Fleabit
Member
Does anyone know if PSI is interchangeable with other companies Mandrels/Bushings? I am getting ready to order from BB and need to know if I have to do a new set up. I am asking because most people on here do not rate PSI very high.
PSI Bushings
- Thread starter Fleabit
- Start date
Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
- Status
Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
Gregory Huey
Member
If I remember right you can use a PSI bushing on another mandrel but you can't use other bushings on a PSI mandrel. I hope some one will jump in and bail me out if I am wrong. I would also be concerned with what style pen you are turning. Their are diffrent bushings For the same style kits. (American style is one)
woodscavenger
Member
This is one of the most annoying things about this hobby to me.
Berea "A" mandrel shaft is .245" to .247"
Berea "B" mandrel shaft is .291"
CSU mandrel shaft is .245"
The PSI mandrel shaft that I have is .243"
The 7mm bushings I have are .249
Maybe some one could post the id of the Berea "A" bushings and the
CSU bushings.
Berea "B" mandrel shaft is .291"
CSU mandrel shaft is .245"
The PSI mandrel shaft that I have is .243"
The 7mm bushings I have are .249
Maybe some one could post the id of the Berea "A" bushings and the
CSU bushings.
Rifleman1776
Member
Amen, brother. The confusing lack of standards totally violates my KISS principal of doing things. For now, I am limiting my pen styles and choice of vendors to those that provide what I started with. i.e. 7mm I avoid vendors that use odd ball sizes and/or do not designate sizes but use letter names instead.
G
Guest
Guest
I interchange slimlines, and cigar without ill effects.
I don't use the middle bushing except as a spacer and NEVER make a straight slim line.
If there was a zero tolerance on bushing to mandrel you'd comaplain the bushing was too tight.
Bushings are disposable and cheap compared to the price of a finished pen.
I happen to like PSI kits.
I have also bought Slimlines from BB/AS the yep they are less expensive than most but the kits are shipped in bulk .
That is not meant as a negative comment but I do wonder as to the fact that maybe ALL slimlines come from one supplier.That is not a statement of fact just a musing.
Yep the "B" mandrel from Berea is a crock of shirt, but their kits are nice.
The argument they use for the "B" mandrel being more stable totally is blown away by the fact the cigar pens sold by everyone uses the smaller standard 1/4" mandrel.
I have spoken to the owner of Berea and the answer was "marketing" and they already spent so much on tooling .
Well wheich is it?
A stable shaft for larger pens or the pocket book.
As I said I like their designs but his way of dealing with customers and their sloppy shipping methods has made me vow if I buy a Berea product it won't be dirct from them.
They may get some business from me but they won't be making as much.
I don't use the middle bushing except as a spacer and NEVER make a straight slim line.
If there was a zero tolerance on bushing to mandrel you'd comaplain the bushing was too tight.
Bushings are disposable and cheap compared to the price of a finished pen.
I happen to like PSI kits.
I have also bought Slimlines from BB/AS the yep they are less expensive than most but the kits are shipped in bulk .
That is not meant as a negative comment but I do wonder as to the fact that maybe ALL slimlines come from one supplier.That is not a statement of fact just a musing.
Yep the "B" mandrel from Berea is a crock of shirt, but their kits are nice.
The argument they use for the "B" mandrel being more stable totally is blown away by the fact the cigar pens sold by everyone uses the smaller standard 1/4" mandrel.
I have spoken to the owner of Berea and the answer was "marketing" and they already spent so much on tooling .
Well wheich is it?
A stable shaft for larger pens or the pocket book.
As I said I like their designs but his way of dealing with customers and their sloppy shipping methods has made me vow if I buy a Berea product it won't be dirct from them.
They may get some business from me but they won't be making as much.
GregMuller
Member
I just finished a Berea Euro pen that called for the B mandrel. By mistake I started it on the PSI mandrel and realized the mistake when the bushings were not symetriclly all around the blank. I switched to the right mandrel but then could not get all the bushings on the mandrels the way the instructions called for. I have not assembled the pen yet so we will see if I have made a huge blunder.
The blank did seem more stable on the larger mandrel if that helps you any.
