pen mandrels help required

[pedro68]

Hi everyone , i was looking for some assistance on a question i have , i am going to attempt pen turning and have discovered my lathe (a scheppach DMT 180) has a solid drive with no morse taper to accept a pen mandrel with a morse taper , i have looked into using a junior chuck which threads onto my drive ,this has various collets that would accept a straight mandrel ,would this accept a morse taper also and can anyone recommend a pen kit that would work with this chuck set up that has all the tools i may require .I would also like to know where you source your pen components from and what you would recommend i start with , how many you order at a time and pen cases etc. Infact if there is anything you can tell me that may be of help to me then please do as i will need all the help i can get . I dont want to order all the stuff and then realise i made a mistake .thanks in advance everyone .

Peter

 

[rherrell]

The pen mandrel can be unscrewed from the MT part and used by itself. The mandrel is .246" in diameter so a 1/4" collet will work. If you can't get imperial stuff in Scotland anything between 6.25mm and 7mm will work if you're using ER collets.

 

[cwolfs69]

no morse taper

i almost never use a pen mandrel with a morse taper on it. i buy them where they come apart, such as pen mandrel and hold it in my collet set for turning. that way i can shorten it up for more rigid turning. you could also hack saw the mandrel off from a regular one and get the same thing. havn't used my morse tapers for about a year now and have much better luck. i actually prefer it to TBC turning. good luck with whatever you choose.

 

[pedro68]

hi there , thanks for the replys , i did not realise the morse taper could be taken off, that solves a lot of problems for me as i was looking at a kit that has all i need and this was the only stumbling block, i hope . i will now turn my attention to sourcing pen components ,again any advice would be great.

Peter

 

[pedro68]

as an after thought ,can anyone recommend a mandrel set that would suit my needs with all tools i would need(i mean the tool for cleaning up the blanks etc) ,iv seen a few i thought would maybe do but prefer to hear from people who have been there and done that.

 

[sbell111]

If you already have the appropriately-sized collets, you do not need to bother with buying a mandrel 'set'. Just buy a replacement mandrel shaft and nut. It will be much cheaper.

As for 'all the tools that you will need', that's not only a never ending list, but there's much personal preference involved. For instance, as someone mentioned above, some people use a mandrel and others don't. If you use a mandrel, you will need a 60 degree live center.

Many people 'clean up the blanks' with pen mills. Others use other, similar, tools or various jigs and contraptions to get the job done.

I assume that, since you have a lather already, that you also have turning tools and dust collection issues worked out.

 

[BradG]

or dont bother with a mandrel at all and turn between centres.... I used a mandrel for quite a while, but wont be using one again. If you over tighten the tailstock, the mandrel will bow, which will make your pieces wobble as they turn.. with the mandrels being steel they will hold the curved shape.

If you do want to buy a straight mandrel i purchased mine from axminster tools
Buy Axminster Pen Mandrels from Axminster, fast delivery for the UK

 

[devil2456]

one of the best places to buy pen kits in uk is okecraft.co.uk

 

[pedro68]

hi there, i have all the general tools like skews and spindle gouges , i need to get the tool for cleaning the glue off the inserts and recesses the blank but i cant remember the name , i was going to order a mandrel and locking nut , do you order the spacers with which never pen kit you buy or is there a standard size to begin with. i have looked at okecraft site and will order a few different kits from there i think. i was wondering if someone could post an inventory of all i will need and i will order it all at once as i am dying to get started .

 

[Kretzky]

I think you may be talking about a pen mill, used for cleaning up & squaring the ends of your blanks once you have glued the tube in. Personally I've switched to using a disc sander. Much easier imo & less prone to gouge lumps out of the ends of your blanks :wink:
I you already have all the tools for spindle turning then you have all the tools for pen making. Personally I use a 1"roughing gouge, (& very occasionally a skew) for all my pens, plus sandpaper.
I turn on a mandrel & yes I buy the bushings required for each pen type that I make. Many here turn between centres (which I'll try at some time), I also check finished sizes with a vernier or micrometer (ie I don't just rely on the bushings being of the correct size). I finish wood to 600 grit then CA finish. Acrylics I finish with Micromesh.
Hope that helps you get started.

 

[pedro68]

hi there,a pen mill is there very thing ,i have a good idea now of what i need to do ,just got to order the stuff and have a go, il order 20 or so pen kits and have a bash. there seems to be loads to choose from and i was wondering what the easiest type to start with would be,im hoping to make a beautiful pen as a gift for someone once i have made a few,fingers crossed.

Peter