Thread: One of those days...

We all have days like that every now and then.

Some possible reasons.

The tailstock centre is the cup type you got with the lathe rather than a 60º cone centre. The cup point has a smaller angle allowing the end of the mandrel to sit to one side.

The end of the blank wasn't square. That cocks the bushing to the side a bit.

The density of the wood varies and you sanded a little more off the soft side than the other. I doubt Blackwood would be like that but it does happen on other woods.

You were holding your tongue to the left side of your cheek longer than the right, thus unbalancing your pen turning aura.

Pete

Originally Posted by QC Inspector

We all have days like that every now and then.

Some possible reasons.

The tailstock centre is the cup type you got with the lathe rather than a 60º cone centre. The cup point has a smaller angle allowing the end of the mandrel to sit to one side.

The end of the blank wasn't square. That cocks the bushing to the side a bit.

The density of the wood varies and you sanded a little more off the soft side than the other. I doubt Blackwood would be like that but it does happen on other woods.

You were holding your tongue to the left side of your cheek longer than the right, thus unbalancing your pen turning aura.

Pete

Cheers I will check those - my suspicion though is that I might have had the tailstock pushed up a bit too hard which bent the mandrel slightly - will take a look a bit later on.

Originally Posted by RSD

Cheers I will check those - my suspicion though is that I might have had the tailstock pushed up a bit too hard which bent the mandrel slightly - will take a look a bit later on.

It's been a long time since I used the pen lathe, but I used to have that problem so I bought a new mandrel with a tailstock centre that slides over the mandrel and pushes on the blanks. That fixed the problem and I found the pens were much better.
Mmmmm, now where is the pen lathe?
Rgds,
Crocy.

My wife Marla ditched the pen mandrel after 30 or 40 pens and went to turning between centres. Dead centre in the headstock and live in the tailstock, both 60º for another 500 or 600 pens and never another pen with out of round issues. I've never used a mandrel and I have never had out of round pens. Not as many pens though. I'm happy to turn barrels one at a time for a two barrel pen but many aren't. Up to you to weigh the pro and con of each method.

Pete