Question on different types of mandrels

[jimr]

I see several different types of mandrels in my catalogs. There are the ones with morse tapers where the mandrel slides and locks to adjust length, one with an adapter that threads on the headstock, one that works with a chuck and the type I have where the mandrel threads into the morst taper.
I want to get a few more and was wondering if one type is a lot better than any other. The adjustable type are about $10 higher but I want to get the kind that is more reliable. Do you guys think one type is heads and shoulders above the others?

 

[Rudy Vey]

There are several ways out there to hold a mandrel:
the best IMHO is the Beall Collet Chuck, it can accomodate any size mandrel (call it 7 mm, 8, A or B) with the proper collet. The length of the mandrel can be adjusted. Other good way is the Berea drill driver for either sized mandrel. There are also morse taper ended mandrels for MT 1 and MT2, some use a drill chuck to hold a mandrel.
For the MT's one can buy replacement screw-ins at Woodcraft or Craft Supplies. There is also the so-called "Professional" mandrel, which is like a collet chuck, i.e. adjustable for length. My personal experience with the one Ii got from Woodcraft was not good, seems the morse taper is not machined very well (I have heard this from other people, too).
Rudy

 

[Gary]

What mandrels do you use with the Beall Collet chuck? I bought the chuck, but the Berea mandrels that come with the Berea MT#2 driver are so short that very little is left to "chuck onto" if one has two pen blanks on them. Their other mandrels are also short and are threadded on both ends.

 

[jkirkb94]

My first and main mandrel is one from Woodcraft. I also have another from Craft Supply. My one from Woodcraft has been thru over 150 pens. The Woodcraft is longer and I have to use it with some of the Woodcraft bushings since they are longer, and beefier than others that I have gotten from CS and from PSI. Kirk [8D]

 

[Scott]

Ditto what Rudy says. I think the Beall Collet Chuck is the best way to do this. I'm sure it's also the most expensive. I have bought the chuck, but I haven't started using it because I'm cheap - I haven't invested in the collets yet (I want to get a whole set!). I was planning on using my Berea mandrels that I currently use in the Berea drill driver. Hearing that they are too short is not good news! Of course, you can always turn one barrel at a time, but I usually don't.

I wish Rich Kleinhenz would show up about now. He is the person I learned about the Beall Collet Chuck from. Maybe the mandrel from Craft Supplies that is used in their adjustable mandrel would work:

http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/cgi-bin/shopper?preadd=action&key=050-7402

This is the mandrel I'm currently using until I get the Beall Collet Chuck set up.

I'll be watching this topic for answers myself!

Scott.

 

[Rudy Vey]

Originally posted by Scott
<br />Ditto what Rudy says. I think the Beall Collet Chuck is the best way to do this. I'm sure it's also the most expensive. I have bought the chuck, but I haven't started using it because I'm cheap - I haven't invested in the collets yet (I want to get a whole set!). I was planning on using my Berea mandrels that I currently use in the Berea drill driver. Hearing that they are too short is not good news! Of course, you can always turn one barrel at a time, but I usually don't.

I wish Rich Kleinhenz would show up about now. He is the person I learned about the Beall Collet Chuck from. Maybe the mandrel from Craft Supplies that is used in their adjustable mandrel would work:

http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/cgi-bin/shopper?preadd=action&key=050-7402

This is the mandrel I'm currently using until I get the Beall Collet Chuck set up.

I'll be watching this topic for answers myself!

Scott.

Scott, check with Woodcraft, I bought my Beall chuck some 3 month ago and it cost me only $90 including the collets, this was a special, maybe still running.

Rudy

 

[wayneis]

I talked to Rich K. and according to him the Berea High Precision Drill Driver is what he was using. There is a bushing but it is only held on by a couple dimples. That bushing that is on it can be knocked off and then using a stone (NOT a file) you can grind down the dimples that hold it on. That mandrel is not threaded. The other thing that can be done also according to Rich is to make your own mandrel using drill rod, that way you can have it as long or short as you want. Also if you just do a little research there are a couple of the companies that have an unthreaded mandrel shaft that is a little longer than usual. I have about a dozen mandrel shafts and probably 8 or 10 of them are different sizes, I just don't remember which one I got where or I would tell you where to purchase the longer ones.

I posted most of what I just said on the other thread about this same topic a couple of days ago.

Wayne

 

[Randy_]

Berea sells #1 & #2 Morse taper arbors for $6 apiece. They also have "A"(7mm) & "B"(8mm) mandrels for $6 each. The "A" & "B" mandrels have the same thread so you can use either in the same arbor.

 

[dw]

I'm no expert and I kind of go at things a little different, in some cases, than most. So my remarks might be sort of beside the point for some....

Because I couldn't afford the Beall chuck, I stripped the mandrel shafts off of both my MT mandrels and chucked them up in a PSI four jaw self centering scroll chuck. If I was very careful about my knuckles that was a very good solution.

However, for me, there was really only one good reason to abandon the MT setup in the first place--to eliminate the inaccuracies that result from trying to turn both barrels at the same time.

When you have the two barrels mounted on a long shaft that is easily thrown out of alignment by too much pressure with dull tools, catches,...almost anything really...it's almost asking for problems. The mandrel shafts are simply not stout enough to handle that kind of pressure over that long a distance. Seemed like I'd constantly have barrels that were a tiny bit thicker on one side or the other. (and I <b>do</b> know how to sharpen tools) And even after turning a set of barrels that were dern near perfect, I'd still find myself realigning the mandrel shaft like Russ Fairfield describes on his website.

So to avoid those kind of (admittedly ) miniscule inaccuracies I went to the scroll chuck and shortened the mandrel, doing only one barrel at a time. I haven't had a problem with a barrel since. It <b>is</b> however, a slower process.

Finally I bought one of th eadjustable mandrels mentioned above...they're really just another form of collet chuck....and I like it --but I still only do one barrel at a time.

Just another 2 cents to add to the kitty....