New idea for followers of BCB turning.

[Firefyter-emt]

I was just out in the shop tonight turning a pen with some original bushings because I have not had time to make my own. I like to take my pen blanks down undersize about .005" to allow the CA to build up the the measured thickness once the CA has been sanded back down. I have found that my coats tend to be about .002" and once I knock it down with sanding the .008" CA coat is pretty dang close to .005"

The problem with using stock bushings is it's hard to get a nice sharp line .005" under the bushing. I have taken the bushings off and sanded between centers without the bushings to just get the ends just right. Well tonight I tried sanding it fully between centers without the bushings. This worked so nice, easy to check with calipers, no "metal drag" from the bushings and easy to sand the blank right at the ends.

I think this will become my new sanding method seeing how nice it worked right thru the steps of sandpaper. After the 4 coats of CA and an overnight dry time, I use my sandpaper pen mill to knock the tube ends flat of the CA build up and return the blank between bushings and sand. The bushings (if at the right size) will keep the CA sharp and not rounded over. This could very well be "the next step" in this great method!

PS.. sure saves some wear on your bushings too!

 

[rherrell]

I"ve been doing pretty much the same thing for quite a while now. I use the bushings to get close, then remove the bushings and sand to .004(or so) under. Apply CA and sand with 600 until dead on. MM to 4,000 and Beall buff. Then it's over to the disc sander to clean up the ends on my homemade squaring jig.So far, so good!

 

[leehljp]

Lee,

Same for me. Good explanation.

 

[jhs494]

Lee,
I have read your advice on finishing between centers before and not until I had a perfect CA finish stick to a bushing and cause me to have to start over did I give it a try.
I made a small change to the procedure of finishing between centers that you have mentioned.
I only have one Wood lathe in my shop and I didn't want to take my mandrel out after turning my blanks to finish between centers so I made a set of bushings with Delrin.
I started with 5/8" round and drilled it to fit tight over the shaft and turned a 60 degree angle on one end, then parted them off.
I made four of these and use them to sand and finish after I have turned the blanks on the bushings.
I guess you could call them 60 degree bushings.
What do you think?
Thanks for all your great ideas..
Joe

 

[Firefyter-emt]

Joe, yours will probably work even better than mine because the CA will clean off eaiser. The key is that the CA will flow & "stick" at the brass tube area not at the edge of the wood. This allows you to gently mill off the excess CA so that the finish has been perfectly milled flat before you put the bushings back on to sand & polish.

I apply my 4 coats of CA and wetsand with either 400 or 600 wet sandpaper and water so that the finish is perfectly flat. I then hand sand lengthwise and start in with the MM. Once I have gone thru the 9 steps of MM I use an auto polishing compound (a fine synthetic) and then an auto glaze. Once this is done I apply a coat of Ren-wax by hand. If you did not go thru the CA, you are left with a glass finish CA coat.

I have to replace my live center soon and have thought about pressing the center out of the bearing, buying a new bearing and making a Derlin center pin myself. I need to get the new center before I try to rip the live center apart. Maybe a live center made from Derlin would be a nice addition too!

Your system should work nice, but you still work with the mandrel which really slows down how fast you can measure the blank for fit.