Buying a few things vs tight budget....

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MatthewZS

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So I'm getting ready to get a few things to upgrade my pen turning and I'd love two things. I'll list the handful of things I'm considering. I am on a VERY tight budget and only have enough for part of the list. I'd love to know a) if YOU where in the same position, how would your prioritize the things on this list based on functionality/useage? and b) any recommendations for cheaper versions of listed items that work just as well for the ambitious hobbyist? Also, I may not get the brand names on these things exact, but you'll get the idea and I don't wanna go look them up.

1) Bealle collet chuck
2) 1/2in Steb center
3) Dead center (for TBC)
4) Tempered point 60 degree live center (for TBC)
5) Keyless drill chuck
6) Barracude chuck system


Anything else maybe I should have included?

Thanks:)
 
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MatthewZS said:
So I'm getting ready to get a few things to upgrade my pen turning and I'd love two things. I'll list the handful of things I'm considering. I am on a VERY tight budget and only have enough for part of the list. I'd love to know a) if YOU where in the same position, how would your prioritize the things on this list based on functionality/useage? and b) any recommendations for cheaper versions of listed items that work just as well for the ambitious hobbyist? Also, I may not get the brand names on these things exact, but you'll get the idea and I don't wanna go look them up.

1) Bealle collet chuck
2) 1/2in Steb center
3) Dead center (for TBC)
4) Tempered point 60 degree live center (for TBC)
5) Keyless drill chuck
6) Barracude chuck system


Anything else maybe I should have included?

Thanks:)
Click to expand...

I would decide which I need the most...The Barracuda Chuck system can be a little pricy and If you are planing on doing only pen blank drilling you probably can find a 35/40 alternative.

Turning between centers is an option, you don't have to turn that way so you might give that a lower priority especially since you will need new bushings for nearly every style you want to TBC. - You might make that a lower priority unless you are convinced it's the only way to go.

The Drill Chuck and the Barracuda go hand in hand...one won't help without the other unless you already have a key chuck...then what you have a half inch chuck. You can get along without keyless unless you have a physical problem that makes it necessery. Lowest Priority if you have a chuck of any kind. Same as Barracuda if you don't have.
 
Which tool/task is annoying you the most with regards to the tools you already have. Put aside some cash and slowly work toward getting that single tool. Repeat. :smile:

Heck, if I was on a budget (which I am) and didn't have much money (also true), I'd stick with what I have...

That being said, a chuck opens up the possibilities of turning more than just pens. Faceplates work too, but if i a chuck is in your budget, they're neat tools!

Andrew
 
If you are currently only turning pens the the Scroll chuck can be purchased later . The Barracuda 2 is a very good chuck and it comes with a complete set of jaws at an affordable price . I find that for pens the collet chuck is a better option .
The PSI collet chuck is as good as the Beall collet chuck if your lathe spindle is 1"X8 tpi , it costs less and comes with a good starting range of collets and overall is a better buy . Additional collets cost $10 each from several sellers on ebay .
The steb center is useful but you can always use a regular dead center in its place , it just requires that you learn to take light cuts to avoid stalling .
Any good 60 degree live center will work and is something you should already have for any kind of turning , between centers or with a mandrel .
A keyless drill chuck is nice but a keyed drill chuck is cheaper and the key can make it grip tighter then a keyless .
Amazon is a good place to buy the chucks from , they are cheaper then from PSI , johnnycnc is a great place to get the centers and drill chuck , Victor at landfilllumber also sells these things at good prices , both are great to deal with and I feel it is best to buy from the people here who support the IAP .
 
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After thinking about it, the prioritization I guess depends on the individual. I'm already turning between centers, just using a cheap 60 degree dead center and and live center that came with the lathe, neither was made for TBC. I don't use any bushings, just a good caliper. I turn mostly pens, but not ONLY pens. As far as the steb center I can certainly come up with uses for it, but mainly I've used one before and prefer it orders of magnitude over the dead center that came with my lathe.

Ultimately I'd like to be able to turn down the blank, drill it AND turn it between centers, but this requires a collet chuck, drill chuck (keyed or otherwise), dead center and a live center made for this (I see most people using the steb). So I guess I could refine my question and ask where is a good recommended place that would carry some quality version of these 4 items at a decent enough price..... prefereably all one place because the shipping starts to kill the savings.
 
If all you are doing is pens, and you are turning on a mandrel with a factory style combo live center, You will immediately see the biggest benefit from a good 60 degree live center. If you are going to get that, for just a few bucks extra, go ahead and get the dead drive center. I have not put the spur drive center in my lathe in forever, I just turn everything between the 60 degree points. You can use them together to rough blanks down round and put them in the psi collet chuck you should get next. that way you can drill very precisely with a morse taper mounted jacobs chuck. Keyed or keyless, your choice, but keyed are cheaper and will hold tighter. Keyless can be used without the obligatory 5 minute search for the key. Dealers choice there, but all 3 of mine are keyed. The barracuda chuck system is supposed to be a good system for the money. I got one of their tiniest scroll chucks, and abused it mercilessly using it for stuff that really needed a bigger one. If you are going to get one, get a bigger one than you think you will want. You can do smaller work with a bigger chuck, but not necessarily larger work with a smaller chuck. I don't have a steb center, it may be the greatest thing since sliced bread, but I've never decided it was a necessity (although I have broken a few things with the dead drive center that would have probably survived if I had one)
 
MatthewZS said:
After thinking about it, the prioritization I guess depends on the individual. I'm already turning between centers, just using a cheap 60 degree dead center and and live center that came with the lathe, neither was made for TBC. I don't use any bushings, just a good caliper. I turn mostly pens, but not ONLY pens. As far as the steb center I can certainly come up with uses for it, but mainly I've used one before and prefer it orders of magnitude over the dead center that came with my lathe.

