New Article Published - Turning between Centers

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I'll add another thanks in there. I'm about to start turning between centers, and this has helped give me some great pointers, not to mention great pictures showing me the correct steps.
 
Well George, I have been doing it a bit differently but I do believe I will now be "borrowing" a few things from that article and by doing so I think I'll eliminate a couple variables in my process. Thanks for taking the time to spell it out for me (I need that). :wink:
 
From the pic where you are drilling, it looks like you do the same little trick that I do, but I don't think you mentioned it George.
Before drilling, use the tube and make a mark on the drill bit. Then you know when to expect the drill to exit the other end and you can take that little bit more care.
Great tutorial BTW:biggrin:
 
skiprat said:
From the pic where you are drilling, it looks like you do the same little trick that I do, but I don't think you mentioned it George.
Before drilling, use the tube and make a mark on the drill bit. Then you know when to expect the drill to exit the other end and you can take that little bit more care.
Great tutorial BTW:biggrin:
Click to expand...

Yep, I do mark my bits so I'll know when to slow down or ease up. When I get close to the end I will retract the bit and give it one last chip clearing. I just thought everyone else did too. :biggrin:

Doing a lot of drilling and tapping on blanks I have marks all over my drill bits. For example when I make a section for my nib feeds I drill all the way through with one size bit then to a depth of .990" with another bit then to a depth of .760" with yet another bit before tapping the threads. It helps to know when to stop drilling! :)
 
skiprat said:
Nah, just us cleverish ones:biggrin:
Click to expand...

Thanks for the compliment Skip!

Glad it finally got published George! I do think you should submit it to one of the woodturning designs as an "update" to pen turning. Maybe manufacturers will see it and come out with a whole product line around TBC.
 
Madman1978 said:
The article is no longer acessable
Click to expand...
I started to make one several years ago and then realized that ANY word description would make it seem more complicated that it is. Below are three pictures that show the process. The first one is the first picture on this forum of TBC. IN fact TBC didn't have a name at that time and I referred to the first ones as "Mandrelless", i.e. "without a mandrel". Two fellows, Frank, aka Rifleman and JohnnyCNC both told me of a method they had heard of that did not use mandrels. I was having a specific problem with mandrels at that time.

I took what they said and came up with this:


www.penturners.org

Imported Photo from leehljp

Imported Photo from leehljp. Please edit title and description.
www.penturners.org
The essence of TBC in its simplest form.

I was living overseas at the time and did not have access to a drive center, so I made my own rather quickly out of aluminum rod, just to see if it would work. Of course, I stuck that homemade drive center into a chuck and it worked! ON the left side you will see a strange dead/drive center with the nose sticking directly into the blank. That drives it. ON the right side you will see a live center stuck into the other end. That is all there is to it, but options do abound.

THE NEXT two pictures show a Drive center (that I ordered online from the USA) on the left, and the Live center on the right, both sticking into the bushings. Using bushings helps when SHAPING/turning to shape. But TAKE The Bushings OFF before adding the CA or other finish. Taking the bushings OFF reduces the chances of the CA sticking to the bushings. This creates a natural step, and separating the bushings from the drive center/lived center is MUCH easier.

www.penturners.org

Mandrel bushings on TBC

Mandrel bushings on TBC lathe setup
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www.penturners.org

Custom Bushings on TBC setup

Custom Bushings on TBC setup
www.penturners.org

www.penturners.org

Mandrel and Custom bushings

Mandrel and custom bushings can both be used on TBC
www.penturners.org

That is all there is to it. Very simple. For those who like to check their blank over and measure it a few times during the turning and finishing, it is amazing how quick it is to take off and put back on when inspecting it. WAY quicker than with mandrels and no lost nuts and spacers. Convenient! And 99% of the time, dependably more accurate.
 
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