How to convert bushing to TBC?

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mecompco

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I'm pretty much done with turning on the mandrel. How can I convert "Slimline" and "Comfortline" bushing to TBC? My first thought was to turn down half the busing to fit inside the 7mm tube, but the problem is that they are too narrow to fit between centers to turn. I "might" be able to get them into my 4 jaw chuck, but I that is pretty touchy as they are so small. Any ideas? Thanks!

Regards,
Michael

PS Do I NEED to get a 60 degree angle on the ends? I have no idea how to accomplish that.
 
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lorbay

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Put your round stock in your Chuck drill a hole with your centering bit that has a 60 deg Bev on it. Now bring up the tail stock with live centre then turn to the same as the slim line bushing for about 1/2" then step down to the I D of your 7mm tube for about 1/2" then part off.
Lin
 

Charlie_W

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These standard 7mm bushings are drilled through and are the same size as the inside of the pen tube. You can solder in a piece of 1/4" rod which will extend into the pen tube. Then drill the back end for 60 degree centers or one extended to go in your chuck.

Or just turn mew ones from scratch.
 

mecompco

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Put your round stock in your Chuck drill a hole with your centering bit that has a 60 deg Bev on it. Now bring up the tail stock with live centre then turn to the same as the slim line bushing for about 1/2" then step down to the I D of your 7mm tube for about 1/2" then part off.
Lin

Lin, you're advice it to make new bushing instead of trying to mod the ones I have? I had though of that, but being lazy by nature, though modding an existing part would be easier. I think fabbing my own might be the answer, though. I do have a set of centering bits, would just have to purchase the round stock. Oh, and I have a parting tool, just not entirely sure about how to properly use it. ;-)

Regards,
Michael
 

mecompco

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These standard 7mm bushings are drilled through and are the same size as the inside of the pen tube. You can solder in a piece of 1/4" rod which will extend into the pen tube. Then drill the back end for 60 degree centers or one extended to go in your chuck.

Or just turn mew ones from scratch.

Charlie, that's brilliant! I happen to have some .25 aluminum stock on hand. Thanks for the suggestion--I never would have thought of it!

Regards,
Michael
 

Charlie_W

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These standard 7mm bushings are drilled through and are the same size as the inside of the pen tube. You can solder in a piece of 1/4" rod which will extend into the pen tube. Then drill the back end for 60 degree centers or one extended to go in your chuck.

Or just turn mew ones from scratch.

Charlie, that's brilliant! I happen to have some .25 aluminum stock on hand. Thanks for the suggestion--I never would have thought of it!

Regards,
Michael

You should pick up some 1/4" steel rod from Home Depot or get some drill rod. The aluminum will be the weak point and would probably have to be epoxied.

I'm with Lin...make new ones. The end product will be more accurate than trying to retrofit the inexpensive (cheap) standard bushings.
 

mecompco

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These standard 7mm bushings are drilled through and are the same size as the inside of the pen tube. You can solder in a piece of 1/4" rod which will extend into the pen tube. Then drill the back end for 60 degree centers or one extended to go in your chuck.

Or just turn mew ones from scratch.

Charlie, that's brilliant! I happen to have some .25 aluminum stock on hand. Thanks for the suggestion--I never would have thought of it!

Regards,
Michael

You should pick up some 1/4" steel rod from Home Depot or get some drill rod. The aluminum will be the weak point and would probably have to be epoxied.

I'm with Lin...make new ones. The end product will be more accurate than trying to retrofit the inexpensive (cheap) standard bushings.

Thanks again, Charlie. Epoxy for the aluminum had crossed my mind; am going to try that today as a temporary measure.

Will obtain some steel stock and try making my own as time permits (will be my first go at turning steel--any suggestions as to approximate speed for drilling/turning? Speed and feed calculations boggle my mind and I'm not entirely sure of my speeds, only having a close approximation to the original motor pulley on the lathe). I do have some cutting fluid--anything else I need?
 

Charlie_W

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These standard 7mm bushings are drilled through and are the same size as the inside of the pen tube. You can solder in a piece of 1/4" rod which will extend into the pen tube. Then drill the back end for 60 degree centers or one extended to go in your chuck.

