A question on mandrels

[Fay Prozora]

I have made some of the slim line pens and want ot make the fatter cigar type of pens. What I was wondering is can you use the same mandrel for the slim line pens or do they need to be fatter ? Curious on this as I haven't see any information on this.. Thanks in advance Fay

 

[Dan Masshardt]

Same mandrel different bushings.

 

[plantman]

Fay; Buy or make yourself a set of taperd bushings. One size fits all !! No need to buy bushings for every different pen you want to make. Use a calipers to turn to size. Jim S

 

[Fay Prozora]

Thank you both. I will give it a try later on when I get ready to make the fatter pens.. Fay

 

[mikeinco]

Fay; Buy or make yourself a set of taperd bushings. One size fits all !! No need to buy bushings for every different pen you want to make. Use a calipers to turn to size. Jim S

That makes so much sense! Where do you get tapered bushings?

 

[Dan Masshardt]

Fay; Buy or make yourself a set of taperd bushings. One size fits all !! No need to buy bushings for every different pen you want to make. Use a calipers to turn to size. Jim S

If you're going to go that route, why bother with a mandrel? Centers would act is the tapered bushings.

 

[plantman]

Fay; Buy or make yourself a set of taperd bushings. One size fits all !! No need to buy bushings for every different pen you want to make. Use a calipers to turn to size. Jim S

If you're going to go that route, why bother with a mandrel? Centers would act is the tapered bushings.

Dan; You are absolutely correct !! But Fay is new to turning and only uses a mandrel at this time as many new turners do. Hence the tapered bushings suggestion. If you can turn a pen, you can make a set of tapered bushings. It is also very hard to find a 60 degree drive center for your lathe headstock that won't chew up your tubes or blanks. I usualy make both the tapered bushings and the drive for my MT1 lathe headstock myself. The headstock drive also adapts to my mini metal lathe by screwing into the mandrel holder. If you, or anyone is interested in how to make these, I can write a short thread with photos on how it is done. Jim S

 

[Edward Cypher]

Jim please do a writeup looking forward to it. Thanks.

 

[plantman]

Jim please do a writeup looking forward to it. Thanks.

Ed; look in the library under tools and jigs. Don Ward has an excellent 4 page explanation with photos on "how to make homemade bushings" out of corian. The only difference in making a tapered bushing is that instead of measuring for a seperate size for each pen kit, you just turn the ends of the bushings to 60 degrees until you reach the mandrel. There is one point that Don made that is very critical in making a tapered bushing out of anything but metal. Drill a 7MM hole and glue in a tube. If you don't you will be breaking off the thin end of the bushing. If you want to turn between centers, a 60 degree live center will work for the tail stock, but anything with teeth in it in the headstock will chew up your tube or blank. You can use a a smooth dead drive center in the headstock if you can find one to fit your lathe or mount one in a chuck. I will show everyone my method in an upcomming thread as soon as I can put one together. I use scrap woods for most of mine. Jim S

 

[Squeaky1]

Different Bushings

Fay; Buy or make yourself a set of taperd bushings. One size fits all !! No need to buy bushings for every different pen you want to make. Use a calipers to turn to size. Jim S

Please explain how to make bushings. I am new at this pen making. The bushings are different for each pen kit. What are tapered bushing. I am using Summit and Designer pen kits. Are the bushings interchangeable in these kits?

 

[plantman]

Fay; Buy or make yourself a set of taperd bushings. One size fits all !! No need to buy bushings for every different pen you want to make. Use a calipers to turn to size. Jim S

That makes so much sense! Where do you get tapered bushings?

Woodturningz .com sells them. Jim S

 

[plantman]

Fay; Buy or make yourself a set of taperd bushings. One size fits all !! No need to buy bushings for every different pen you want to make. Use a calipers to turn to size. Jim S

Please explain how to make bushings. I am new at this pen making. The bushings are different for each pen kit. What are tapered bushing. I am using Summit and Designer pen kits. Are the bushings interchangeable in these kits?

Look in permalink #9 above , it will tell you where to find Don Ward's explaination on how this is done in the library. Tapered bushing are just some sort of material that has been turned into a cone shape in order to hold multy sized holes drilled in the ends of blanks. If you are turning between centers, thay come to a point. If you are turning on a mandrel, they have a hole in the center. If you have set of tapered bushings, you don't have to buy all the other sizes to make any pen you want. Jim S