# Video: Turning a Euro btw Centers w/o bushings.



## GrantH (Mar 16, 2012)

Here is a video I did this evening, hopefully it helps someone. I despise bushings, and I haven't been turning for a long time (2 months roughly) so I wanted to show the other newcomers that YOU DONT NEED A MANDREL AND BUSHINGS!

Turning a Euro Pen Between Centers on Rikon Mini Lathe - YouTube


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## Stevej72 (Mar 16, 2012)

Hey Grant, very nice job on the video.  I have not turned without bushings before and will give this a try next time i do a kit pen.


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## BSea (Mar 16, 2012)

That's a great video Grant.  Everyone should try a few this way.  It's not hard, and everything fits together really well doing the turning and checking with calipers vrs bushings that may or may not match the kit pieces.


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## GrantH (Mar 16, 2012)

Thanks Bob. To me bushings just get in the way and eat up costs that aren't necessary to make a quality pen. I actually have better fitting pens now than I did in the few I made with bushings. You can be careful with a skew to not hit the bushings, but what a pain! I always used calipers anyways, so it was only natural to get away from bushings.


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## SDB777 (Mar 17, 2012)

Not to mention, when doing your sanding, there will be no chance of transferring metal dust onto your wood and making it look like a warm turd!


Scott ('tween centers rules) B


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## cseymour (Mar 17, 2012)

Hi Grant -
That is a great video.  Thanks for sharing.  So you don't use any bushings, just the centers of the lathe go in to the tube ends of the pen -- is that correct?

Thanks.


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## GrantH (Mar 17, 2012)

cseymour said:


> Hi Grant -
> That is a great video.  Thanks for sharing.  So you don't use any bushings, just the centers of the lathe go in to the tube ends of the pen -- is that correct?
> 
> Thanks.



Exactly. You don't have to use a lot of pressure on the tail stock either, just enough to keep it from slipping. Too much and the brass warps. It's not fragile, but you can't not pay pay attention to it.


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## GrantH (Mar 17, 2012)

SDB777 said:


> Not to mention, when doing your sanding, there will be no chance of transferring metal dust onto your wood and making it look like a warm turd!
> 
> 
> Scott ('tween centers rules) B



Yes! It's just all around much more fun and fulfilling to not use bushings for me.


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## renowb (Mar 17, 2012)

Nice video. Thanks for sharing!


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## azamiryou (Mar 17, 2012)

GrantH said:


> ... I wanted to show the other newcomers that YOU DONT NEED A MANDREL AND BUSHINGS!



This probably deserves to be over in the Penturning forum instead of the Advanced Penmaking forum.


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## ALA (Mar 17, 2012)

Good video! Clear and to the point. Thanks. I hope to try this soon but first I need to pick up a chuck and a few things.


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## GrantH (Mar 17, 2012)

azamiryou said:


> GrantH said:
> 
> 
> > ... I wanted to show the other newcomers that YOU DONT NEED A MANDREL AND BUSHINGS!
> ...



We'll let the powers to be decide what they'd like to do with the thread. It is "advanced" as I am not using bushings and I between centers. I'm fine with it going over to that forum if it is better suited.


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## brownsfn2 (Mar 17, 2012)

Cool video.  Just a few questions...

Did I see that you are using a bowl chuck to hold the pen for drilling?  Isn't the inside of the jaws round?  I usually turn my blank to round first before inserting into the jaws on my chuck.  Now I am wondering if I need to.

I think I saw that you are squaring the blank to the tub on the lathe?  How can you be sure it is perfectly square?  I hate pen mills so I would love to eliminate that step if I can but I could not see how to do it and get it truly square on the lathe.

Do you have any problems with the blank slipping?  Mine slips every once in a while and I tighten the tailstock up again.  The problem is that eventually it expands the end of the brass tube ever so slightly.  Just wondered if you have the same problem.  Are you using the dead center from Grizzly?

Thanks for the video!


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## GrantH (Mar 17, 2012)

I replied in red.



brownsfn2 said:


> Cool video.  Just a few questions...
> 
> Did I see that you are using a bowl chuck to hold the pen for drilling?  Isn't the inside of the jaws round?  I usually turn my blank to round first before inserting into the jaws on my chuck.  Now I am wondering if I need to.
> 
> ...


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## Linarestribe (Mar 17, 2012)

Says owner turned off mobile viewing so I can't watch till I get to the desktop. Very interested to see your method.


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## GrantH (Mar 17, 2012)

Linarestribe said:


> Says owner turned off mobile viewing so I can't watch till I get to the desktop. Very interested to see your method.



The version posted above has copywritten music, therefore not available on mobile. This one is silent, as I didn't want the actual sound in the video. This one will work on mobile.

Pen Turning Euro Round Top Ball Point Between Centers - YouTube


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## T53C (Apr 17, 2012)

Hi Grant...a very nice job! Since I'm brand new to this world of pen turning...you've just help me trim down my "shoping list". A few questions I have:

1. Will this method work on any lathe? And if it will;

2. What would I need as tools to get started?

3. I favor my right hand due to a stroke back in 2001 and love a heavy "fat" chunky pen...which style would work best?

Many Thanks


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## jd99 (Apr 18, 2012)

Nice Video.. But got a couple of suggestions. 

You need to raise the upper guide on that band saw it looks a little low. :wink:

Also that method would work for turning a small amount of pens, but when I turn, I usally turn for inventory, and it is a min of 12, up to 24 and sometimes more pens a day, the constant checking with calipers would greatly slow me down.

I turn between centers, but I use TBC bushings that I make that way I can turn to diameter, quickly and don't have to keep grabing the calipers, or stopping the lathe.

I remove the bushings, and put the blank back in the centers to finish sand, and finish then polish. (No CA on the bushing that way) :biggrin:


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## Justturnin (Apr 18, 2012)

Nice Vid.  Like mentioned, I would lower the guard on your BS.  Mainly because someone watching may not know better.  If you left it up so you could see maybe inset a note that the guard should be just above the blank for safety but you raised it for a clear view on the Vid.

Other than that nice to see how others do things.  I never considered squaring on the lathe that way.  Makes sense in several ways....

For Turning, I do the same thing but I use bushing to get me close then I remove them to clean up any out of round and sand then use Delrin to apply my CA.

Great Vid, can't wait to see the next.  Been considering making one on my finishing.


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