The blank did seem more stable on the larger mandrel if that helps you any.
wayneis
Member
I'd like to know why we bother to have rules to prohibit us from flaming and burning one another but it's ok for someone to torch the heck out of a company over and over. Personally, I am sick and tired of eagle blasting Berea. If you have a problem its fine to let people know about it but this has been going on and on for months now. There happen to be many of us that like Berea and are happy customers. Every company, every person for that matter makes a mistake once in a while but it doesn't mean that we have to constently flame them. Folks, we only have three companies who provide the majority of kits today, there are thousands of us and three of them to try to make us happy. eagle why don't you pick something else to rant about because this one is getting really old.
Wayne
Wayne
Gary
Member
I have found that the Woodcraft mandrel and the CSUSA mandrel are interchangable. It appears it's likely the same manufacturer, i.e., same measurements and original packaging. One big difference is that at it's $19.99, and the ones I bought last week at Woodcraft were $9.99. I haven't figured that one out.
Fred in NC
Member
Gary, I figured it out..... $10 difference for the same thing!
I have bought several from Woodcraft.
I have bought several from Woodcraft.
Be a little careful with the Woodcraft mandrels. They changed suppliers late last year and the quality control does not seem to be quite as good. There is measurable difference between the two I bought in December. If you want more details or additional experiences, talk to Bill Baumbeck at Arizona Silhouette. He's the one that confirmed this for me.
Fred in NC
Member
Thanks, Lou. I bought mine earlier last year.
woodscavenger
Member
When I first got into this the guy at the Woodcraft store told me I ought to buy a couple of mandrels. I laughed. Does he think I am an idiot?! Who would ever need multiple mandrels. And ye tlast night as I contemplated new finishing techniques I thought about picking up a couple of spare rods.........
woodscavenger
Member
When I first got into this the guy at the Woodcraft store told me I ought to buy a couple of mandrels. I laughed. Does he think I am an idiot?
!] Who would ever need multiple mandrels. And ye tlast night as I contemplated new finishing techniques I thought about picking up a couple of spare rods.........[]
!] Who would ever need multiple mandrels. And ye tlast night as I contemplated new finishing techniques I thought about picking up a couple of spare rods.........[]Fred in NC
Member
I tried the spare rods.... no go! I rather use complete mandrels. I need something to hold the bushings and barrels in place. I put some finish coats off the lathe sometimes!
That brass compression contraption that comes with the Woodcraft mandrels, in my opinion, is a lot of *&^%. (meaning, a good idea that does not work for me!)
That brass compression contraption that comes with the Woodcraft mandrels, in my opinion, is a lot of *&^%. (meaning, a good idea that does not work for me!)
Gary
Member
I'm with Fred on this one. I use several mandrels. I like to leave the blanks on the mandrel as I go through stages of turning, sealing and finishing. It's easy to pop them on and off the lathe that way. There is always a half dozen or more of them in various stages because I like to let the sealer and lacquer cure before proceeding through the steps.
Fred in NC
Member
Right, Gary.... do you also have a 2x4 with holes in it?
Gary
Member
Actually, I have a 2x6 that I've drilled to hold them because all of mine have the #2 Morse taper drives on them.
G
Guest
Guest
It was just the facts.
Randy_
Member
Fleabit:
Doesn't look as if anyone gave a specific answer to your question in spite of the fact that there 20 some odd posts in this thread.
I can't give you a complete and definitive answer; but maybe the following will help. PSI has the smallest mandrel of the three major suppliers.....as much as 0.004" smaller by published data.....so in theory, PSI bushings might not fit Berea mandrel(mm).
On the other hand, I just checked some brand new bushings from PSI and they fit perfectly on my almost new Berea 7mm mandrel so I don't think you will have a major problem. There is a little variation in manufacturing and I have gotten an occasional bushing that was a hair snug. I just attached a short strip of 600 grit sandpaper to a nail (with the head removed) chucked in my cordless drill and polished the inside of the bushing.....problem solved.
That being said, I went back and reread your post and am not entirely sure what your concern is. Are you worried about using PSI kits and bushings on a Berea mandrel or the opposite?? General answer is that PSI stuff should work OK on the Berea mandrel with the exception noted above and Berea stuff should work on the PSI mandrel although the bushings might be a few thousandths larger than the PSI bushings....shouldn't be enough to make a noticeable difference. One thing you do have to be careful of is that some of the Berea kits require an "8mm" mandrel. Those kits CANNOT be used on the PSI 7mm mandrel unless you make your own bushings. If there is something I have missed, holler and I will try to help.
