between centers

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H

Hello

Member
Joined
Dec 27, 2007
Messages
185
Location
Brattleboro,VT, USA.
I'm considering trying this between centers thing.
I've seen a photo that shows me how the blank stays on lathe at the tail stock, but I don't get how it stays at the headstock? I remove my mandrel and have a gaping hole that wouldn't hold a bushing...what am I missing?
 
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you need a dead center to fill the MT? hole in your headstock. couple of folks sell them here, check the classifieds, JohnnyCNC and Landfill Lumber both had them (I think).

Stop considering and start doing! makes a BIG difference!
 
Originally posted by Hello

what am I missing?
Click to expand...

What Billy said :D

480.1188.jpg
 
Thanks for asking that question for me Micah ! I needed to know too . I think Johnny is about 50 miles south of me . Let's see if he has some , then maybe we can work something out . Shoot me an email !
Thanks to the members for the answer to OUR question .
 
As others have replied,a dead center,but here is a passable photo
of a setup in use.
200822903058_IMG_0628.jpg




20082290324_bc.jpg


Originally posted by Hello

I'm considering trying this between centers thing.
I've seen a photo that shows me how the blank stays on lathe at the tail stock, but I don't get how it stays at the headstock? I remove my mandrel and have a gaping hole that wouldn't hold a bushing...what am I missing?
Click to expand...
 
thanks everyone!....now that I see what it is....in my mind, it stands to reason (basic physics (laws of rotational variance and laws of leverage) that the between centers thingy will be much better....many may already know that I'm a new turner that's been using a friends lathe and will be buying my own shortly....I think I'm gonna' go with the between centers thing when I get my lathe.
 
Micah, I am sure you will like it and the learning curve is greatly reduced this way. You are less likly to have a blow out as they blank can spin if left with a bit less tension. I do this on hard turning woods, I would rather the blank stop while rounding it out than take a chunk out of a nice blank. I turn with calipers to measure and whe it comes time to sand, I remove the bushings all togather and sand between centers. This will keep your bushings in much better shape and keep the metal from getting pulled into your blanks. When you apply a CA finish, there is no mess to clean off the bushings and you have ended ever having to worry about chipped finishes or stuck bushings. I do "push" that you use a sander mill to clean off the CA and flatten the end of the blank over the cutter mill as the cutter can chip the finish. You can make your own, and that method is posted here on IAP, I also make them from solid steel, but they are not cheap.

Best yet, is you can skip buying a mandrel, junky bushings, another mandrel for bigger pens, you see where I am going with this??

I also find that if you want to "round out" a pen blank to hold it in a chuck to drill your holes, the dead center used as a drive will allow you to turn it all round without fear of hitting the spur centers teeth!

Enjoy, and welcome to the dark side! [}:)]
 
Ok people, I'm convinced.
Anyone on site that makes these please PM me with info. I do have one question though, shouldn't these both, the tail stock and the head, be "live" and if not, why? Seems that it wouldn't be good for the dead center or the bushings to not be live.
Thanks, Vern
 
Doh!!!! Guess that answers one of my questions. Now, do any of you people make these for resale? If so, would you please PM me.
Vern
 
tried turning a spindle to eventually turn into a flwoer and stem the other day using that thingy that you pound into the end of a piece of wood...didn't take the "spurs" into consideration and most effectively took a decent edge off of a roughing gouge - this of course nas nothing to do with between centers really...but firefyter said something that brought back the anger and embarrasement, so I thought I'd share.
 
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