Ultimately I'd like to be able to turn down the blank, drill it AND turn it between centers, but this requires a collet chuck, drill chuck (keyed or otherwise), dead center and a live center made for this (I see most people using the steb). So I guess I could refine my question and ask where is a good recommended place that would carry some quality version of these 4 items at a decent enough price..... prefereably all one place because the shipping starts to kill the savings.
Click to expand...

You've said twice you want a dead center and live center made for turning between centers , there is NO dead and live centers made for turning between centers ! A dead center is a dead center , as long as it has a 60 degree point , it is what you want . A carbide tip is a good addition but is not needed . I use a cheap $7 dead center and it works as well as a $20 carbide tipped one , it might wear out a little quicker but it works exactly the same , and has for the last three years without any problems . The same thing applies to the live center , a better one might be a little quieter and last a little longer but as long as it's has a 60 degree point it will work . Also if the live center you already have isn't a 60 degree point then you should not be using it with any mandrel made , they all require a 60 degree point to seat properly in the end of the mandrel .
As for most people using a steb center , I'm not so sure about that . Quite a few of the people I know just use the dead center . The steb centers are at least 1/2" and don't allow you to turn that end any smaller without hitting the teeth on it , a dead center works just as well , if not better since if you get a catch the blank will just stall instead of blowing up .
As to where to buy , you can buy it all from PSI and pay much more then you will pay for shipping from Amazon and John or Victor . Amazon has free shipping on the collet chuck when they have it listed (they don't always have it listed) and John and Victor just charge flat rate for small items like centers .
 
When I said a dead/live center made for turning I just mean a set with the carbide point which mine don't have.

And the comments on the PCI collet chuck have helped, thank you.

And I'm not sure why it never occured to me that I could turn and un-drilled blank between centers about as well as a drilled blank, so .... I just saw a few videos where people slapped the un-drilled blank between a steb and a live center and I got that method stuck in my head:)
 
A carbide tipped live and dead centers are a nice addition but as I said they are not a must have and the regular HSS will save you a few bucks . The PSI collet chuck is a great chuck and you can get it (if you're not in a big rush) for $75 and free shipping from Amazon otherwise you will pay $90 plus shipping from PSI and their resellers either way it will still save you over $50 over the price of the Beall with the collets . That savings alone will pay for the carbide tipped centers with shipping .

Edit ;
I just checked and Amazon is not showing it at this time but if you are not in a rush keep checking there . A friend just got his there last month and he paid $74.99 and got the free shipping deal
 
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It's hard to prioritize the top three or four but I know for me the steb center would be #5 and the keyless chuck #6 :biggrin:
 
I do all my pen turning with these things:

PSI collet chuck (80-90$)
60 deg live center ($15 version)
Home made dead center that goes in the chuck (eye-balled 60% - angle not critical)
Occasionally, a mandrel shaft that I mount in the chuck. (Forget price - not too expensive)
Harbor Freight keyed MT2 chuck ($7)

You can go fancier, but I believe this is all you need to turn great pens, and for me, I dont see how the more expensive options will cause me to make a better pen.

As long your current live center spins without detectable run-out, I'd go with the collet chuck first.
 
If I were buying these tools (today, in a bad economy) I would buy as follows:

PSI collet chuck-$79 with free shipping on Amazon (I have both the PSI and the Beall. I perfer the Beall, but both work well). When money is tight, the PSI is a good "bang" for smaller bucks.

Nova Chuck- Frequently $69 (on sale at CUSA or Amazon). Works very well and all Techno accessories fit this chuck.

Hand made double ended 60 degree steb $20-(Rick Herrell - member name Rherrell) that fits into the 3/4 collet of the PSI or Beall Chuck.

KEYED JACOBS CHUCK $15-$20 on live center -HF or any CHEAP one. IMHO, the keyless adds no real value and are more problematic (I broken 3 of them) than the keyed chucks.

CUSTOM TOOL REST WAS OVERLOOKED. +/- $35 from Rick Herrell or JohnnyCNC. With the "rig" I have mentioned above, you are now set for TBC as well as drilling. UNFORTUNATELY, most standard OEM tool rests do don't allow you to get close enough (tool rest interferes with live center and collet) to do a very good job when turning one barrel.

So, for around $250 this set up will greatly "broaden" your possibilities.

Additionally, I would find an inexpensive set of metric screw machine drill bits. These shorter bits provide more "workability" than longer bits and IMHO have less "run out" than my pen makers bits.

Just my opinion.




60 Degree Live Center- $15 Woodturningz - I have several LC's and I use this one most, because I am not afraid to ruin it.
 
If you are only doing pens you don't need a full size chuck. The barracuda minis from PSI are great the keyed one is $129.99 and the tommy bar one is $104.99, I have both plus a Nova midi and find that that the keyed Barracuda is the most used. I don't have nor see any need for a collet chuck, the Barracuda will do all that a collet chuck will and more.
Johnnycnc offers a fantastic live center at $47.00 and is worth every penny, I have wasted the bearings in 2 of the cheap ones.
I have both a keyed and keyless jacobs chuck and the keyless is nice but sure isn't any better than a keyed.
 
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