TBC or Turning Between Centers are the way to avoid it. This is a method of turning the blank with bushings (or without if you are very gifted) to close to size, then removing the bushings and then turning to the final size. It also requires you to size the blank with calipers, not bushings. Bushings will wear down over time causing the fit to be off. So the best way is to always use calipers to size. Calipers can be purchased at HF on sale for about $10. or $20+ not on sale. DON'T get the plastic calipers, get the metal ones.
Use bushings to get to near size, then take the bushings off and finish turning to size and apply a finish. If YOU DON'T, you will always have the potential for getting sanding dust on the blanks. Some guys use pencil type of erasers to remove it, some use denatured alcohol. But for most people it does not clean it up enough. The best way is to
prevent it. TBC followed by Mandrel Savers and using calipers are the ways to prevent it.
BTW, using TBC is MUCH faster and simpler to do than to write it out, as is my explanation. Changing from bushings to no bushings is faster to do than to write it out. Seems complicated to some but it is so simple that it defies logic.
Or a Mandrel Saver with conical bushings. The conical bushings are smaller than the turned blank and allow you to turn down to size (measured with calipers) and your tool does not touch the blank.
Bushings on with TBC:
Mandrel bushings on TBC lathe setup
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The Original TBC on IAP - with a home made Dead/Drive Center, and WITHOUT the bushings for final turning and or sanding:
Imported Photo from leehljp. Please edit title and description.
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Sanding dust avoided in the above situation.
Look at a Mandrel setup as you are using, and then look at the simplicity of TBC above:
Mandrel layout.
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