Penn State Pen Mandrel Saver

[John Merc]

Has anyone tried the Penn State Pen Mandrel Saver? I tried one out today and still getting movement on the mandrel. I'm not sure if I'm using it correctly...I tried keeping it lose, tight, and everything in between. Wondering if I'm having a bad day or the mandrel is not all they say it is. thanks for the help.

[Paul Singer]

Make sure you are past the threads of the mandrel and have part of the non-threaded shaft into the saver. I had the same problem until I took a spacer off the mandrel to enable more of the shaft to enter the saver.

[Jim Burr]

John, if the opportunity presents itself and you plan on doing a lot of pens, go "between-the-center". The initial cost is covered by 1 sale and the results are second to none.

[Rich Stewart]

Jim, could you explain to us how that is done? Any links or a tutorial would be appreciated.

[Jim Underwood]

We had Don Russell demo his "Polychromatic ornaments" at the club meeting the other night. He couldn't say enough good things about the mandrel saver. It helps keep the mandrel from "bowing up" being between centers, and gets the pressure on the bushing and blank where it belongs. He put his ornament bodies and collars on a pen mandrel and used this saver to get everything lined up right.

I wonder if you already have a bent mandrel?

He also said you best have that rubber washer on each end, or it won't wanna drive it.

I have no experience with the thing, but it made sense to me...

Since my advice is free, take it for what it's worth.

[Jim Underwood]

Rich,
I think Jim is referring to using a dead center in the spindle to drive the pen blanks, instead of using a pen mandrel. Is that right Jim?

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Back to basics, does your tailstock line up with your headstock? The mandrel should work.

[Jim Burr]

Rich,
I think Jim is referring to using a dead center in the spindle to drive the pen blanks, instead of using a pen mandrel. Is that right Jim?

Yes sir it is. My biggest struggle was turning each half of the pen separately...got over it pretty fast. I did a commission set for the Board of Directors at the hospital I work for...talk about attention to detail!!! They were all done w/o a mandrel therefore had no oval or elliptical pattern at the joints. All mandrels, regardless of use, sanding pressure or torque will become out of round. Center turning prevents/eliminates this problem...although nothing is ever exactly round.
May take a day or 2, or if someone has some pic's of a dead center and a 60 tail with bushings, pictures would be a great idea.

[John Merc]

Make sure you are past the threads of the mandrel and have part of the non-threaded shaft into the saver. I had the same problem until I took a spacer off the mandrel to enable more of the shaft to enter the saver.

Paul- I moved the mandrel past the treads and that did the trick!!! Thanks for the help.

[Paul Singer]

I thought that might be it. Same thing happened to me. Really like it now.

Happy turning.

[Peter Hay in Aus]

Its a real number of years since I did away with the least engineered idea that of the mandrel fitted to a live centre. I use a removeable centred live centre, cut the thread off the mandrel and fit a sleeve centre in brass in the live centre allowing a snug fit for the mandrel end. Pressure is controlled by the tail stock. No collee wobbles for me, never had a blank learn to fly either, always turned one half at a time, no out of round.

Using my Pen Wizard I removed the original holding screw for the mandrel and ran the thread down each end further to allow for locknuts, no surprise slips on the shaft and best even turning blanks.

There is nothing wrong in my method nearly 15 yrs before the who ha of the point connection to sleeving a threaded section end of the mandrel either by tailor making the sleeve fit of the end threaded or not into the brass sleeve.

All of these methods are cheap to carry out and use.

Please excuse me for going into this detail, over the years usually brings a ho hum negative response but when large firms adapt the idea gains recognition however as has been demonstrated mass production can give deviations that shop built can overcome with a little thought.

Pics show my mod and Pen Wizard methods note the thread is on the end of the mandrel.

PS on the lathe any take up slack cause of shorter blanks is taken care of with 1/4 inch washers.

Regards Peter.

[Peter Hay in Aus]

Met a guy one day who works as a metal machinist with Computer aided equipment I commissioned him to make me a live centre using hardened steel which he did. While describing why and so forth I used my everyday carry pen a Slimline to demo why I wanted his help.

He made the unit having said initially all he wanted in payment was one of my Slimline pens.(power of a pen)

Pic enclosed shows that live centre it has an allen screw in the steel sleeve that holds the brass sleeve for the snug fit to the mandrel. I ran the vac connection through the bed of the lathe and lucked out with angle perfect to rest the chisels flat on. I use a full garage wall mounted vac to this Vicmarc VL100 lathe and the Collet Chuck is held in the tailstock by a through 3/8 threaded rod.

Regards Peter.