead center. Then you're ready to turn down to bushing size and finish. With the mandrel you put in the mandrel and a live center and that's it. I was trying to follow the instruction in the tutorial, at least down to the finishing part. I just finished with the same bushings. Don't get me wrong. I like TBC and will continue it. It just takes a little getting used to.

P.S. Make that Chief Master Sergeant or just Chief for you Air Force types. :) :)

Spur Center - Got it. :redface: I haven't seen but a very few references on here to using a spur center for turning pens, so I was curious. I am always willing to learn. I use a chuck instead, for special blanks, - where I want precise entry and exit holes. But I can see how that works well for that purpose!

I too use the lathe for delicate and precision drilling when I am doing segments. I just didn't count drilling on the lathe as part of the "TBC time", since I also used the lathe for turning when using mandrels.

CHIEF Master Sergeant it is! Apologies. Tried on several occasions to join up in 70 - 71, but believe it or not, messed up paperwork by some of the people in the lower ranks (can't blame a sergeant of any kind, :wink: ) plus some mixed up medical papers that were not correct about my eye sight - kept me out. Never did get in. So I offer an apology on not using the correct terminology.
 
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