Pen Mandrels

[Bill O'Conner]

I just got my new(old) lathe just about set up and thought I would start out with something small. I'm looking to turn some pens and than move up to larger things from there. Ok I'm totaly confussed on this I got 2 mail order catalogs, found 4 or 5 online sites, and have a few stores near me with differant mandrels for turning pens. I was wondering if there is a set standard on them or if I want to turn pens from differant companies do I need to get their mandrel?

Thanks
Bill

[Scott Donley]

Morning Bill, I think most kits can be turned on a 7mm mandrel. That said, you are right that some makers require a different mandrel for some of their kits. I have not had the need. I used the PSI on the old CM and bought another for the new Jet. I think you will find that using bushings from the kit maker to be the most critical. Good luck !
PS. did you get the link for your manual ?

[Bill O'Conner]

yes I did Scott and thanks

So what I need is a 7 mm mandrel and I should be alright with which ever pen kit I choose as long as I get their bushing kit for that style pen?

[Frank Fusco]

Most pen kits use the 7mm. Those from Berea are known as 'A'. With any make, as soon as you get yours, check it out for concentricity and a true rod. e.g. put in spindle and bring tail stock up to dimple in end of rod. If it doesn't meet perfectly, send back. Without the tailstock in place, at slow speed, turn lathe on and watch to see if it spins perfectly true. If it doesn't, send back. Most will be fine. A $20.00 mandrel from one source is no better than a $10.00 one from another source if both are true.

[Bill O'Conner]

Ok I guess I'm off to go and get a mandrel from woodcraft or rockler both are on my way up to see my dad. He's going to help me with the bench for the lathe so hopefully tonight I can get back to turning after all these years away from it.

[Joe Judge]

I had a mandrel that was fixed length.
You have to add bushings if you were turning only a 1/2 a pen blank, etc.

I've since bought the compression type -- where the morse-taper end of my mandrel has a compression fitting that holds the shaft. I can lengthen or shorten the exposed shaft as needed.

-- This has been very useful for me over time.



-- joe

[Bill O'Conner]

Thanks Joe and Frank will look for the adjustable type than sounds like the way to go

[Scott Donley]

yes I did Scott and thanks

So what I need is a 7 mm mandrel and I should be alright with which ever pen kit I choose as long as I get their bushing kit for that style pen?In general, yes, but there are exceptions.

[Michael Cody]

I recommend this one:

Woodcraft professional mandrel (http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?FamilyID=1608)


It's the compression type and will handle many different kits. If you need a bigger mandrel, it will hold a "B" type Bera mandrel also. Bigger ones I can't say.

[Corey Hallagan]

If I was you I would get a Berea complete precesion mandrel set. That includes the arbor and then mandrell rod. So if you buy a complete A set then buy a seperate B mandrel rod and you can then turn about any pen you want to. Alot of the Berea kits use the B mandrell.

http://beartoothwoods.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=35_42&products_id=100

http://beartoothwoods.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=35_42&products_id=109

Corey

[Jim Becker]

Generally speaking, it's often a good idea to consider the pen mandrel setups available from the outfit you plan on using for your pen kits. This insures that the bushings give you no problem...there are (or at least were when I started turning) sometimes minor differences in how they are manufactured.

[Bill O'Conner]

I think I open a whole new can of worms here with this post

[Forrest Price]

Bill, don't sweat it. Once you get going on it, you'll be fine. I had the fixed length (all I knew about at the time) and it was a minor inconvenience to add bushing stock when turning shorter items, but it still worked fine.

When I finally get another pen setup, I will be going adjustable just for the pure ease of it all.

One word of advise, and I hope nobody ever needs it, but, don't use one of those plastic drawer boxes to keep your components and kits in. Let me explain:

My shop burned last winter. I had a HUGE assortment of pen kits (from cheap to really $$$$$ ones) along with all the bushing kits, extra pieces etc. I loved teaching kids to turn pens and get them started in woodworking.

I had all those pieces in a great big multi drawer plastic organizer (you know the type) and folks, it was a huge mess after the fire. No way to seperate, identify or anything. A total loss on at least 100 kits or so.

So when you get going, keep all those goodies in a METAL container of some sort. Tackle box, something metal just in case!

[Curt Fuller]

Here's a good starter setup..
http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/cgi-bin/shopper?preadd=action&key=950-0002
I imagine the other suppliers have something similar. From here, each different style of pen requires it's own drill bits and bushings. Just another spin on the abyss.

[Corey Hallagan]

Jim is write, for best results I use PSI Pro Mandrell for their kits and the Berea Mandrels for their kits. And as I said before, there are 2 different mandrell rods that can be used for all their kits. The Berea mandrels can be used on CSUSA kits from what I have been told but I haven't turned any of those.

Corey