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(11-28-2016, 11:40 AM)NCPaladin Wrote: I can't reply to materials for pen turning but...
in looking at PSI their pen chucks are $80 -100?
You may want to consider the Nova G3 for about $100. They do have "special" jaws for pens available or you can use the pin (not pen) jaw set. The G3 will handle anything your 1221 will handle and allow flexibility with a lot of different jaw sets for any projects including bowls and platters.
As Angus stated correctly...I may come up with another answer to go with the 12 differing opinions.
You don't need a chuck at all to turn pens. You can do the whole process with a pen mandrel and live center once you've drilled out the blanks and glued in the barrels. See my other post on the process.
Still Learning,
Allan Hill
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adding to what was said, a pen mill is faster, but not required to square the ends of blanks. Before I got a pen mill set I used a disc sander with a miter gauge. Having used both CA (superglue) and epoxy to glue the tubes into the blanks, I've had much better results with epoxy. I don't use a chuck to turn pens, I use a pen mandril. I have a center for the tailstock that fits over the mandrel and up against the bushing. You can turn pens between centers, but you have to do them one section of the pen at a time and you need a good set of calipers. Bushings + pen mandrel make the process faster.
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I have a G3 chuck with pin jaws and use a Jacobs chuck in the tail stock to drill my blanks.Prefer it to the drill press.Alan's advice is spot on.
Mel
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11-29-2016, 12:37 PM
(This post was last modified: 11-29-2016, 12:37 PM by crokett™.)
(11-29-2016, 09:57 AM)chips ahoy Wrote: I have a G3 chuck with pin jaws and use a Jacobs chuck in the tail stock to drill my blanks.Prefer it to the drill press.Alan's advice is spot on.
Mel
This is going to be one of those to each his own, but I still use the DP. The chuck on the lathe doesn't work for non-square/round blanks like antler, which I've discovered the hard way works much better if the blank is drilled before it is turned. It's tough to line the blank up along the proper axis for turning so you don't turn it too small. That and I've only one chuck so don't have to keep changing out the jaws.
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I agree with you Crockett,some materials cannot be drilled straight on the lathe so the DP is the better choice.
Mel
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