Turning Between Centers Poll

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How do you turn between centers?

  • No bushings at all at any time.

    Votes: 7 6.9%
  • Use stock bushings on when rounding and cutting.

    Votes: 18 17.6%
  • Use stock bushings all the time.

    Votes: 34 33.3%
  • Use special between centers bushings when rounding and cutting.

    Votes: 20 19.6%
  • Use special between centers bushings all the time.

    Votes: 29 28.4%

  • Total voters
    102
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ldb2000

Member
Joined
Sep 11, 2007
Messages
5,381
Location
Laurence Harbor, NJ, USA.
Once again you don't have the right or enough questions in the poll . I round my stock between centers then drill on the lathe , THEN use stock bushings to turn to final size and remove them for finishing . Most who drill on the lathe don't use bushings for rounding the blank .
 

OKLAHOMAN

Member
Joined
May 17, 2006
Messages
10,228
Location
Costa Rica
I use Johhny's bushings center to center to size along with calipers, then turn around and put on my other lathe with Johnny's sanding bushings for sanding and finishing.
 

mbroberg

IAP Activities Manager, Emeritus
Joined
Mar 9, 2009
Messages
5,970
Location
Columbus, OH
None of the above. I do use bushings sometimes, i don't use bushings all the time. When I do use bushings I use JohnnyCNC's bushings.
 

DozerMite

Banned
Joined
Jun 26, 2007
Messages
1,568
Once again you don't have the right or enough questions in the poll . I round my stock between centers then drill on the lathe , THEN use stock bushings to turn to final size and remove them for finishing . Most who drill on the lathe don't use bushings for rounding the blank .


Butch,

I must not be in the most catagory... I drill on the lathe, but it doesn't matter if the blank is round or square, I drill it. I then proceed to turn it with bushings. Even if it is square.
 

Rfturner

Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2010
Messages
1,109
Location
Santa Maria, CA
I currently use mainloy stock bushings but I have made my own from aluminum and corian because I turn on a mandrel, when I get more money I plan purchasing a few more goodies to be able to do between centers faster and safer
 

bitshird

Member
Joined
Aug 27, 2007
Messages
10,236
Location
Adamsville, TN, USA.
JB Your question leaves out certain options, like butch I round with a dead center, and cut some styles with bushings which I've made and some I don't use any bushings at all just a dead and live center and my Calipers. You need to adjust your Poll parameters like my Grand dad said they's 4 or 5 different ways to skin a possum.
 

cozee

Member
Joined
Oct 4, 2005
Messages
1,764
Location
Sadorus, IL.
I have yet another method. I make my own bushings that are designed to fit the tubes for turning between centers with just enough shoulder to keep them from slipping into the tube. Blank size is obtained with calipers.
 

toddlajoie

Member
Joined
Feb 6, 2010
Messages
1,728
Location
Feeding Hills MA
None of the above. I do use bushings sometimes, i don't use bushings all the time. When I do use bushings I use JohnnyCNC's bushings.

Yea, what he said...

I make my own bushings that are designed to fit the tubes for turning between centers with just enough shoulder to keep them from slipping into the tube.

I 'm new to TBC and thought I had come up with this idea on my own... Seems like an ideal situation, since you only need one set of bushings per tube size...

I had thought about bringing it to Johnny with a small extra, "washers" that could be put in-between the bushing and the blank that were the sizes for the kits, to help you get close to size. They'd be small, inexpensive pieces, they could be marked on the flat parts with which kit and location they were, you could use them to get rough size, then remove them for final sanding/finishing, and there would be much less waste from wear on them. It would be a great, inexpensive, and easy to store method for less popular kits...
 

Brittleheart

Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2009
Messages
28
Location
Amble, Northumberland, UK
I am in the "not enough options" camp. I also vary my technique according to the pen I am making, but generally drill blanks before rounding them and use stock bushings between centres when I am not using a mandrel.
 

Texatdurango

Member
Joined
Apr 23, 2007
Messages
4,649
Location
Show Low, Arizona
I used "stock" kit bushings a few times and realized that I had not improved my accuracy one bit so using a 60 degree center drill, I lightly drilled the end of the bushings so the live and dead centers would have a place to seat snugly.

I used these modified stock bushings for a while and even got into some heated discussions over the need for "special" bushings.

Well, Johnny and I swapped some information back and forth and after using a dial indicator on several setups and checking the run out and trueness using a variety of bushings from "pure stock" to Johnny's bushings I realized there was no getting around it. If you want accuracy when turning blanks between centers, why not spend the few extra dollars on some bushings which are designed for turning between two centers?

Can you still slap two "stock" bushings between a live and dead center and get a round pen........ yep, but just don't put a dial indicator on your lathe and check trueness afterwards! :biggrin:

Once you start seeing results in thousandths of an inch it's hard going back to eyeballing things!
 

holmqer

Local Chapter Leader
Joined
Aug 3, 2007
Messages
1,662
Location
CT, USA.
I'm one of the make my own bushings types. Steel for turning and Delrin for finishing.
 

Mr Vic

Member
Joined
Aug 11, 2008
Messages
1,865
Location
Falcon, CO
Bushing? That's what my wife does when she heads into the mountains with her trusty shovel.....Not a bush is safe!

For a quickie slim line it's the mandrel and stock bushings, finishing is with coned UHMW bushings. Something to sell or custom is stock bushing to near size the between centers and calipers to finish. My drive center is a tapped piece of UHMW turned conical.
 
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