I need help!!!

[mdburn_em]

Greeting,
I have an Atlas Pen purchased through ArizonaSilhouette. I am having difficulty getting the ends of the wood so they are flush. Typically, one side (maybe 60 degrees of the 360 degrees) of the pen will be flush the rest will be proud. I have tried to mark on the picture where it's flush. I have a jet mini lathe less than 2 months old and I'm using stock equipment including the stock tailstock. I am also using a Jet pen mandrel. This is the first Atlas pen I've made. I've made about 10 cigar pens and maybe 10 slimlines. When I tighten up the nut and begin to rough out the pen, it frequently catches because I am trying not to over-tighten. Is this possibly a problem with not having a 60 degree tailstock?
I attempted to put this in the critique section but it appears to be locked. I hope this is ok.
Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[angboy]

I don't have an answer to your problem, but I'm sure someone here will be able to provide very detailed thoughts. But I do have a question- what type of wood is this pen?

 

[mrcook4570]

60 degree live center, don't overtighten tailstock or lock nut, place nib end next to headstock, when nearing final dimensions rotate blank (while keeping the bushings stationary) 1/4 turn a few times []

 

[clthayer]

I am using PSI's maxi mandrel. The adjustable length is nice. I find that sometimes it tightens itself. When a catch occurs the shaft will sometimes spin, pushing the tailstock a little, and turn the nut tighter. What I do is stop the lathe when I am close to finished turning, loosen the nut, snug it back up and finish turning. This isn't always a perfect fix though. One thing I do that works for me is to turn from square to round with the lathe speed higher than for normal turning. It seems to prevent some of those catches. Of course, I am new to penturning and am learning and noticing new things every pen I make. []

 

[alamocdc]

Stan hit it right on the head. That should help you with future pens.

 

[angboy]

Originally posted by mrcook4570
<br />60 degree live center, don't overtighten tailstock or lock nut, place nib end next to headstock, when nearing final dimensions rotate blank (while keeping the bushings stationary) 1/4 turn a few times []

I've never heard this tip before, can you explain what that does? That would totally mess up my orientation since I always put the pen the other way, but if there's some real benefit to doing it that way, then I'd adjust!

 

[wdcav1952]

Angela, the placement of the blanks on the mandrel is personal preference. Generally speaking, the most accurate area of the mandrel is closer to the headstock. Since the pen is handled at the nib, I feel that is the area of most importance with respect to feel. Some great turners put their blanks on with the opposite orientation, so that is not written in stone. Other turners turn one blank at a time for greater accuracy. I choose not to as I prefer to see the pen completely as I turn.

Although many find it hard to believe, over-tight tailstocks and/or lock nuts will flex the mandrel slightly, leading to out of round pens.

Like Billy said, Stan's advice is right on target.

 

[mdburn_em]

Originally posted by angboy
<br />I don't have an answer to your problem, but I'm sure someone here will be able to provide very detailed thoughts. But I do have a question- what type of wood is this pen?

This is a local shrub. We call it Caragana. I think a more proper name is Siberian Pea Shrub. We use it as shelter belts around the farms and sometimes in the fields, basically because nothing else will grow here in the frozen north, (nearly desert).

 

[mdburn_em]

Originally posted by mrcook4570
<br />60 degree live center, don't overtighten tailstock or lock nut, place nib end next to headstock, when nearing final dimensions rotate blank (while keeping the bushings stationary) 1/4 turn a few times []

First, let me say thank you for your help, second, I'm going to demonstrate my ignorance and ask what part of the pen the nib is. Sorry. Again, thanks for the advice...and to all the others that have posted to this topic.

 

[Ron Mc]

Mark,
Never a bad question. The nib end would be opposite the clip end.

 

[wayneis]

William is absolutely right on. I went to a pen turning demonstration last year at the Wood Turning Conference in Utah and that was pointed out. The nib is where you want the best fit because thats where you handle the pen. The headstock is the most stable place on the lathe and should have no unwanted movement there. After attending that seminar every time I look at a pen kit instruction sheet it always seems strange that the pen is facing the wrong way.

Wayne

 

[gerryr]

I've gotten so critical of fit that I not only stop the lathe and rotate the blanks on the mandrel, but also take then off and swap them end for end. I mark the inside of the tubes so I know how they're supposed to mate when I'm done. I have one Churchhill bushing that's out of round and when I need to use it I do the end with the good bushing and then swap the bushings.

 

[leehljp]

I have two sets of Sierra bushings, one from AZ Sil. and one from BearTooth Woods. I did about three pens before I discovered one bushing to be out of round. I do not know which vendor it came from as I opened both pacs and placed them in a box marked Sierra. Below is a picture of the out of round bushing. Out of round by .015

I had used it on the nib end and did not notice anything wrong until I put the pen together. I chalked it up to my inexperience. Then on the next Sierra, I had that one on the clip end. Boy did it cause some vibrations as I got the edges turned off of the blank.