Berea kits question

[punkinn]

I know that most everyone holds the BH pen kits in very high regard for quality. I've looked thru their web site several times, but yesterday got the catalog in the mail. Uh oh. [:0]

As you know, it is very well-presented. I really like the look of some of their kits. But.

I see they sell two mandrel sizes for use with their kits. Is it "required" to use their mandrels, or can I still use my Woodcraft pro mandrel? I know there's a conversion list on the main page of the forum (going there next to check sizes of drill bits); maybe that will help with drill bits and squaring shafts.

This sorta thing irks me. Every company's kits are just a "tad" different so one ends up with multples of essentially the same size drill bits, shafts for the squaring head, and gawd knows how many sets of bushings. Some of us have a budget here! Sheesh! [B)]

Anyway, I'm done ranting but in the end, I guess the only outstanding question is do I have to buy yet another mandrel if I get some of BH's kits?

I'm hopelessly hooked on this pen thing. Anyone find an antidote besides bankruptcy?

Nancy

 

[GregD]

Nancy,
Berea's "B" mandrel is bigger. If I remember correctly their "A" mandrel is also bigger than WC or Penn States 7mm mandrel.

 

[punkinn]

So in a nutshell, if you want to use BH kits, you HAVE to use their mandrels? Grrrrrr. [!]

In addition, does anyone have actual measurements for BH drill bits instead of the letter?

Nancy

 

[its_virgil]

Not necessarily. Woodcraft is a reseller of Berea kitsl and the WC bushings are all for the smaller mandrel. Just buy buahings from WC and go for it. I do not have the larger Berea Mandrel but make most of their kits...I think I've made them all. I know others who use onlyu the larger mandrel and ream out all of their bushings to fin the larger berea mandrel to gain the added stability of the larger mandrel. I hope this solves your delima.
Do a good turn daily!
Don

BTW: Arizonasilhouette is a Berea reseller as is Beartooth Woods.

 

[DWK5150]

I use all WC bushings and mandrels. Like Don said they are all for the smaller mandrel and you can get the larger pen bushings from WC to fit the smaller mandrel.

 

[JimGo]

If I thought I could accurately bore out the bushings, I'd probably stick with the "B" mandrel where I could (i.e., won't work for slimlines and other 7mm kits, IIRC). It has a stronger feel, and is less prone to some of the issues associated with the standard mandrels.

 

[its_virgil]

The difference in the diameters of the A and B mandrel is not that much and reaming out the bushings for the smaller mandrel is not that difficult....albeit I haven't done it. Using a metal lathe or some way to accurately hold the bushinhgs is all that is needed. I have a complete set of ER32 collets for my Beall Collet chuck ordered and then I'll be able to accurately hold the bushings. I may switch ot the larger mandrel.
Do a good turn daily!
Don
\

Originally posted by JimGo
<br />If I thought I could accurately bore out the bushings, I'd probably stick with the "B" mandrel where I could (i.e., won't work for slimlines and other 7mm kits, IIRC). It has a stronger feel, and is less prone to some of the issues associated with the standard mandrels.

You know, this raises an interesting question. Given the cost of the bushings, I wonder if the manufacturers couldn't come up with something more stable than the current system. For example, I would pay $10 per "bushing" set if I could get something that had a thread at one end that went into a MT adapter, and that had a threaded coupler that held the tube and blank. I know this probably doesn't make sense, and I'll see if I can draw it out. But anyway, if I could get something like I'm envisioning for only a little more per "bushing" set and be assured that the whipping/off center/out of round/misalignment problems would be further minimized, I'd be pretty happy.

 

[gerryr]

I have a Woodcraft mandrel, the cheap $10 one, and consider it one of the true bargains out there. I have used it a lot with Berea and CSUSA kits and even PSI's Longwood kiet and have had absolutely no trouble with the bushings fitting. I also have a Berea "B" mandrel for those kits that require it. I just wish there were "B" bushings for all the kits, especially the Baron and Sierra. When there's a choice, I will always get the bushings for the "B" mandrel. In addition, having more than one mandrel definitely increases my output.

 

[JHFerrell]

This is an intersting thread. I have a PSI mandrel that I have been using for PSI, CSUSA and Berea kits with no obvious problems. Is this a practice I should give up? I haven't noticed any problems with any of the pens I've turned....from slimlines to polaris to sierra to cigar to barons...no problems I can see. Is there really that much difference in the "standard" 7mm mandrels?