Or just turn mew ones from scratch.

Charlie, that's brilliant! I happen to have some .25 aluminum stock on hand. Thanks for the suggestion--I never would have thought of it!

Regards,
Michael


You should pick up some 1/4" steel rod from Home Depot or get some drill rod. The aluminum will be the weak point and would probably have to be epoxied.

I'm with Lin...make new ones. The end product will be more accurate than trying to retrofit the inexpensive (cheap) standard bushings.

Thanks again, Charlie. Epoxy for the aluminum had crossed my mind; am going to try that today as a temporary measure.

Will obtain some steel stock and try making my own as time permits (will be my first go at turning steel--any suggestions as to approximate speed for drilling/turning? Speed and feed calculations boggle my mind and I'm not entirely sure of my speeds, only having a close approximation to the original motor pulley on the lathe). I do have some cutting fluid--anything else I need?

Michael,
You will need the advice of someone with metal lathe experience. I am a wood lathe turner.

Good Luck!
 

mecompco

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Well, epoxying in aluminum rod did not work out, so I took your advice. Bearing in mind that this is the first time I've ever turned steel, I think they came out pretty good. They are within a couple thousandths of each other and the originals--given my current skills and equipment, that's the best I could do. Oh, and it took six hours, and I learned a lot. :)



One set of Slimline and one set of Comfort bushings.
 

mecompco

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Look nice!

Thank you. They work pretty well. I think my lathe needs to be leveled--as the cut progresses towards the chuck, the dia. shrinks (almost 5 thousandths over perhaps 4 inches). Oh, and I've since learned that one can use the top slide on the compound set at 60 degrees to make much smaller cuts--I just could not take off only 1 thou. with the main cross slide (which I've also realized cuts double the 1 thou. markings--1 thou. off both sides).

I think my next go at this will be better. Lots to learn!

Regards,
Michael
 

Dr.Internet

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I didn't view that video before I posted the url; you don't need to spend a lot of money on tooling to align your tailstock. Put a dead center in the spindle bore and one in the tailstock and bring them together until they nearly touch. Put a thin piece of metal between the points and bring them closer. If the metal (I use a metal 6" scale) is perpendicular to the axis, you're OK; otherwise, loosed the lock screws on the tailstock and move it until the metal piece is perpendicular. (This is easier to do than it is to explain!)
 

mecompco

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I didn't view that video before I posted the url; you don't need to spend a lot of money on tooling to align your tailstock. Put a dead center in the spindle bore and one in the tailstock and bring them together until they nearly touch. Put a thin piece of metal between the points and bring them closer. If the metal (I use a metal 6" scale) is perpendicular to the axis, you're OK; otherwise, loosed the lock screws on the tailstock and move it until the metal piece is perpendicular. (This is easier to do than it is to explain!)

I'll give that a try! The centers are as close as I can get them by "eyeball", but your method sounds good. I've watched a bunch of vids, but they all use tools I don't have.

Regards,
Michael
 

ffloyd

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Temecula, CA
I recently got a metal lathe and have been experimenting with making my own bushings. 12L14 steel is very easy to work and not very expensive. There online sources that you can get varying diameters in shorter lengths. I had purchased some from penturnersproducts.com, but that source is no longer available. The first few tries were failures, but the last one I did came out OK. Now I can quickly make bushings for custom slimline/comfort style pens that are fatter in the middle, a little longer and much more to my liking.
 

mecompco

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I recently got a metal lathe and have been experimenting with making my own bushings. 12L14 steel is very easy to work and not very expensive. There online sources that you can get varying diameters in shorter lengths. I had purchased some from penturnersproducts.com, but that source is no longer available. The first few tries were failures, but the last one I did came out OK. Now I can quickly make bushings for custom slimline/comfort style pens that are fatter in the middle, a little longer and much more to my liking.

That's great! I have no idea what the steel I used was--whatever crap HomeDepot sells (in any case, it's better than the aluminum bushings normally provided). I do like making Comfort pens and the home-made bushing work perfectly.

Regards,
Michael
 

TBCbushings

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Here are the ones I made for 7mm slimline...

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