dumb newbie: do I need a different mandrel for 7mm and 8mm pens

[davinci27]

Please forgive the question. I turned my first pen last night. It was actually the first thing I've ever turned. When I was buying my mandrel, I noticed there were different sizes. I think there are only 2, but I wanted to ask before I placed and order. Do I need a different mandrel for 7 and 8 mm pens or just 7 and 10?

Thanks
Ben

 

[Rifleman1776]

Don't quite know how to answer diplomatically. Err.....7mm is 7mm and 8mm is 8mm.
They are different sizes. Yes, you do need both sizes if you are going to make both sizes.

 

[davinci27]

Thanks frank. I just didn't see a 8mm mandrel so I didnt' know if it was actually a different size.

 

[ironman]

no i doubt it since that is what bushings are for to make all types of pen tubes fit a 7mm shaft like a baron 10.5 mm fits a 7mm mandrel shaft

 

[SamThePenMan]

As far as I know they are only 7mm mandrels. Most of the time for pens bigger than 7mm the bushings take up the extra space, for instance if there is a pen that has 8mm tubes, the bushing will have a tenon or sorts that goes inside the tube to make up the 1mm difference in size. That being said, I have seen A mandrels and B mandrels though I'm not certain what the difference is in those cases.

 

[wdcav1952]

The A mandrel is the most common mandrel and can be used to make most kits using the proper bushings.

The B mandrel is slightly larger, and is used mostly by the Berea company kits to make some of the larger kits like the El Grande/Churchill/Cambridge. It is stiffer than the A mandrel.

For the most part the A mandrel is what you need to get started. Make sure the mandrel will work with the kits you order. Since larger bushings are stepped, you can make various sized kits using just the A mandrel.

I hope this helps,

 

[jskeen]

Just to clarify, You can get bushings for most if not all of the kits that use the size b mandrel that will allow you to turn that kit on a "A" or 7mm mandrel. However you can't interchange bushings for a given kit between the two different size mandrel's. IE a cambridge bushing set from berea sized for the b mandrell can't be used to turn a cambridge kit on an A mandrell.

 

[davinci27]

Good to know. I was already buying busings for the bigger kits, I just wanted to make sure I didn't need a different mandrel.

Thanks Everybody
Ben

 

[sparhawk]

Also woodcraft sells most of the bushings for berea kits in an 'a' size if you cant find them from berea. Saves having to buy a 'b' mandrel for most of the berea kits