Mandrel setup help

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J

Jjpturns

Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2020
Messages
5
Location
Washington, pa
I am using an mt2 mandrel saver style pen mandrel. Anyone have any helpful tips to keep the blanks from stopping from a minor catch? I can't seem to tighten the tailstock enough and have to make very light cuts to keep it from stopping. Thanks.
 
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You should be able to basically crush the blank between the mandrel saver and the headstock (not that I recommend using that much pressure). If you're not able to get sufficient holding pressure then I suspect a problem with your tailstock/quill. Sometimes things will loosen a little after you get started and you have to advance the quill a little to tighten up. Make sure your tailstock is locking in place good and not backing away on you. Recommendations about turning up speed and tool sharpening are also good.
 
I have tried two different mandrel savers over the years, one from PSI and the other from CSUSA. Neither one has ever worked for me. No matter how tight I make the tailstock, they always spin. I finally gave up on them. I use an adjustable mandrel and live center. They've always given me the best results.
 
I would like to see a video on this because like Sam said you should be able to crush that blank between centres.
There must be something else going there.
Lin
 
+1 on should be able to crush blank with tailstock. Look at the tailstock on the lathe bed when you are tightening to see if it's sliding when you tighten the tailstock. If it's moving you need to crank down on whatever immobilizes your tailstock. Also +1 on upping the speed, using a sharp tool and less aggressive cuts.
 
Some times I just can't help myself, and throw out a 'knitting' post. All in fun. The above suggestions will likely get you on track. Besides, I hear that kitting is not all it is cracked up to be!
 
Once you've really cranked down the tailstock with the mandrel saver in it, made sure you have the right bushings installed and sharpened your tools, set your speed to close to the max and use light cuts. This should prevent the blanks from stopping.
 
qquake said:
I have tried two different mandrel savers over the years, one from PSI and the other from CSUSA. Neither one has ever worked for me. No matter how tight I make the tailstock, they always spin. I finally gave up on them. I use an adjustable mandrel and live center. They've always given me the best results.
Click to expand...

^ This.

I find that a 60 deg live center with a standard adjustable mandrel just works better for me than the fixed mandrel with the saver on it (definitely don't over-tighten it, though. Just enough to keep it steady.)

That being said, I've discovered that the bushings are most often the problem for me. I thought I had multiple bent mandrels until I started turning between centers. I've been putting the bushings between centers one at a time to test them and am pretty surprised how many are out of round.
 
Thanks everyone for the help. The tailstock was creeping back some. I adjusted the tailstock nut some and it definitely holds now. Maybe that will do the trick. I have been turning mostly acrylics. I can crank the speed up as well. Great advice!
 
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