Thanks: 0
Likes: 0
Needs Pictures: 0
Picture(s) thanks: 0
Results 1 to 8 of 8
-
12th April 2013, 07:37 AM #1Member
- Join Date
- Apr 2013
- Location
- Brisbane
- Posts
- 61
Problems With Making my own stylus on the Lathe
Gday Guys,
I just bought my first wood lathe since highschool (almost 20 years ago). Im looking for some interesting ideas to try. I made my first pen on my father in-laws lathe a few weeks ago and If I must say i was pretty successful. Unfortunatley when I tried to make my own stylus from a piece of grevilia I wasnt so successful. My plan was to turn down a tube on the lathe and insert a cheap stylus i bought from a junk store down the midde. I was plauged by problems to do with my bore hole being off center and then shaping the tube too thin on one side. can anyone suggest a way I could retro-fit a 1/4 inch pen mandrel to suit an 8.5mm bore hole, whilst keeping everything centered.
I'm also wanting to know if anybody has used some more unusual wood for turning, such as the wood of a rose bush or from an orange tree. If so, how did they turn out.
Thanks guys
Rhys
-
12th April 2013 07:37 AM # ADSGoogle Adsense Advertisement
- Join Date
- Always
- Location
- Advertising world
- Posts
- Many
-
12th April 2013, 08:26 AM #2
Hi Rhysm ! welcome to the slippery slope You don't say whether you glued a tube into your creation or are trying to do a pen without support ? Without a tube you will be almost doomed to failure as you only have a thin veneer of material when finished ,and the wood is just not strong enough under load to hold together usually. You can certainly do it on a mandrel with suitable bushes in the bore to true up to for turning, or a more advanced way is between centres, which uses your bore as a register for truing up, again without a tube in the wood most likely unable to get enough pressure on the centres without breaking the timber .
As to materials its mostly try and see, I tell my customers " if I can drill a hole in it, I can make a pen from it " but you can get some pretty bland looking pens from some timbers and some spectacular ones from others ,good luck in your quest cheers ~ JohnG'day all !Enjoy your stay !!!
-
12th April 2013, 11:22 AM #3Member
- Join Date
- Apr 2013
- Location
- Brisbane
- Posts
- 61
Thanks for the response John. I was thinking I may have to tube it. Now to find a tube with an 8.5 mm ID. Then workout how I can get it to sit centered on a 1/4 inch mandrel.
-
12th April 2013, 01:03 PM #4
The problem with turning without a tube & the walls being only a mm or two thin is, the slightest catch or excess pressure will cause cracking. Worst case it'll fly apart, best case you need to break out the CA, usually it means chips missing.
Are you turning a closed end pen? Or are you intending to add a finial in one end?
'Cos if you're turning an open-ended blank all you need to do is drill a 1/4" hole thru a shortish offcut, mount it on the mandrel and turn a V-groove in the middle until it seperates into two. Et voila! Two tapered bushes to cater for almost any size on a 1/4" mandrel.
I wouldn't rely on these for a production run, but for a one-off they should be fine.
- Andy Mc
-
12th April 2013, 01:46 PM #5Member
- Join Date
- Apr 2013
- Location
- Brisbane
- Posts
- 61
Thanks for the ideas guys. Much appreciated.
-
12th April 2013, 01:58 PM #6
Try and find a 9mm tube thin walled should be about 8.5mm ID Some hobby shops sell brass tubes . As said a couple of cone shaped bushes with a 1/4" hole to fit the mandrel ,and the tube locates central on the 2 cones . You will get there cheers ~ John
G'day all !Enjoy your stay !!!
-
13th April 2013, 09:34 PM #7Member
- Join Date
- Apr 2012
- Location
- murray bridge
- Age
- 62
- Posts
- 82
its all about having fun trying new things u can buy a stylus kit from timberbits from $2.00
-
13th April 2013, 10:52 PM #8GOLD MEMBER
- Join Date
- May 2011
- Location
- Murray Bridge SA
- Posts
- 3,339
"I'm also wanting to know if anybody has used some more unusual wood for turning, such as the wood of a rose bush or from an orange tree. If so, how did they turn out."
I've turned both of these, they turn OK, but the timber is pretty bland. Both timbers are whitish-yellow.
The Rosebush was from a bush of special significance. As M.T. says it's the fun of trying new things.
Kryn
Similar Threads
-
7X12 Lathe Problems
By KBs PensNmore in forum METALWORK FORUMReplies: 15Last Post: 7th September 2012, 10:09 AM -
jet min lathe tailstock problems
By woodwormer in forum WOODTURNING - GENERALReplies: 7Last Post: 19th January 2012, 01:39 AM -
lathe problems. advise please
By man from uncle in forum WOODTURNING - GENERALReplies: 2Last Post: 27th October 2011, 07:39 PM -
Problems With New Lathe
By wm460 in forum METALWORK FORUMReplies: 5Last Post: 21st January 2010, 02:17 PM -
lathe problems
By ahunter77 in forum METALWORK FORUMReplies: 3Last Post: 11th December 2009, 11:11 PM