Turning pens between centers

[Jack Tyree]

I want to get started turning pens and have a question. Is it possible to turn pens between centers using the standard bushings you get where you get your kits.

[allen thunem]

this might be a better question for the guys at
I.A.P
International association of penturners

[Malcolm McLeod]

My father has been making pens for several years. From looking over his shoulder, I've seen him make numerous different styles from numerous manufacturer's kits. Each style uses its own bushing sizes, tube sizes (and so, drill sizes and reams). There may be some small overlap in these size requirements between some of the more common kits, but I haven't seen it.

My cynical suspicion is that pen making is an excuse to get you to buy more and more tooling from a particular kit manufacturer.

....Hope this is some help, but Allen may have best idea?

[Doug McKnight]

It might just about be possible with one of the fatter style of pens with bushings that insert into the tubes, but even then that seems like a really hard way to do it. I can't see how that would work with the 7mm style.
I'd just buy a mandrel. I like the ones that have a screw-thread to tighten the parts onto the rod. It's easy with a mandrel.
Doug

[Jack Tyree]

I was just concerned about the run out that so many say can be a problem with mandrels & live centers. I have a mandrel that seems to be OK with a live center point, but I just figured between centers would be way more accurate. Thanks for the advice.

[Roger Chandler]

I was just concerned about the run out that so many say can be a problem with mandrels & live centers. I have a mandrel that seems to be OK with a live center point, but I just figured between centers would be way more accurate. Thanks for the advice.

Get the pen saver mandrel from Penn State Industries.......it is a live center that goes over the mandrel and applies pressure to the bushings, and not the mandrel itself. It will keep your mandrel from bending and keep it running true. cost about $15 when I got mine.

[Len Mullin]

Jack, the answer to your question is, yes you can turn them that way. To get a better idea of how to go about doing it that way, you should check out the IAP pen turners site. There's more information on turning pens there, then any one person would want.
Len

[Walter R Demeron]

For 7mm pens I use a mandrel but for most others I turn between centers. On some of my bushings I drill out with a starter bit to fit between the dead center and live center better. Give it a shot.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

+1 on the pen saver mandrel. Provided you mandrel is straight and has not been bent, there is virtually no way to get the mandrel off center..... Assuming the lathe is straight. Awesome investment. And cheap.

[James Combs]

For 7mm pens I use a mandrel but for most others I turn between centers. On some of my bushings I drill out with a starter bit to fit between the dead center and live center better. Give it a shot.
Not positive but this may be the same thing that Walter is saying. Chuck your bushings up in your lathe, preferable in a collet chuck, drill out the drive end with a 60* pilot drill. This gives a little more area for your 60* drive center to drive on i.e. more friction. Even with the 60* opening in the bushing it can still be used on a mandrel if you want but personally I only use BTC bushings made for that purpose. I have a metal lathe and make my own but a lot of pen component suppliers stock BTC bushings as well as the standard bushings. Most BTC bushings will not have a through hole.

+1 on checking out the IAP site especially their library, as someone above said, more pen turning info then you will ever want to know.

[Grant Wilkinson]

Jack: I've done hundreds of pens using the stock bushings, but no mandrel. I use a dead/drive center in the headstock and a live center in the tail stock. As others have said, this won't work on slimlines since the bushing does not seat into the tube.

There are a couple of guys selling bushings with countersunk ends so that the centers seat better. I have a couple of sets of them and they are really nice, but pricey. The "stock" ones work fine if you are careful when you tighten the tailstock to ensure that you are running true and not binding a bit in the bushing bores.

[Rick Gibson]

Jack I've done a lot of pens and always turn between centers. For the ones I do a lot of I have purchased the bushings made for this. Machined to tighter tolerances they have no wiggle once installed. For pens that I don't do enough of to warrant purchasing the special bushings I use the stock bushings. I have taken a center starting drill and drilled out the back so they fit the 60 deg. live and dead centers I use. I get my centers from Busy Bee tools here in Canada $7 for the regular and $10 for the carbide tipped one.

[Ray Vivian]

Jack, I turn pens between 60 degree centers. I do not use any bushings. I measure the pen ends with calipers and turn checking with calipers. I have mandrels, bunch of bushings and that pen saver thing but quit using them years ago and went to turning between centers.

As said, IAP is a great site for pen turner information.

[Geoff Whaling]

Jack go to Kurt Hertzog's web site http://kurthertzog.com/demos.htm Kurt has many articles available on pen turning and one specifically on turning between centers if I remember correctly. This one is probably what you are looking for http://kurthertzog.com/articles/wtd39penmakingcolumn21red.pdf

[Alan Arnup]

The mandrel saver is one of the handiest items for pen making.
Less flex in the mandrel and therefore accurate results overall.
They are relatively inexpensive and well worth the outlay.

[ron hossack]

I want to get started turning pens and have a question. Is it possible to turn pens between centers using the standard bushings you get where you get your kits.

A simple answer is yes you can. What you need is a 60º 'dead center' and a 'live center'. Place the dead center in the headstock and the live center in the tail stock.

What type of pens are you going to be making?

95% of all my pen making is done between centers. I am not a fan of pen mandrels as the are really pretty soft steel and bend easily if you are heavy handed like myself.. When I have to use a mandrel (not for pen making) I bought some 1/4" Stainless Steel tubing and I use that as a mandrel. Doesn't bend or rust.

This mystery wood (cherry?) was turned between centers using standard bushings. I did take a a #4 60º center drill and cup the ends slightly for the centers to make better contact with the bushings.

http://s1.bild.me/bilder/240416/8557228P4200001_001.jpg

[Stan Calow]

Agree with the mandrel saver, if you're making more than one.