What do I need to TBC?

[micah]

Been using a mandrel forever, but have gotten too tired of the out of round problem. I went to only doing one piece at a time, but still not where I want it...
I'm going to be setting up to use the tbc method and would like to know what you guys use for a basic setup.
What kind of headstock will I need? Do I just use a 60deg tailstock?
I am using a jet mini, will I need a new tool rest?
Thanks!

 

[nsfr1206]

You will need a dead center to drive blank.

 

[randyrls]

Been using a mandrel forever, but have gotten too tired of the out of round problem. I went to only doing one piece at a time, but still not where I want it...
I'm going to be setting up to use the tbc method and would like to know what you guys use for a basic setup.
What kind of headstock will I need? Do I just use a 60deg tailstock?
I am using a jet mini, will I need a new tool rest?
Thanks!

At a minimum you need a dead center for the headstock and a 60 degree live center for the tail stock. (I'm assuming your lathe has an MT taper in the head stock). You probably already have the live tail stock center, but it has to be a 60 degree center. Because you only turn one blank at a time, you may also need a short 4" tool rest for your lathe. Rick Herrell makes a good modular one. You can have separate bars and they are tool steel so you don't get grooves in them. You can always cut off a tool rest to the correct length with a hack saw.

TBC bushings from JohnnyCNC for your pen kit. If you don't see them on his site, email him and he can make them for you. He also sells the headstock dead center.
Penturners Products!

 

[micah]

You will need a dead center to drive blank.

Cool, would this one work?
Amazon.com: Grizzly H7967 Carbide-Tipped Lathe Center - MT2: Home Improvement

 

[micah]

Been using a mandrel forever, but have gotten too tired of the out of round problem. I went to only doing one piece at a time, but still not where I want it...
I'm going to be setting up to use the tbc method and would like to know what you guys use for a basic setup.
What kind of headstock will I need? Do I just use a 60deg tailstock?
I am using a jet mini, will I need a new tool rest?
Thanks!

TBC bushings from JohnnyCNC for your pen kit. If you don't see them on his site, email him and he can make them for you. He also sells the headstock dead center.
Penturners Products!

ya, I had seen those...I'm sure they are super nice, but I just can't afford $25 a pair for bushings... Can I just use my regular old bushings, or no bushing at all and just use my calipers for measuring?

 

[joefyffe]

Johnny CNC has or can make all you need for tbc. He's great people and is a member here. Does fantastic work!

 

[Andrew_K99]

You don't need bushing and can just use calipers. Bushings will help you get close before using the calipers.

And as mentioned 60° live and dead centers.

AK

 

[IPD_Mr]

Here is the drive center for half the price.
LittleMachineShop.com - Dead Center, 2MT

You can use stock bushings but they are NOT as accurate as Johnny's bushings. You want to do the TBC because of the out of round problems, to help eliminate that problem you need quality bushings, not the $3 stock bushings. Start with a single barrel kit such as the sierra or elegant beauty and buy those bushings. (only $12.50 for the set of bushings) Once you try them you will never go back. You are on the right track, you just need to take the full leap.

 

[Rob73]

I would recommend Johhny as well for TBC setups. I bought the center and bushings from him months ago and quality is great.

 

[vthowe]

So I've also been throwing around TBC... I seen a posting saying, you don't need bushings. I'm guessing I misread this...you would have to have some type of bushings to fit the many different sizes of tubes right? I mean, there is really no way to TBC w/ out some kind of bushings that if nothing else are the size of the tubes even if you were using calipers for the external size right?

 

[Whaler]

You can TBC without bushings just by mounting your tubed blank between centers and turning with calipers.

 

[ericd]

In addition to the dead drive center and live 60 center, a small steb drive center is useful for taking your square blank to round.

Bushings aren't necessary for TBC. Use crescent wrenches to get close, then turn to calipers. Cheap calipers work fine. I use a Harbor Freight dial caliper, but many prefer digital.

If you want to drill on the lathe, you need a chuck for the headstock (I use a PSI collet) and a drill chuck for the tailstock.

 

[nava1uni]

You can make bushings out of corian. See the library for articles about turning between centers, You need a bushing of some type so that the tube does not get out of round from the dead center and the 60 degree tail stock center. You can flare the brass tubes if you apply too much tail stock pressure to drive the blank so you can turn it.