P.S. I've only placed two orders with Berea; but have gotten excellent service both times. Any company of any size is always going to have a few order problems.....PSI just messed one up for me.....and there are very few companies who are beloved by 100% of the people with whom they have dealt. From what I have read on this board, Berea seems to have a pretty good reputation and the only consistent negative comment that I've seen is that they don't have an order service on their web site.....you have to order by phone.
Doesn't look as if anyone gave a specific answer to your question in spite of the fact that there 20 some odd posts in this thread.
I can't give you a complete and definitive answer; but maybe the following will help. PSI has the smallest mandrel of the three major suppliers.....as much as 0.004" smaller by published data.....so in theory, PSI bushings might not fit Berea mandrel(mm).
On the other hand, I just checked some brand new bushings from PSI and they fit perfectly on my almost new Berea 7mm mandrel so I don't think you will have a major problem. There is a little variation in manufacturing and I have gotten an occasional bushing that was a hair snug. I just attached a short strip of 600 grit sandpaper to a nail (with the head removed) chucked in my cordless drill and polished the inside of the bushing.....problem solved.
That being said, I went back and reread your post and am not entirely sure what your concern is. Are you worried about using PSI kits and bushings on a Berea mandrel or the opposite?? General answer is that PSI stuff should work OK on the Berea mandrel with the exception noted above and Berea stuff should work on the PSI mandrel although the bushings might be a few thousandths larger than the PSI bushings....shouldn't be enough to make a noticeable difference. One thing you do have to be careful of is that some of the Berea kits require an "8mm" mandrel. Those kits CANNOT be used on the PSI 7mm mandrel unless you make your own bushings. If there is something I have missed, holler and I will try to help.
P.S. I've only placed two orders with Berea; but have gotten excellent service both times. Any company of any size is always going to have a few order problems.....PSI just messed one up for me.....and there are very few companies who are beloved by 100% of the people with whom they have dealt. From what I have read on this board, Berea seems to have a pretty good reputation and the only consistent negative comment that I've seen is that they don't have an order service on their web site.....you have to order by phone.
Fleabit
Member
Randy:
What I am trying to avoid is having to buy a new madrel when I purchase from another company. I have PSI equipment and am trying to determine if the other companies bushings will fit the madrel tight enough to not mess up a pen. I hate avoidable oopses!
What I am trying to avoid is having to buy a new madrel when I purchase from another company. I have PSI equipment and am trying to determine if the other companies bushings will fit the madrel tight enough to not mess up a pen. I hate avoidable oopses!
wdcav1952
Activities Manager Emeritus
Flea,
I bought used PSI equipment from a friend who wanted a larger lathe. I got a Carbatec lathe and 1mm mandrel and bushings. When I bought a Berea mandrel from Ernie at Beartoothwoods.com, the PSI bushings were too small to fit the Berea mandrel. My opinion was that the Berea mandrel was better than the PSI one. Therefore, I shelled out the $5 to buy more Berea bushings and never looked back. So, from my experience, Berea bushings will fit the PSI mandrel, but the PSI bushings will not fit the Berea mandrel. Hope this helps,
I bought used PSI equipment from a friend who wanted a larger lathe. I got a Carbatec lathe and 1mm mandrel and bushings. When I bought a Berea mandrel from Ernie at Beartoothwoods.com, the PSI bushings were too small to fit the Berea mandrel. My opinion was that the Berea mandrel was better than the PSI one. Therefore, I shelled out the $5 to buy more Berea bushings and never looked back. So, from my experience, Berea bushings will fit the PSI mandrel, but the PSI bushings will not fit the Berea mandrel. Hope this helps,
G
Guest
Guest
Randy-
First you say no one answered hids question then you ask what his question was.
I did make an attempt to answer his question but since I have not tried every kit on the market I could not say categorically that they are all interchangeable.
Ther are euraopean kits that have no bushings at all.You have to Mic. every part.
Just because I have worn out bushings doesn't mean I don't make a pen.
Some Manufactureres kits don't even fit their own bushings from one shipment to the next.
There really isn;t any answer.
First you say no one answered hids question then you ask what his question was.
I did make an attempt to answer his question but since I have not tried every kit on the market I could not say categorically that they are all interchangeable.
Ther are euraopean kits that have no bushings at all.You have to Mic. every part.
Just because I have worn out bushings doesn't mean I don't make a pen.
Some Manufactureres kits don't even fit their own bushings from one shipment to the next.
There really isn;t any answer.
- Status