Mt #1 miniature drive center

[wolf creek knives]

I've started turning Niles bottle stoppers and run into a small problem. My current drive center leave's cut on the edges of the stopper blank as I'm using a PSI bottle stopper mandrel and the drive center is used for table leg making. I'm going to buy a Niles mandrel tonight but that doesn't fix the problem with the drive center. Does anyone know who might sell a drive center that has a much smaller footprint on the base of the blank? I've looked at PSI and all they have is for a MT#2. My big lathe, probably 40+year old, is a MT#1. Any help is greatly appreciated. I will also mention at this time Ruth has been a big help in getting this all started and her site is great. Heck, she even gives you the tags for the bottle stoppers for the ones you buy. I'll continue to purchase her stoppers, great lady!

 

[howsitwork]

I'll second the vote for Ruth, lovely lady and VERY helpful !

Can you get STEB centres over there ? the do them in Mt 1 and 2 over here. Robert sorb6 patented the idea but they're now also marketed as crown centres as out of patent. I see on ebay international you can get them.

Xact Woodturning Crown Drive Dead Centre - No 1 MT | eBay

Woodturning Accessories. At the centre of the teeth is a sprung loaded point for workpiece centralisation. • 20 hardened teeth slice into the workpiece without tearing. Skip To Content. Taper - No 1 MT.

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[wolf creek knives]

I'll second the vote for Ruth, lovely lady and VERY helpful !

Can you get STEB centres over there ? the do them in Mt 1 and 2 over here. Robert sorb6 patented the idea but they're now also marketed as crown centres as out of patent. I see on ebay international you can get them.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Xact-Woo...749182?hash=item1a86dc873e:g:pkoAAOSwX-ZdrdGD

Thanks for the information Ian. That would work as Ruth's stoppers are wider thank 1/2 and inch (SAE). I'll see what I can find here in the states and if that doesn't work, then I'll follow this. Thanks again for your help.

 

[Mr Vic]

Here's one from Craft Supply

https://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/p/107/4396/apprentice-Safety-Drive-Center?term=mt+#1&term=mt #1

 

[Curly]

Have you got a 4 jaw chuck for your lathe? If so you can make a mandrel by cutting the head off a 1/2" shoulder bolt/screw. They are sometimes called stripper bolts. Get a 2" to 4" long one. The 1/2" bolt has a close tolerance shank with a 3/8" x 16 TPI thread. The shank won't be the same diameter as a specially made stopper mandrel but like turning between centres you measure as you go. Cheap and accurate way to make a mandrel if you don't plan on making a lot of stoppers.

A club member said stoppers are for quitters. Finish the bottle!

 

[wolf creek knives]

Here's one from Craft Supply

https://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/p/107/4396/apprentice-Safety-Drive-Center?term=mt+#1&term=mt #1

Thanks Vic. I looked at this and they offered two sizes so I bought the one the will do the trick. Appreciate your help with this. I also like what I saw at Craft Supply, I might just have to visit their site more often. Not sure how the "points" work yet but I'm sure I'll figure it out. Thanks again.

 

[wolf creek knives]

Have you got a 4 jaw chuck for your lathe? If so you can make a mandrel by cutting the head off a 1/2" shoulder bolt/screw. They are sometimes called stripper bolts. Get a 2" to 4" long one. The 1/2" bolt has a close tolerance shank with a 3/8" x 16 TPI thread. The shank won't be the same diameter as a specially made stopper mandrel but like turning between centres you measure as you go. Cheap and accurate way to make a mandrel if you don't plan on making a lot of stoppers.

A club member said stoppers are for quitters. Finish the bottle!

Thanks for the helpful tip. However you're talking to a guy who has no, zero, zilch mechanical skills. And I'm dead serious about that, I pop the hood on the Jeep or Ram and all I see is a great big mess of everything. I wish I had my old 67 F100. That I understood.

As for the "Finish the bottle" challenge. 46 years ago I was a young sailor stationed in a real s#@t hole country and tried to polish off a bottle of Tequila by myself. The next morning I woke up (I think it was the next morning) with someone tugging at my foot telling me to get dressed, we had a mission. Needless to say I was covered with my own, you fill in the blanks, got on the chopper and prayed for fresh air. Did what we had to do and flew back. I ate toast for two days, I think my liver still remembers that day. So no, I don't do the "finish the bottle" challenges anymore...I rarely drink Tequila either.