Delrin TBC Bushings

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Philip_TOPS

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Jan 9, 2011
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Milton, GA
Hi All,

It has been a while since I have been on IAP. It is good to be back!

I have been turning between centers with JohnnyCNC bushings for a few years now and they have been great. However I am looking for some Delrin bushings. Anyone know of folks out there that have/make them?

Phil
 
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Dan Masshardt

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Jan 30, 2013
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Mechanicsburg, PA
Everyone sells that cone ones. I don't think anyone is selling the tbc ones anymore.

I have several but don't really use them as finishing directly on the centers is so easy.
 

mecompco

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Apr 24, 2015
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Fairfield, Maine
Everyone sells that cone ones. I don't think anyone is selling the tbc ones anymore.

I have several but don't really use them as finishing directly on the centers is so easy.

I agree--turned some bushings from UHMW when I was still using a mandrel for finishing. CA still stuck to them. Now I just remove the bushings and (carefully, so as not to overly expand the tube) chuck the blank between centers.

Regards,
Michael
 

TurtleTom

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Checotah, Oklahoma 74426
Everyone sells that cone ones. I don't think anyone is selling the tbc ones anymore.

I have several but don't really use them as finishing directly on the centers is so easy.

I agree--turned some bushings from UHMW when I was still using a mandrel for finishing. CA still stuck to them. Now I just remove the bushings and (carefully, so as not to overly expand the tube) chuck the blank between centers.

Regards,
Michael

So that's how you guys are doing it. I didn't think there would be enough friction to turn it but if you are only finishing between centers it should work fine. So, cut on the mandrel but finish between centers. I'll do that next time I get the nerve to try CA again. Not working out too well.
 

Dan Masshardt

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Jan 30, 2013
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Mechanicsburg, PA
I don't use a mandrel for anything if I can help it but plenty of folks do.

Many do all their turning in centers directly.

I use steel tbc bushings for turning then remove the bushings and finish the. Polish directly on the centers when using ca.
 

duncsuss

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Jun 29, 2012
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Wilmington, MA
I don't use a mandrel for anything if I can help it but plenty of folks do.

Many do all their turning in centers directly.

I use steel tbc bushings for turning then remove the bushings and finish the. Polish directly on the centers when using ca.

Me too -- except I put the between-centers bushings back in while sanding and buffing. I find it cuts down on my tendency to over-sand the ends of the barrels (I was sanding through the CA, just at the ends, quite often till I put the bushings back in)
 

TurtleTom

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Jul 24, 2015
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Checotah, Oklahoma 74426
I suppose using a mandrel saver saves time since you no longer have to thread the brass nut onto the mandrel.
tbc bushing makers seem to have disappeared. Found some in Oklahoma for $10 a set for slimline and I may do it yet.
I have a lot of carbide metal lathe cutters from when I was a machinist and I look at the wood lathe and think how easy it used to be to make something like tbc bushings and how hard it would be to try to make them on a lathe without a carriage or cross slide. I'm tempted to try making them with a boring bar setup and light cuts. I will post if I do.
 
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darrin1200

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Mar 17, 2010
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Lyn, Ontario, Canada
I use the standard bushings to rough turn, to within about a millimetre. Then I go directly between centers, no bushings, for final turning and finishing.
 

mecompco

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I suppose using a mandrel saver saves time since you no longer have to thread the brass nut onto the mandrel.
tbc bushing makers seem to have disappeared. Found some in Oklahoma for $10 a set for slimline and I may do it yet.
I have a lot of carbide metal lathe cutters from when I was a machinist and I look at the wood lathe and think how easy it used to be to make something like tbc bushings and how hard it would be to try to make them on a lathe without a carriage or cross slide. I'm tempted to try making them with a boring bar setup and light cuts. I will post if I do.

Tom, if my lathe were a little more accurate, I'd make you a set. I made a set of TBC slim and comfort bushings and they work pretty good. They are within a couple thou, which is the best I can do until I get my lathe tuned a little better. It is about 5 thou off over 1.5". I suppose that is not unexpected from a lathe from the late 40's/early 50's!

Regards,
Michael
 

TurtleTom

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Jul 24, 2015
Messages
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Checotah, Oklahoma 74426
I appreciate the thought. That's an old lathe! With old lathes you get it as close as you can on the + side and file it the rest with the Chinese milling machine. Kinda hard to do boring though. I'll figure out something for sure, truth is, as much as I've run a lathe checking with micrometers as a go I know I can do that almost as fast as using bushings anyway. I lost a lunch bet to my father in 1972 at the machine shop where we were both working. He bet he could eyeball cut a piece of 1/2 inch rod to 1/4 inch within 2 thou. Naturally I took that bet hook line and sinker but I should have known better. The dials were covered up and away he went. I got to do the mikes when he said it was done, and it was 0.001" over. I bought lunch.
 

Skie_M

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Aug 7, 2015
Messages
2,737
Location
Lawton, Ok
Everyone sells that cone ones. I don't think anyone is selling the tbc ones anymore.

I have several but don't really use them as finishing directly on the centers is so easy.

I agree--turned some bushings from UHMW when I was still using a mandrel for finishing. CA still stuck to them. Now I just remove the bushings and (carefully, so as not to overly expand the tube) chuck the blank between centers.

Regards,
Michael

So that's how you guys are doing it. I didn't think there would be enough friction to turn it but if you are only finishing between centers it should work fine. So, cut on the mandrel but finish between centers. I'll do that next time I get the nerve to try CA again. Not working out too well.

Get some solid vinyl stock and turn yourself some cone bushings .... CA won't stick to the vinyl.
 

Skie_M

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Aug 7, 2015
Messages
2,737
Location
Lawton, Ok
Yeah, I bought some HDPE too ... it turned fairly well, once I got a 7mm hole drilled through it and stuck it on my pen mandrel. :)

It's flexible, so cut it into smaller sections and work them like beads, I guess... It only took me about 10 minutes
 

TurtleTom

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Jul 24, 2015
Messages
701
Location
Checotah, Oklahoma 74426
Thanks Skie, oh, I see you are a deacon of the PTAM. I probably need sponsoring.
I discovered a B letter drill goes through the 7mm tubes perfectly. I haven't been to Lawton in a while, I used to kayak that lake down there 25 years ago, guess i was the first one.
 

mecompco

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Apr 24, 2015
Messages
1,607
Location
Fairfield, Maine
I appreciate the thought. That's an old lathe! With old lathes you get it as close as you can on the + side and file it the rest with the Chinese milling machine. Kinda hard to do boring though. I'll figure out something for sure, truth is, as much as I've run a lathe checking with micrometers as a go I know I can do that almost as fast as using bushings anyway. I lost a lunch bet to my father in 1972 at the machine shop where we were both working. He bet he could eyeball cut a piece of 1/2 inch rod to 1/4 inch within 2 thou. Naturally I took that bet hook line and sinker but I should have known better. The dials were covered up and away he went. I got to do the mikes when he said it was done, and it was 0.001" over. I bought lunch.

That's amazing! I'm lucky if I can pick the correct wrench out of the pile w/o reading it! I really never realized how small .001 is until I set my depth mic to it. But, those .001s add up!

Totally off topic, but we've been doing some fiber splicing at work--the fiber (IIRC) is around 9 microns--just blows my mind that a little desk-top machine can splice that perfectly!
 
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