Source for longer tubes?

[woodscavenger]

Does anyone know of a source for longer brass tubes for our kits. I personally like the baron a little longer and I would like to play around with lengthening it but using a brass tube to do it, not just by doing a closed end form.

 

[bigvoots44]

cant rememb er which but in one of the catalogues you can get 10 inch lengths of 7mm brass tubes. I am sure you should be able to find larger,
fred

 

[Darley]

Try Ryan @ woodturningz he got them from PSI

 

[Randy_]

Shane:

Only place I have seen longer tubes are from PSI......10" tubes for some of the common sizes in kits that PSI sells. There was a post recently either here or at Yahoo about someone who bought long tubes and they didn't fit whatever kit the guy was working on.....don't think you can be guaranteed that a 7mm tube from PSI will necessarily be the same as a 7mm tube from Berea.

A more reasonable option, probably, would be to buy an extra set of tubes for whatever kit you are building and then cut some extra length from the spare tube.(I think all of the kit makers sell extra kit tubes??) It would be nice to have a one piece tube, whatever the length; but I don't think you give up much by having a 2-piece tube.....that is the way I like to see my women!!![][]

 

[elody21]

Hobby Lobby has a display of brass tubes and rods in different sizes. I have no idea if any of these will work for pen turning.

 

[Rudy Vey]

Buy spare tubes and cut to the length you need, add this tube piece to the other one. BB sell spare tubes.

 

[Daniel]

Originally posted by Randy_
<br />Shane:

but I don't think you give up much by having a 2-piece tube.....that is the way I like to see my women!!![][]

About time someone started refering to pens as women. As many men as we have addicted to this stuff it has to have some sort of faminine thing about it [}]
Now for a comment on the topic. It has alwas been my understanding that Berea mandrels are just a tad off size from the other companies. including the 7mm or A mandrel. this would cause me to think there is a good chance the tube is not the same size as well. Not to say you shouldn't try but be informed at the very least. O think the A mandrel is just a tad larger which leaves reamin gthe tube or drilling it out large enough as a possible option.

 

[DCBluesman]

Shane--if your question refers to buying long brass tubes for the Baron, I don't believe you will find them. The OD and especially the ID of the tubes doesn't match up with any standard. The ID is critical since the pressure fit parts are critical to the functionality. It has already been suggest that you buy extra tubes and add a section, but I've had excellent results simply splitting the tubes. There are a few tricky parts, but basically all you need to do is make sure you have tubes in place for all of the pressure fit parts.

 

[woodscavenger]

Thanks for all of your comments.

Randy, we are all glad to see your true feelings about pen turning come out. As for myself I actually prefer a nicely cut one peice![]

I know that I can get extra tubes. That is not the issue.

I have thought about splitting them but I am thinking of a very thin wall design and it makes me a little nervous. I think I will be stuck with using the extra tube section.

 

[Randy_]

Originally posted by Daniel<br />It has alwas been my understanding that Berea mandrels are just a tad off size from the other companies. including the 7mm or A mandrel. this would cause me to think there is a good chance the tube is not the same size as well. Not to say you shouldn't try but be informed at the very least. O think the A mandrel is just a tad larger which leaves reamin gthe tube or drilling it out large enough as a possible option.

I guess it all depends on how you look at the problem. According to published figures:

PSI mandrel = 0.243" ±(?)
CSUSA mandrel = 0.246" ±(?)
Berea mandrel = 0.247" +0-0.002

You can see that the PSI mandrel is actually the "odd man out." I surmise that most people think Berea mandrels are funky because they ALSO have a "B" mandrel which is 0.291" OD.....a hair more than 8 mm.

 

[Darley]

Well I'm confused why so much mandrel? this do not give help to us penturner, do you have to have different bushing for different mandrel? what do happen when you use a different bushing with a different mandrel? ( oval pen[]? ) can suppliers agreed to have 1 mandrel size only, only the OD and ID of the bushing is different.

 

[RussFairfield]

Cut the brass tubes in half, and glue the pieces into the longer wood blank from each end, leaving a gap between them. You only need the brass at the ends of the barrels to hold the fittings.

The glue bond between wood and brass becomes more important when using 2-piece tubs because pressure from the bushings can break them loose. If this is a problem, you can cut two (2) standard tubes to whatever length is required to close up the gap between them inside the pen barrel.

Did Lou already say this??

