Metal Lathe to get me started

[moke]

I always have, well for a long time, made pens about 10 to 15 at a time. I have baskets I put all the parts in, and do them a bunch at a time. When I'm done with them, I fill the baskets again.....

Lately, I have been using a mandrel on a 8x1 adapter, putting the parts and bushings on it, then putting the mandrel in my metal lathe chuck, (keep in mind, I only turn acrylic for these types of pens) and take .040 to .050 a pass with a carbide bit, take it down only kind of close then do the finish shaping and with a skew, sand on my wood lathe on the same mandrel and adapter, switch to delrin bushing mandrel and buff on a small lathe with a beal buff, Mcguire polish and done. I know some would say that they can use their skew faster, in lieu of the metal lathe, but I am slow and careful with a skew and this is faster for me.

My question is, does anyone else do anything like this? It seems to go faster for me. I have 3 or 4 mandrels so I can do them all, then move to the other lathe. I like doing it this way, but my metal lathe is only a year old and maybe the "newness" is still intriguing to me and that is the draw. What do you think? Am I making more work?

Thanks in advance.

 

[elyk864]

I think you are doing more work, I use a carbide tip chisel and keeping it sharp will help plow through acrylics easily taking long strands. Acrylester though, you will need to go a bit slowed to prevent massive chip out.

 

[BRobbins629]

I've been doing it close to that way for years. Rarely turn a pen on my wood lathe, particularly when I want a constant diameter for potential CNC carving. Rarely lose one to blowout.

 

[moke]

Bruce, sounds like I am in pretty good company, I started doing this shortly after I got the metal lathe for a segmented blank that I thought was delicate......I had intended to bathe the blank in thin CA several times but it seemed to be turning so easy, I never did. So I thought, hey why not do this for pens I was selling/giving away and take a big cut...I have never had a blowout either....something I certainly can not say for turning on the wood lathe. It literally takes me 2 minutes to transfer from one lathe to the other.

 

[More4dan]

I only have the metal lathe so my method is a bit different. I use a dead center in the chuck and use a live center in the tail stock. I turn the blanks round between centers. I then put the blank into the chuck and drill on the lathe. After gluing in the tubes, I square the ends on my sander using a 90deg fence. The hole and side of the round blank are parallel so I don't need a guide through the tube. I then turn the blank with tube down to the largest diameter of the cap or body using the metal lathe. I usually make it .100" larger than the hardware. I then mount a tool rest I made for the metal lathe and turn by hand to the final dimensions. Then finish with Delrin bushings between centers. I use a HSS bit I ground for wood and acrylic with a higher angle than I normally grind for metal. I get a cleaner cut with the HSS than I get with carbide tooling made for metal turning. I can easily touch up the edge with a diamond card.

I usually cut in .020" passes by hand and use the power feed for the last pass or two. I'm only using a 7' x 10" lathe. I really don't have blow outs turning this way.

Danny

 

[Woodster Will]

When I made my realistic Cigar pen it was all done on my MW lathe. The wood was slowly turned using polished carbide inserts and the drilling was done using a collet chuck. Accuracy was key to get the two halves to line up.

 

[PatrickR]

The thing that struck me in the OP, "I like it this way". Then keep doing that way, (unless you feel a need to change). I do similar foregoing the mandrel. I TBC and move between the two lathes as needed.