looking for info on the mandrel saver mandrel.

[Karl Card]

The mandres that goes thru your tailstock instead of being pinched between tail and head stock. Anyone used one of these
and are they all they appear to be.

Thanks for any feeback, I need to buy a new one and kind of up in the air about these.

[Andrew Arndts]

Well as I see it you can go Cheap and most likely will be very unhappy with the one produced by PSI (http://www.pennstateind.com/store/PKMSTS2.html), OR you can spend better than twice as much and perhaps be very happy by getting the one from Craft Supplies USA (http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/p/1/-/3/16/-/5492/Precision-Machine-Pen-Center/mandrel+saver+tailstock+center)
Yet have you ever thought of turning pens between centers?

[Dick Mahany]

I have the PSI version and am generally quite satisfied with it. One can still get vibration near the center when turning 2 pc pen blanks, however that can easily be remedied by simply switching to turn one pc at a time. I have also been making bushings for turning between centers which I like better. The PSI unit does work as advertised.

[Mark Detrick]

I have had a couple of the PSI mandrel severs. I like them better than the old mandrel nut method put they do get pretty loose after awhile. I do agree that Turn Between Centers is a much better method. I have not used a mandrel for the last several hundred pens I have made.

[Jim Burr]

Better off to ditch the mandrel and go BTC...quality increases dramatically.

[James Combs]

Better off to ditch the mandrel and go BTC...quality increases dramatically.
Amen to you Jim!

[Kyle Iwamoto]

I got one from e-bay, so it is probably from PSI. It works as well as I expected, though I didn't get the one from CS so I can't compare.

I am getting very interested in turning between centers though.

[David C. Roseman]

The mandres that goes thru your tailstock instead of being pinched between tail and head stock. Anyone used one of these
and are they all they appear to be.

Thanks for any feeback, I need to buy a new one and kind of up in the air about these.

Got to love SMC! No shortage of diverse opinions here. :) FWIW, we love our PSI Mandrel Saver. Have only turned a couple dozen pens with ours, but the friend who recommended it has probably turned over 100 on his and is still happy with it. In fact, I used his to turn a pen at one of our local Woodcrafts last Saturday at a Veterans’ support event for Warriors in Transition. I didn’t notice any more play in his than in ours.

David

[Roger Chandler]

I use the one from PSI.........mine has given me very good results.........I don't do all that many pens..........just a few now and then, but no problems whatsoever. My first pen mandrel bent from tailstock pressure.......the mandrel saver live center is a great upgrade in my opinion!

[Karl Card]

Well you guys have talked me into turning between centers. I will ask "how do you do that"? but I will also go look for the answer to that question.

Thanks,

[James Combs]

Well you guys have talked me into turning between centers. I will ask "how do you do that"? but I will also go look for the answer to that question.

Thanks,
This shows a slimline barrel being turned between centers. The left center is a 60* dead center in the head stock and the right is a 60* live center in the tail stock. The bushings are homemade but you can buy them already made for the the 60* centers. My dead center is also home made to fit my collet chuck but most are made to fit a MT1,2,3 or other MT taper. The point is that the blank/tube sub-assembly is turned by friction between the two centers. Not only does this insure a well centered tube/blank but it also prevents damaging the blank in the event of a catch. The blank/tube will typicaly just stop spinning if the tool catches and you don't end-up with a busted blank. Most standard bushings can be modified to be used between centers(slims may be the exception) by simply drilling the outside ID(the point the busing contacts the centers) with a 60* center drill. Chuck the bushing up on your lathe in a collet chuck, chuck the drill up in a drill chuck(if you don't have one get one with an MT2 taper, very useful for other things as well) then drill a slight inner 60* chamfer on the inside of the bushing. This slight chamfer provides enough contact friction to turn the blank but will allow it to slip in a catch.
261518

And BTW if you are serious at all about turning pens as well as smaller things like ornaments, bottle stoppers etc a collet chuck is a wise investment. I suggest the $89 PSI ER32 chuck set. You can sometimes find it on Amazon for $79. It comes with 5 collets(if my memory is correct) but you can add many more in both inch and metric sizes as you need them. Just do a search on ebay for ER32 for instance.

