Busy Bee

At some point during the past year BusyBee of Canada had redesigned its web site and in so doing invalidated most of the hyperlinks I had made to individual lathe parts. I have since updated the links. Please refer to my previous (and now updated) post.

Pen Turning On The 46-140 Lathe With A Plain-End Pen Mandrel

There are three basic types of pen mandrel, as defined by the method of mounting to the headstock: those having a morse taper shank, those having a threaded female socket, and those having no mounting fixture at all -- the so-called "plain end."

In other words, a "plain end" pen mandrel is basically just a length of straight and smooth round rod with no obvious means of mounting to the 46-140's headstock.

Here's where you get creative. I will explain two similar methods, one for use with a scroll chuck, the other for mounting directly to the headstock spindle.

Let's suppose that you happen to have a scroll chuck with an ordinary 50mm jaw set. Rough turn round and then face off a thick hardwood dowel. Cut off a 3 inch length of it and grasp it in your scroll chuck jaws. Turn down a 1/2-inch long tenon at the tailstock end of that dowel. Drill a 3/4-inch deep hole in the center of that tenon that is just large enough to accept the smooth end of the pen mandrel. Aim for a snug fit. You don't want any play in that hole and it must be perfectly centered. Secure the mandrel in the wood block with a set screw driven into the tenon perpendicular to the axis of rotation. Here's a photo of the finished item. You can see the "tooth marks" where the scroll chuck's jaws grasp the block.

With the mandrel now secured in the wood block, add your pen blank, spacers, etc., tighten it all up, place the dimpled end of the mandrel rod on the point of your tailstock center, and turn your pen.

Alternatively, let's suppose that you have only the factory spur drive center. Unscrew it and set it aside. Now simply tap a hardwood block that is at least 4 inches long by 2 inches square with an ordinary 7/8-14 machinist's tap. Screw it on to the headstock and then follow the above instructions for turning a tenon, etc.

Scroll Chucks for the 46-140

Although there are several types of scroll chucks on the market, there are only two companies that I am personally aware of that manufacture chucks that will accommodate a 7/8-14 tpi headstock. They are Teknatool and Oneway, both of which provide high quality products. I happen to own the Nova G3 by Teknatool, pictured below, and I am quite pleased with it.

Pictured above and starting clockwise from the bottom are my (well used at this point) G3 with 50mm jaw set, 7/8-14 spindle adapter, woodworm screw insert, spur center insert, and T handle chuck key. All of the items in the photo were sold as a single package. I bought mine from Woodcraft about five years ago. They still carry it. Amazon has them, too.

The G3, like many other scroll chucks, requires a headstock spindle adapter to fit this or any other lathe headstock. These adapters are standard accessories that are manufactured by Teknatool. Depending upon where you buy your G3 chuck, the spindle adapter may or may not be included as part of your package. So be sure to check. Here is a link to Teknatool's list of spindle adapters for its various chucks. It may well be the case that you'll have to speak by phone with a sales representative from the company you buy from since their web sites (usually the U.S. sites) frequently do not list the 7/8-14 adapters -- giving the impression perhaps that they are simply not available, which is clearly not the case.

The advantage of the spindle adapter of course it that if you move up to a different or larger lathe at some point in the future all you'll have to do to take your scroll chuck with you is buy the requisite adapter for the new machine.

Additionally, there are all sorts of available jaw sets for this chuck. Personally, I only own the 50mm "standard" jaw set. Changing jaw sets is mostly a matter of unscrewing, re-inserting (and not misplacing) eight machine screws and doing a little alignment of each jaw part. It's not difficult by any means but it's a sufficiently time consuming operation that you would reasonably try to avoid doing so more than once during a given work session.

A Canadian company named Oneway sells three different models of scroll chuck (the Oneway, the Talon and the Stronghold). Here is a link to the Oneway spindle adapter chart where you will find adapters for just about every spindle size there is. All of these items may be purchased from online retailers such as Rockler and Woodcraft. Here's a link to Oneway's complete list of Canadian, US and international resellers. Various types of jaw sets are also available for each of these models of scroll chuck.

In my estimation the sole drawback of using a scroll chuck is that the chuck body extends out from the headstock far enough to essentially consume most of the "gap" in the lathe bed. In other words, if you intend to turn lots of bowls or platters with this lathe then you might be better off buying or making a faceplate or a "longworth" chuck so as to maximize the depth and diameter of the pieces you'll be able to turn.

Canadian Source of Parts and Accessories

N.B Hyperlinks updated as of 21-Sep-2010.

U.S. Shipping info added 25-Oct-2010

Busy Bee of Canada stocks a number of 7/8-14 RH and 3/4-16 LH headstock accessories as well as Nova and Oneway scroll chucks, accessory jaw sets and standard Morse Taper tooling. Since the 46-140 was manufactured in Ontario it makes sense you'll be more likely to find parts and accessories there. Their web site says that they now ship to the U.S. and generally internationally, which formerly had not been the case, however it is necessary to phone them to find out the shipping costs involved.

• 6-inch faceplates (already threaded for 7/8-14)
  
  
• 8-inch faceplate (unthreaded) and required 7/8-14 spindle adapter (for inboard turning) or required 3/4-16 left hand spindle adapter (for outboard turning)
  
  
• 6-inch, 4-jaw independent chuck (for holding square and irregularly shaped objects) and required 7/8-14 spindle adapter or required 3/4-16 left hand spindle adapter (for outboard turning)
  
  
• 6-inch, 3-jaw independent chuck (for holding square and irregularly shaped objects) and required 7/8-14 spindle adapter or required 3/4-16 left hand spindle adapter (for outboard turning)
  
  
• 7/8-14 insert for Nova scroll chucks
  
  
• Cole jaw set for Nova chucks
  
  
• No-name brand scroll chuck and required 7/8-14 spindle adapter.
  
  
• Accessory pin jaw set for no-name scroll chuck, above.
  
  
• MT#1 live tailstock center