 

[its_virgil]

Not a lot of difference, but some difference. I think the PSI mandrel is the smallest...I don't make PSI kits anymore, but seems that some of the PSI bushings were a little too small for the other 7mm mandrels. But don't quote me on that.I regularly interchange CSUSA and WC(Berea) bushings with no problems, but I also mike each pen to the parts for it.
Do a good turn daily.
Don

Originally posted by JHFerrell
<br />This is an intersting thread. I have a PSI mandrel that I have been using for PSI, CSUSA and Berea kits with no obvious problems. Is this a practice I should give up? I haven't noticed any problems with any of the pens I've turned....from slimlines to polaris to sierra to cigar to barons...no problems I can see. Is there really that much difference in the "standard" 7mm mandrels?

 

[ed4copies]

Yes, the PSI is the smallest and, therefore, there is some "slop" when you turn other makers kits on PSI mandrel. This is one of the causes of oval ends, I believe. Once the bushings are tightened, the parts stay in place, but there is no assurance they are not slightly off center (thousandths of an inch, but that makes an oval).

 

[punkinn]

Thanks everyone for your great information and advice on this. []

 

[Rudy Vey]

Although the diameter between the two types of mandrels seems not too much apart (A is 6.25 mm or 0.246"; B is 7.34 mm or 0.288"), what counts more towards the rigidity (?? if there is a word like this) of the mandrel is its cross-section, and this is quite a bit more with the "B" mandrel. If I have a chance, I always would take a B over an A kit!!
I turn the pens for that are no B bushings available (I mean here the Baron and Gent Jr)with the A mandrel, but one barrel at a time. The result is more precise than when I turn both at a time.

 

[its_virgil]

Correct Rudy....the ratio of the diameters is 1.17 (.288/.246) but the ratios of the area is 1.37...so increasing the diameter by a factor of a little less than 1/5 increased the cross section area by a factor of more than 1/3...( I do hope all of you remember your high school geometry...increase the diameter by a factor of a and increase the area by a factor of a squared...double the diameter and increase the area by a factor of 4)and as you said, that little increase in diameter produces a much stronger mandrel.
do a good turn daily!
Don

Originally posted by Rudy Vey
<br />Although the diameter between the two types of mandrels seems not too much apart (A is 6.25 mm or 0.246"; B is 7.34 mm or 0.288"), what counts more towards the rigidity (?? if there is a word like this) of the mandrel is its cross-section, and this is quite a bit more with the "B" mandrel. If I have a chance, I always would take a B over an A kit!!
I turn the pens for that are no B bushings available (I mean here the Baron and Gent Jr)with the A mandrel, but one barrel at a time. The result is more precise than when I turn both at a time.

 

[coach]

Originally posted by its_virgil
<br />Correct Rudy....the ratio of the diameters is 1.17 (.288/.246) but the ratios of the area is 1.37...so increasing the diameter by a factor of a little less than 1/5 increased the cross section area by a factor of more than 1/3...( I do hope all of you remember your high school geometry...increase the diameter by a factor of a and increase the area by a factor of a squared...double the diameter and increase the area by a factor of 4)and as you said, that little increase in diameter produces a much stronger mandrel.
do a good turn daily!
Don

And that Don is why I teach History!!!!!!!![]

 

[its_virgil]

But Coach, you did understand, right.
do a good turn daily!
Don

Originally posted by coach
<br />

Originally posted by its_virgil
<br />Correct Rudy....the ratio of the diameters is 1.17 (.288/.246) but the ratios of the area is 1.37...so increasing the diameter by a factor of a little less than 1/5 increased the cross section area by a factor of more than 1/3...( I do hope all of you remember your high school geometry...increase the diameter by a factor of a and increase the area by a factor of a squared...double the diameter and increase the area by a factor of 4)and as you said, that little increase in diameter produces a much stronger mandrel.
do a good turn daily!
Don

And that Don is why I teach History!!!!!!!![]

 

[coach]

Yeah, I understand, it just makes me have a headache!

 

[TexasJohn]

I wonder if Einstien ever turned pens?[8)] Texas John

 

[alamocdc]

Nancy, I have the PSI mandrel and two of each size from here http://tinyurl.com/a32kw . I've had no problems turning what I want and even the PSI bushings seem to fit on the off brand (?) mandrel w/o problems. I've been quite pleased with these and the price is the best I've found. My only complaint is that the B mandrel is almost too short for some of the B kits. One of our members (may have been Fred, but memory fails) was making replacement B mandrels just s bit longer than stock. Just more options for you.