Between center bushings source

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Hacky

Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2012
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2
Location
Bristol, IL
I have been successfully and happily turning pens between centers for awhile now. I use calipers to do the majority of my turning, but like to use bushings while finish sanding/polishing. Unfortunately, my usual source for bushings (penturnersproducts) is no longer making them. The bushings he made were perfect and second to none. That being said, I'd like to try turning some other styles of pens, so I need some new bushings. Can someone suggest another source for bushings? Thank you.

I'm also half tempted to buy a micro metal lathe and turn my own, but I have been told the tolerances on small lathes are not typically tight....
 
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hippi said:
woodcraft www.woodcraft.com
psi www.pennstateind.com
they have a lot of bushings and I have not had any problems
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Have they added between center bushings to their product lines? I haven't been able to find them, and got less than satisfactory results when using regular bushings (through-drilled for a mandrel) between centers.

I got some from Lazerlinez, they are drilled through but also have the 60 degree conical "countersink" so they sit firmly between centers.
 
The only tbc bushings at Woodcraft that I am aware of are for the Hancock and Liberty stainless steel kits which are made by Lazeinez. They are drilled for mandrel as well as 60 degree.
 
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If you are already turning between centers, why don't you turn a tapered drive for your headstock and use a 60 degree live center for your tailstock. One size fits all !! Your purchased bushing may be perfect, but your kits may not match. Calipers are a must when finishing. And, it depends on the Micro Mini Metal lathe you purchase, but my 30+ year old Tieg lathe has a tolarance of 10,000ths plus or minus a few. Jim S
 
I would prefer to make my own bushings/tooling. I think the metal lathe is the way to go. Thank you for the replies.
 
plantman said:
If you are already turning between centers, why don't you turn a tapered drive for your headstock and use a 60 degree live center for your tailstock. One size fits all !!
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The downside to this is that the deadcenter and livecenter must exert some pressure or the blank will not be driven, it'll just slip as soon as my gouge or skew touches it.

Cranking up the pressure enough to keep it driving has resulted in the brass tube flaring and the blank splitting (usually happens just as I'm getting close to done.)

YMMV -- this is what happened when I tried it, and it's the reason I use bushings between centers.
 
Hacky said:
I would prefer to make my own bushings/tooling. I think the metal lathe is the way to go. Thank you for the replies.
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Bushings do not NEED to be metal.

Use corian or an acrylic, they are dimensionally stable and since you make them yourself, you can determine how accurate you want them to be.
 
I believe the answer to your question can be summed up fairly completely in the following options.

- check penturnersproducts as he occasionally has a few sets available still.

- classic nib carries several good turn between centers sets (and I think would possibly carry others in the future if the demand was thee.

- lazerlinez has some sets available with both 60 degree tapers and through holes.

- you can find a machinist (or use your own metal lathe) to make them.

You can use some alternate material to create them on your wood lathe.

The first three are the only commercially available options.
 
I still believe bushings are a waste of $$. I do use them from when I "thought" I needed them....just regular bushings to turn round. As long as they fit the tube i'm good. When I get close I go full TBC without bushings....just my calipers. If I need more "tube holders" aka "bushings" in odd sizes, I will turn them from Corian.
 
I do 95% of my turning between centers only. Sometimes I will make a set of bushings from 1018 steel or delrin. They are easy to make.

Ray
 
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