Tail stock center sets ????

[reible]

Hi,

Working on my 2009 tool budget and one thing on my list lathe related was a set of tail stock centers.

I have the dead center (this is the same type I learned to turn with as a kid) and the live center from shopsmith. I don't do a lot of turning but some of the stuff I have planned might even include pen turning and some other smaller objects. I'm thinking if I get one of these tail stock centers with small points, including the 60 deg one I have seen mentioned this might suit most of my needs.

Anyone have pro's con's of this idea? Anyone own one of these and have things they liked, disliked? Anything I should look for? Brands? And please keep in mind I am not a big turner so it will have minimum use and I'd like to not go over board price wise.

Thanks,

Ed

[nuhobby]

Hi,

I turn a pen every now and then with the Penn State mandrel for Shopsmith. It's true the tail end of the mandrel doesn't normally fit well in the Shopsmith tailstock live-center. However it happened I've got a live-center with the point worn down. This happens to work well (for me) in meshing with the Penn State mandrel.

My other comment is a comparison of the 500 and the 510/520 for pen-turning. I generally like to get the whole standard (~ 8-inch) tool-rest right up by the mandrel. With the 500 system geometry, this is easy to do. With the 510 carriage & tool-rest, it's not quite the same because off the wider carriage stance. Some people in the 510/520 use the 4-inch tool-rest and do 1/2 of the pen-blanks at a time. Another thing some people do is put some extension in the tailstock center which lets the 8-inch tool-rest snug up to both pen-blanks again.

Anyway, more than 1/2 the fun is working through little issues like this, learning more as time goes on.

Good luck,

[reible]

Hi,

Here are a few examples of what I'm looking at:

http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?fa ... tID=142771

http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/store ... nter?Args=

http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/store ... _kit?Args=

Ed

[horologist]

Ed,

I would inspect the Woodcraft set in person before buying to make sure it will do what you want. I had planned on buying this set or a similar one but when I got to the store found it to be low grade Chinese junk. Very poor fit and finish.

Troy

[reible]

I haven't gone the route of getting a mandrel yet but I had heard the issue of the need for a 60 deg live center being needed... well unless you have a worn shopwmith one I guess... At this time I don't think mine is all that worn.

What you commented on next confused me a bit so maybe I'm missing something here. I had a 500, (my orginial machine) with shorter tool rest, and when I got my 520 upgrade kit they sent a new tool rest which has a longer arm, I had assumed the longer length was done to offset the difference between the older stance and the new wider stance. I have never set up to do pens so I guess the issue has never come up for me. You do have the upgraded arm right?

You are right it is good to work though the issues and it is fun to learn new things. Pen turning might be one of them, along with some other small projects I want to do.

Thanks for the input!

Ed

Hi,

I turn a pen every now and then with the Penn State mandrel for Shopsmith. It's true the tail end of the mandrel doesn't normally fit well in the Shopsmith tailstock live-center. However it happened I've got a live-center with the point worn down. This happens to work well (for me) in meshing with the Penn State mandrel.

My other comment is a comparison of the 500 and the 510/520 for pen-turning. I generally like to get the whole standard (~ 8-inch) tool-rest right up by the mandrel. With the 500 system geometry, this is easy to do. With the 510 carriage & tool-rest, it's not quite the same because off the wider carriage stance. Some people in the 510/520 use the 4-inch tool-rest and do 1/2 of the pen-blanks at a time. Another thing some people do is put some extension in the tailstock center which lets the 8-inch tool-rest snug up to both pen-blanks again.

Anyway, more than 1/2 the fun is working through little issues like this, learning more as time goes on.

Good luck,

[reible]

Hi,

Well there goes the cheaper set, might have guess the price was too resonable.

Did you ever find one for yourself?

Ed

Ed,

I would inspect the Woodcraft set in person before buying to make sure it will do what you want. I had planned on buying this set or a similar one but when I got to the store found it to be low grade Chinese junk. Very poor fit and finish.

Troy

[nuhobby]

Hi Ed,

On my 500 vs. 510/520 comments...

For each model I do have the correct respective tool-rest Arm such that a general turning (e.g., long spindle) can be set up the same. That is, assuming you have a long-enough clearance between headstock and tailstock. However, if the headstock is positioned way down at the right end of the tubes (and perhaps even additionally if some folks have the Lift Assist?), then the span of way-tubes that the carriage can ride upon is very short. With such a very reduced tube span, it seems the 500 carriage/tool-arm is easier to work up to the workpiece than the 510/520. No big deal, but a finer detail which has solutions available (like mentioned above).

This is something I keep in mind if I ever upgrade the old 500. It could be I choose to keep an old 500 as a Shorty / Pen-Lathe even if otherwise I have upgraded full Mark V's.

[reible]

Hi,

OK I can see where you are coming from about the workablility of moving the arm and carriage. I have a MT extension which would help with that issue. I also have the universal lathe tool rest (I got the MT extender to work around length issues with that), do you happen to know if that would work for pen turning? Maybe length issue with that set up too?

Ed

Hi Ed,

On my 500 vs. 510/520 comments...

For each model I do have the correct respective tool-rest Arm such that a general turning (e.g., long spindle) can be set up the same. That is, assuming you have a long-enough clearance between headstock and tailstock. However, if the headstock is positioned way down at the right end of the tubes (and perhaps even additionally if some folks have the Lift Assist?), then the span of way-tubes that the carriage can ride upon is very short. With such a very reduced tube span, it seems the 500 carriage/tool-arm is easier to work up to the workpiece than the 510/520. No big deal, but a finer detail which has solutions available (like mentioned above).

This is something I keep in mind if I ever upgrade the old 500. It could be I choose to keep an old 500 as a Shorty / Pen-Lathe even if otherwise I have upgraded full Mark V's.

[nuhobby]

Hi again,

There may be more than one relevant posting, but this one may help voice a few members' past experiences as well:
https://forum.shopsmith.com/viewtopic.php?t=1327

Actually with a 4-inch tool rest it's likely possible to do anything. I just like doing both halves of my pens simultaneously with an 8-inch rest....

[horologist]

Hi,

Well there goes the cheaper set, might have guess the price was too reasonable.

Did you ever find one for yourself?

Ed

Not yet, the set I was I looked at had a hole running through the taper and some of the inserts. I wanted this feature for drilling on center as a part of making clock arbors. When I looked at the tool I realized that it wouldn't work the way I wanted and the quality was so awful I wouldn't buy it at any price.

Nova stuff seems to be good quality, at least I like my midi chuck.

You might consider the Nova set as the price isn't bad and at least it looks good in the photo.

If all you need is the cone you might try something like:

http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/inde ... ProdID=367

Be sure to post and let us know what you decide to buy.

Troy