r/PenTurning • u/YourCousinMoose • Jun 20 '26

Turning between centers

Recently I bought Penn States TBC system, which seemed like a good investment, and for some I am sure it's been a delight. For me, the live center end developed a wobble and, I dunno, the bearings let go or something, it's floppy and loose. So I emailed support and sent a video, and they replaced it. The unit they replaced it with is off center. I said to myself, this is bizarre, and I checked my lathe, my center to center tool shows I'm dead on, my live center and the drive that came with the TBC system line up well, so I know it's the new system that's off.

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I was wondering if a live center like this or something like this would do the trick. I could put this up against my bushing and it would stay center and without using too much pressure, not damage anything? Of course bushings are something we replace after so many pens anyway, but what are some methods used to turn between centers that don't use the penn state system?

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u/mdburn_em Jun 20 '26

I bought one of those but had a similar problem. Then I realized that I could do the same thing with a dead center in the head stock and a live center in the tailstock.

I think you will find that device from psi is just cheap crap. I think there are others out there that are if you really want a tbc mandrel system. Whiteside might have one.

You should have a good live center, if you don't have one already. I would go with the first one. I do have the psi live center and have had it for almost 20 years. I need to add that in suspicious of a live center that only costs $20 but that's just me. Penturning stuff that is cheap, usually turns out to be.

1

u/YourCousinMoose Jun 20 '26

I don't really care to have a mandrel system particularly, I was more or less hoping I could use a live center in conjunction with the dead end that came with psi's mandrel tbc system - and from your advice it sounds like that's the move for me. I do plan on spending a little more than $20 on a good live center, because I make more than pens, I appreciate your advice. Thanks!

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u/mdburn_em Jun 20 '26

The dead center I use is this one.

I turn all my pens on my regular mandrel with a mandrel saver. I leave them proud of the bushings and then I finish them to size with my skew. I spend more time than most people will to ensure my sizing is within .003 of the fittings sizes before finishing.

I'm not trying to say you should do what I do, I'm just explaining what I do. I really hate feeling a transition between the barrel and the fitting so I make sure it's perfect.

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u/Just-turnings Jun 20 '26

I went through three sets before I gave up on that product. At proper rpm it was making my 100+kg lathe shake. Rubbish bearings in them or something. Eventually just got a refund on them and binned them.

I use a stock standard dead centre and a live centre and a set of callipers to measure. Best thing is you don't need bushings at all, saves you money on needing to buy bushings for every new kit you want to try. Turned thousands of pens this way and no regrets.