I would like to try some new kits without paying for bushings, plus I understand that eventually I am likely to experience a bent mandrel. To do this do I need anything more than a 60 degree live center and a 60 degree dead center? Any recommendations for a good place to get these?
Turning without bushings
- Thread starter ghansen4
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budnder
Member
When I've found myself in your situation, I try to borrow a bushing from another kit that has the same tube and get close, then just go live center/dead center into the tube to finish.
I'm always a little nervous about too much pressure into the tube by those centers, though...
I'm always a little nervous about too much pressure into the tube by those centers, though...
Greg,
Have a look at the thread in which I posted this:
http://www.penturners.org/forum/f14/too-much-material-left-151351/index2.html#post1949692
Don't judge the thread by the title of it.
Point is, you do need to buy a live center and PSI sells one for each of the MT2 and MT1 tapers. . Almost certainly your tailstock is either MT2 or MT1.
You can also buy a dead center to match the headstock taper of your lathe in the same way.
Now, if you don't have a headstock chuck for your lathe, you should get one because you will always be able to use it to your advantage.
And if you already have a headstock chuck, then my comments in the link above will tell you how to get away without buying a dead center
Have a look at the thread in which I posted this:
http://www.penturners.org/forum/f14/too-much-material-left-151351/index2.html#post1949692
Don't judge the thread by the title of it.
Point is, you do need to buy a live center and PSI sells one for each of the MT2 and MT1 tapers. . Almost certainly your tailstock is either MT2 or MT1.
You can also buy a dead center to match the headstock taper of your lathe in the same way.
Now, if you don't have a headstock chuck for your lathe, you should get one because you will always be able to use it to your advantage.
And if you already have a headstock chuck, then my comments in the link above will tell you how to get away without buying a dead center
Woodchipper
Member
I was at the Turning for the Troops at our local Woodcraft store. A friend works there and I inquired about a 60 degree live center. He replied that he would like to sell one but took me back to the class area. What he showed my was an eyeopener and so simple a caveman could do it. The photo shows what was on a lathe. Two pieces of nylon or HDPE drilled and turned down as a substitute bushing. With calipers, I can turn down to the needed diameter with allowance for sanding. Even if you hit the plastic (general catch-all term here), no harm done. In fact, you can turn the blank and plastic together to get the desired diameter. Going to try to add a photo for you. Here goes!
Sorry for the quality- took with my cell phone.
Sorry for the quality- took with my cell phone.
Attachments
leehljp
Member Liaison
60° live centers are for mandrels and speciality bushings - usually quality customized bushings.
60° is usually machining (metal to metal) and not wood related. The Live Center that fits into the little cup on the end of a mandrel is like this: The mandrel is metal, the live center is metal, 60° is a metal to metal mating standard. Some Specialty bushings are turned to 60° on the ends. This is where 60° live centers are important.
60° centers needed when:
1. using a mandrel (the mandrel has a small 60° up in the end.
2. using bushings that have been machined to 60°
There is so much mis-information out there.
Using a (made for) wood live center in a mandrel cup or 60° bushing will result in minute' wobble and off center turning.
As to THIS thread about not using bushings, the drive/dead center and live center (tail stock) does NOT have to be 60° for use directly in tubes when TBC (turning between Centers).
Frank, aka Rifleman and JohnnyCNC both put me onto TBC back around 2007. I made a dead/drive center which is NOT 60° and posted it back then. The TBC got traction and took off on IAP after that.
View in Gallery
It is easy to see that this is NOT 60°. 60° live centers and drive centers will work well, but they are NOT required in TBC except when custom 60° bushings or a mandrel are used on/with the blank.
If I can emphasize one more thing - a caution - it is that it takes a delicate touch to keep the turning blank from catching. There is less friction to keep it going, and with steel bushings while turning, the ends of the tube can and will flare out if one is not careful.
Clarification: Some people do nut understand this concept and even a year or two into turning do not realize that they DO need 60° live center for mandrels. Here is the problem: They buy a wood lathe for turning. The new wood lathe comes with a (made for wood) live center which is much more pointed than 60°. This very pointed live center is NOT MEANT for mandrels. When mated into the mandrel's cup, the very tip of the point of this wood live center will knurl over cause tiny wobble. The wood lathe live center is NOT 60° and NOT meant for mandrels. After learning this, everyone who just learned this will suddenly tell everyone else that they need 60° live centers. But that is only true for mandrel use and specialty bushings.
60° is usually machining (metal to metal) and not wood related. The Live Center that fits into the little cup on the end of a mandrel is like this: The mandrel is metal, the live center is metal, 60° is a metal to metal mating standard. Some Specialty bushings are turned to 60° on the ends. This is where 60° live centers are important.
60° centers needed when:
1. using a mandrel (the mandrel has a small 60° up in the end.
2. using bushings that have been machined to 60°
There is so much mis-information out there.
Using a (made for) wood live center in a mandrel cup or 60° bushing will result in minute' wobble and off center turning.
As to THIS thread about not using bushings, the drive/dead center and live center (tail stock) does NOT have to be 60° for use directly in tubes when TBC (turning between Centers).
Frank, aka Rifleman and JohnnyCNC both put me onto TBC back around 2007. I made a dead/drive center which is NOT 60° and posted it back then. The TBC got traction and took off on IAP after that.
View in Gallery
It is easy to see that this is NOT 60°. 60° live centers and drive centers will work well, but they are NOT required in TBC except when custom 60° bushings or a mandrel are used on/with the blank.
If I can emphasize one more thing - a caution - it is that it takes a delicate touch to keep the turning blank from catching. There is less friction to keep it going, and with steel bushings while turning, the ends of the tube can and will flare out if one is not careful.
Clarification: Some people do nut understand this concept and even a year or two into turning do not realize that they DO need 60° live center for mandrels. Here is the problem: They buy a wood lathe for turning. The new wood lathe comes with a (made for wood) live center which is much more pointed than 60°. This very pointed live center is NOT MEANT for mandrels. When mated into the mandrel's cup, the very tip of the point of this wood live center will knurl over cause tiny wobble. The wood lathe live center is NOT 60° and NOT meant for mandrels. After learning this, everyone who just learned this will suddenly tell everyone else that they need 60° live centers. But that is only true for mandrel use and specialty bushings.
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leehljp
Member Liaison
Greg,
See my post above. 60° is not absolutely necessary for the specific situation as you wrote, but 60° will work for it.
As to getting 60° centers, I got mine at Grizzly. (My daughter lives near Grizzly, Springfield, MO) so that is where I get them. The Little Machine Shop has them also at similar prices.
rd_ab_penman
Member
I turn and do all my finishing between centers without bushings and use my calipers.
I smear a small amount of paste wax on my live and dead centers when doing a CA finish.
Les
I smear a small amount of paste wax on my live and dead centers when doing a CA finish.
Les
dogcatcher
Member
I use 2MT arbor with 3/8"-24 threaded end. I mount in the headstock with a blank mounted on the threads. I then turn the blank to the size of the needed bushings, both TBC bushings can be made out of wood or an acrylic blank. Instead of driving the blank with a dead center, I use the threaded 2MT arbor. One of the $$$ I have spent.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/SHARS-2MT-...113331?hash=item4604047b73:g:Bt0AAOSw9N1VtpFu
https://www.ebay.com/itm/SHARS-2MT-...113331?hash=item4604047b73:g:Bt0AAOSw9N1VtpFu