[Ronald Blue]

I have has good luck with the PSI mandrel saver. It works as I hoped it would. It's a great idea IMHO.

[Andrew Arndts]

Here are some you tube vid (http://youtu.be/_c--nfxh8og) on that very subject. Here is the other one (http://youtu.be/p6wTnychR1U).
You can find a 60 degree dead center at woodturnz
(http://www.sawmillcreek.org/#2MT Dead Center)

[Karl Card]

I like the ideal, and I also think the roundness will be better. I have had some oval pens come off a mandrel.

[Dan Masshardt]

Like most of the others I'm doing more and more turning between centers.

However, for the price, I'd suggest you get the psi mandrel saver anyway. You can turn between centers with regular bushings, no bushings (measure ends) or specialty bushings with 60 degree ends cut in.

I find that I still use the mandrel and mandrel saver when I do 7mm kits and even for finishing some other kits that I TBC if I want to finish them at the same time.

[Jim Burr]

Like most of the others I'm doing more and more turning between centers.

However, for the price, I'd suggest you get the psi mandrel saver anyway. You can turn between centers with regular bushings, no bushings (measure ends) or specialty bushings with 60 degree ends cut in.

I find that I still use the mandrel and mandrel saver when I do 7mm kits and even for finishing some other kits that I TBC if I want to finish them at the same time.
I tried using factory bushings in a BTC format and still had issues with quality. On a factory bushing there is no way to assure they are round, the hole is centered...so on.

[Dick Mahany]

I tried using factory bushings in a BTC format and still had issues with quality. On a factory bushing there is no way to assure they are round, the hole is centered...so on.

Same experience here although I'm a relative newcomer to pen turning with only about 30 under my belt. I recently got a set of bushings that were very noticeably non-concentric and out of round at the same time. That led me to make a set of BTC 60 degree bushings with a small metal working mini lathe. What a difference! Although making my own was not cost effective, it was great fun and I quickly learned about how much better my finished results could be.

[Dan Masshardt]

I tried using factory bushings in a BTC format and still had issues with quality. On a factory bushing there is no way to assure they are round, the hole is centered...so on.

I've had fairly decent luck overall with factory bushings but have or have ordered specific tbc bushings for the kits I make most.

Some people just measure but I like having bushings.

As I mentioned in the post, I keep the mandrel around too.

To the op, they have limited selection right now but lazerlinez has nice bushings that are drilled for a mandrel rod AND have 60 ends.

[Andrew Arndts]

I tried using factory bushings in a BTC format and still had issues with quality. On a factory bushing there is no way to assure they are round, the hole is centered...so on.

what I do is take the bushing, chuck it up so the "outside" is open. I take a Counter Sink tool that I got lucky with as it is set to make a 60 degree edge. press it into the opening until enough comes off. double check it against my live center.

[Justin Hemphill]

Better off to ditch the mandrel and go BTC...quality increases dramatically.

I've never seen a pen turned without a mandrel... Is there a reason the quality would be better? With the bushings, you know exactly where to stop on your end points (if you're aiming for a flush fit).

I'm not arguing with you, I've only turned a single pen in my entire "career" (I use that term very loosely...) just curious as to why? If I don't need all the hardware to turn them, this would save me some coin, that is one benefit. :)

[Peter Fabricius]

I made my own Mandrel Saver years ago when the idea was first posted. I fitted a soft nose, Walnut, to my Oneway Live Centre and drilled it to the size of the "A" mandrel and that let me hang up the brass NUT permanently. I also have one made for the "B" sized mandrel. These have been working real well for the last 100 + pens that I have made. I also make all my own bushings from Corian and that too has worked real well. Keeping expenses down and taking pride in making my own tools, jigs etc. is very satisfying. Peter F.