Keeping centres clean when TBC

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Tiger

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Feb 15, 2009
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I find that even though I use some paste wax on both the dead centre and live centre I get CA over them and have to clean them up every time I do a CA finish. Do others find the same thing or am I just sloppy?
 
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renichols

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Oct 9, 2005
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Bellevue, Nebraska, USA. 68123-2302
I find that even though I use some paste wax on both the dead centre and live centre I get CA over them and have to clean them up every time I do a CA finish. Do others find the same thing or am I just sloppy?

Tiger, check out you pen supplier for either non-stick bushing or bushing for finishing. I'm now use them for all my finishing no matter what the material.
 

leehljp

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Feb 6, 2005
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Yes, I do too, even to this day. The non-stick Delron bushings should help some, IMO, even though I don't use them.

The original idea behind the TBC getting started on this forum is that it greatly reduced the breaking off of CA as compared to bushings. I had to say that because - while I was not the first to mention TBC on this forum, I think I was the first one to post a picture of it. I had problems with the breaking off of the bushings and it caused "lift" of CA on the ends of oily woods, particularly ebony. That happened on 3 or 4 occasions, even if I would score the CA at the bushing line. So I started looking at an alternative. Frank, aka Rifleman, and Johnny CNC had mentioned some others who had used a method in which they were "turning without a mandrel" - this was on another forum. I could not completely visualize it in my mind, so I pieced together what they mentioned and then later posted a picture.

Now as to your observation, Yes, I still overly CA my blanks and I get a lot of build up onto the drive and live center. The advantage is that the live center and drive center does not have a shoulder that squares up with the blank or tube, making it break off easier. This "over building" of CA layers might be a personality disorder :rolleyes:as I have not overcome it with all the years I have been doing it. :biggrin: However, it does accomplish the original intent as well as solve numerous other problems that are caused by mandrels at times.

I am sure that some people are more precise in their lack of build up of CA on the bushings than I am, but it doesn't bother me since I no longer have the CA "lifting" as I used to have. Back to your question, Yes, but as long as it works, OK, just accept it. If there are refinements that you develop that helps, pass them along to others.

I too have to clean them but it only takes less than a minute. I accept that because the alternative (mandrells) caused various "maladies" at times.

The first picture of a dead/drive center posted on this forum is below. It was turned from a pieces of round aluminum stock and the original term of TBC was referred to as mandrel-less turning:
http://www.penturners.org/photos/images/940/1_Dead_drive_2.jpg


Bob, thanks for the suggestion. I have some delrin and I need to make some. I have thought about it over the years, but never did it, since I only make a dozen or so pens a year. I am about to get back into pen turning of doing that much per month. Thanks.
 
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Charlie_W

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Sterling, VA USA
I don't even bother to wax the centers as I don't want any wax getting dragged into the blank. As Pete said, simply turn the CA off the centers. I use an old kitchen knife(now shop knife) as a Skew and shave the dried CA off the centers.
 

TonyL

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Mar 9, 2014
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Georgia
I used wax and presently, the special bushings. And 5 of 10 times, I get CA on them and it sticks. I am probably too sloppy with my CA application, but cleaning a bushing with acetone or whatever is not a big deal for me. Not recommending "my way", just letting you know that I get CA stuck to waxed and Delrin/Delron (?) bushings.
 

DJBPenmaker

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Nov 10, 2016
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Cheshire, UK
When ready to apply the CA, put the blank between the centres only after waxing the centres. When done if there is any CA on the centres put a smaller tube between and turn off the CA with a box cutter. Takes a few seconds and the smaller diameter tube spins both live and dead centres so it's easy to remove the CA.
What a good idea with the smaller tube. Never thought of that. Amazing the info you can pick up on this forum.

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Tiger

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Melbourne, AUSTRALIA
Thanks guys for your suggestions, I do use the Curly system and as the Skew chisel is in my hands I use that with a light touch. I didn't think that I'd need to do it every time but looks as though I might.
 

chrisk

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Nov 4, 2009
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Brussels, Belgium
CA finishing without any bushings for me, that is the blank between live and dead center. The main drawback of this method is both centers are litterally dipped in CA.
Some time ago, I used a skew to clean the CA but the centers were soon damaged.
Now I use aceton to clean live and dead center and it works just fine.
 
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