 

[Daniel]

I guess it all depends on how you look at the problem. According to published figures:

PSI mandrel = 0.243" ±(?)
CSUSA mandrel = 0.246" ±(?)
Berea mandrel = 0.247" +0-0.002

You can see that the PSI mandrel is actually the "odd man out." I surmise that most people think Berea mandrels are funky because they ALSO have a "B" mandrel which is 0.291" OD.....a hair more than 8 mm.
[/quote]
My thinking from my earlier post came from conversations a long time ago on the Yahoo group. it has always stuck in my head that P.S.I. and CSUSA Mandrels could be interchanged. and more importantly there bushings work fine on either mandrel. and that Bereas didn't. With only a 0.004 difference with a error of 0.002 I don't think it really counts as a difference. maybe Berea changed something since then or I'm just starting to show my age.
thanks for listing that though.
I actually need to get more Berea kits. the only mandrel I have is there bottle stopper mandrel and the drill driver for it. I started with P.S.I. kits, moved to CSUSA and have never seemed to have gotten away from them. CSUSA just has to much that appeals to me.

 

[Checked]

I am the one who had a problem with mixing different tubes and different kits.
They all DON"T interchange. just because it is a 7mm tube doesn't mean all
7mm kits will work.

 

[ctEaglesc]

Originally posted by Checked
<br />I am the one who had a problem with mixing different tubes and different kits.
They all DON"T interchange. just because it is a 7mm tube doesn't mean all
7mm kits will work.

Most of my slimlines are from Woodturningz
If I am placing an order with BB&AS I will sometimes order som from him.
It wasn't until I added components from CSUSA that I had a problem.
I am not faulting ony suppier, I know that if I mix cmponents from different suppliers I am taking a risk of running into problems.
Recently Pastor Bill ran into a similar problem I ran into.
I had assembled a few antler carcasing pens where the transmission "spu" in the top section and would not extend the refill.
Rather than do a bunch of measuring I just tried anoher PSI transmission. Problem solved.
I don't know if the problem is the transmission or the tube and it really doesn't matte as I know the remedy and will just get the extra transmissions.
As far as madrels/bushings go I use PSI slimline bushings with all kits from all suppliers interchangeably.I don't use the center bushing.

 

[Randy_]

I took a few minutes and tested all of my bushing sets on the Berea mandrel....which BTW measured 0.246". I have a variety of bushings from Rockler, Berea, PSI, and CSUSA. With two exceptions. the bushings all fit just fine.....snug but without binding......not at all wobbly or excessively loose. There was ONE bushing in the CSUSA Gent Jr. 4-bushing set that fit over the threaded part of the mandrel but would not slide onto the smooth part of the shaft.....obviously a bushing problem. A small strip of 600 grit sandpaper paper to a 16d nail and chucked in my drill will take care of the problem. I also had one bushing from one of the PSI bushing sets......don't remember which one....that was a hair snug; but the 600 SP will take care of that too!!

As a general rule, I don't think you have to worry about the Berea "A" mandrel being compatible with bushings from other manufacturers.

 

[Thumbs]

I went to a local hobby store where they had 3 foot brass tubing sections. I picked a piece that appeared to be the right size and brought it home. When I got in the shop, I compared it to the kit tubing. It was the right external size but none of the kit parts would fit in it. So much for impulse buying! Went back to the shop and got another piece that had the correct internal sizing. It wouldn't fit any of the blanks I had already drilled! Didn't want to try overdrilling my blanks so I just made do without any extra tubing. But, it will work if I just remember to oversize the blank borehole when I start. It really would have been economical if I had taken a sample and made a trip to the hobby center for that given purpose! Impulse buying can be rather costly if you do it the way I do![]

 

[Darley]

Bob don't you have the facility to swap over the wrong tube, I mean here when you buy something and is not the right size you go back to the shop, explained to he sale person ( with your docket ) and you swap for the right size.

 

[Thumbs]

<b>Serge</b>, I'm what you call the proverbial pack rat!

If it involves tools (ok, toys, if you will) or anything else shop related that I may at any date, in the <u>near</u> or <u>distant future</u>, find a <u><b>possible</b></u> use for, I'll keep it in my shop or garage or basement or......You get the picture, I'm sure![][]

 

[Darley]

Originally posted by Thumbs
<br /><b>Serge</b>, I'm what you call the proverbial pack rat!

If it involves tools (ok, toys, if you will) or anything else shop related that I may at any date, in the <u>near</u> or <u>distant future</u>, find a <u><b>possible</b></u> use for, I'll keep it in my shop or garage or basement or......You get the picture, I'm sure![][]

I got the picture you're related to Steptoe and Son family[][]