Review of some "custom" lathe related items (dead center drive)

reible · Post by **reible** » Mon Apr 15, 2013 6:10 pm

I love shiny new tools! And I do get a few every year. These particular tools are especially shiny, and appear to be very well made.

First off it is a dead center drive. This is a lathe tool that provides a 60 degree point to drive a work piece. The shaft is 1/2" so it will fit in either the drill chuck or the router arbor on your shopsmith. I know you like pictures so here are a few.

Here is a picture of it mounted in a drill chuck.

[ATTACH]21007[/ATTACH]

I have two different style router chucks so the next two pictures show them with the center mounted.

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[ATTACH]21009[/ATTACH]

This is close up showing the center. The larger dia. is 1", that portion is 1/2" long before it gets to the 60 degree taper. The mounting area is 1-1/2" long.

[ATTACH]21010[/ATTACH]

The mounting area is not tapered, it is simply a 1/2" dia. round.

[ATTACH]21011[/ATTACH]

This one was custom built for me using dimensions I provide. I'm impressed with the work that was done. While I have no long term experience with this item I will say first impressions count a good deal with me and I'm impressed.

I will provide more details in a short while.

Ed

reible · Post by **reible** » Mon Apr 15, 2013 7:54 pm

I have a second thread now started on lathe tools that come from the same source, you can find that here:

https://forum.shopsmith.com/viewtopic.php?p=143528

As I described earlier my version of this was a custom design. There is a more standard version which is a 1/2" dia and 3" long (price list at this time $12). I can see how this size might be useful as well but I have one about that size already. I did not have a larger version so that is why I opted for the one I ordered.

At this point I have to rate this a 5 out of 5. The craftsman ship is excellent, it is correctly sized, finish is beautify, and it was made and delivered in a very short time. I can't think of anything that I would change.

One of the plus of this custom ordering is that you can get things made the way you want them. So if my design doesn't fit your needs you can ask for what you want. The guy making these will then have to decide if he is interested in doing the job and how much it will cost. I paid $20 for the extra work involved for mine. Not cheap but then not all that expensive either.

I think some of you already know who did the work. Some of you already own things made by him. I've only been in correspondence for less then a month now so I personally don't know much about him but his work tells me a lot. This is the link via the international association of penturners (I just joined a short while ago)

http://www.penturners.org/forum/f172/cu ... ies-92501/

If you are ready for something different check this out.

Ed

skou · Post by **skou** » Tue Aug 19, 2014 4:57 am

Ed, I'm at a loss as to what a dead drive center will do.

(Yes, I know this is an old thread, but you put a link to it in a current thread.)

Like I said above, what will this tool do, other than hold something between centers? If you try to turn something (the main purpose of a lathe) between centers, this one will slip WAY too much.

However this tool would have been VERY useful, quite a few years ago, when I was hand sanding the main and rod journals on a Chrysler 360 crankshaft, but a drive center on the spindle held the transmission end of the crank just fine. No, no power was applied to my Model 10, the ER just held the crank while I used emery cloth to polish the journals.

I have seen machinists use a similar tool, but attached to a faceplate, or chuck, and with a driving dog attached to the work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=my9ixtJogCg

steve

RobertTaylor · Post by **RobertTaylor** » Tue Aug 19, 2014 7:55 am

if you put a matching 60 degree chamfer inside pen bushings you can turn more accurately and prevent out of round pens as often occurs when using a mandrel. it really does not slip as one might think it would. sharp tools and a light touch is all it takes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6wTnychR1U

reible · Post by **reible** » Tue Aug 19, 2014 9:58 am

That was a nice short and to the point video. Thanks for posting it!

I wanted to point out that while this guy uses bushings you can also just turn wood. I've not had that much experience doing this type of turning I can say that while you might get some catches they are not damaging to your workpiece. The wood simply stops and the center spins in the wood. Once you get the feel for it you don't even have that happening very often.

I've used mine to do some game calls, and lathe handles so it is not just for pens.

I have special drill bits designed to put the 60 degree angle on the hole and have a end pocket that makes sure the very tip of the center doesn't even touch the wood. This takes away the stress point so it is less likely to split the workpiece. I have never had the problem so I'm guess it works pretty well. That and not acting like a gorilla when mounting I'm sure helps too. If you are not familial with "center drill bits" you can google them (you want ones with the 60 degree angle for this application).

Ed

terrydowning · Post by **terrydowning** » Tue Aug 19, 2014 1:51 pm

bettyt44720 wrote:if you put a matching 60 degree chamfer inside pen bushings you can turn more accurately and prevent out of round pens as often occurs when using a mandrel. it really does not slip as one might think it would. sharp tools and a light touch is all it takes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6wTnychR1U

If Turning Between Centers (TBC), you can even skip the bushings altogether. Just measure the pen hardware with a decent set of calipers (My $10 HF set does the job nicely) then use the calipers to turn the matching ends to the correct size. I have not purchased bushings in ages. I either make my own or do without. I hate the recurring cost of expendables and bushings are definitely an expendable item as they do wear.

timsturnings · Post by **timsturnings** » Tue Aug 19, 2014 11:09 pm

Aren't the TBC bushings expendables too? It would seem they would also be worn down eventually by your lathe tools. Am I incorrect?
Tim.

skou · Post by **skou** » Wed Aug 20, 2014 1:05 am

bettyt44720 wrote:if you put a matching 60 degree chamfer inside pen bushings you can turn more accurately and prevent out of round pens as often occurs when using a mandrel. it really does not slip as one might think it would. sharp tools and a light touch is all it takes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6wTnychR1U

Answered my question, and quite well.

THANK YOU!

(If you ain't learnin' you ain't livin.' And, I learned something.)

steve

terrydowning · Post by **terrydowning** » Wed Aug 20, 2014 11:30 am

Pen turning bushings should definitely be considered expendable items. How much they wear and how often you should replace is entirely up to you though.

Between sanding and nicking with lathe tools they definitely wear. Also be aware that not all bushing are created equally some are not concentric and some do not match the diameter of the actual pen hardware.

If you do use bushings for turning small items to size, I recommend periodically measuring bushings and checking them for run out.

Or learn TBC and use calipers to get a more precise measurement. While I'm not typically a huge measurement freak, pens must be turned to very precise tolerances hundredths of an inch if not thousandths, it does make a difference on a completed pen and you can feel the difference if the match is not exact.