Mike,
Recieved my Stoppers. Thank you very much. I have never turned a stopper yet so this will be an adventure. Do you need a mandrel to turn stoppers?
Thanks
Ben
I'm not sure what equipment you have, so I'm just guessing that you don't have a stopper mandrel but may have a scroll chuck.
The stoppers fit on a 3/8-16 thread. If I had a scroll chuck I would get a 3/8-16 bolt (long) and cut the head off. I would use that bolt to thread into the stopper. (you will need to tap the threads) Insert the other end into the scroll chuck. I would also drill an appropriate size hole in a piece of wood or plastic and use that as a makeshift bushing (turn to size) This would also work if you had a drill chuck mounted to a #2 mandrel
I don't have a scroll chuck and saw the mandrel when I was ordering them. I figured I would give one a try. I also ordered an AS mini stopper mandrel but that bushing was too small. I am looking into getting bushings made up that will fit on the AS mandrel but are the correct OD for the Niles stoppers. I know there are lots of people who probably have the AS mandrels. (maybe even a bushing for the AS buffing handle.)
If you have the niles mandrel it makes a wonderful buffing handle, even if it is a little shorter. I hold the mandrel with one hand and just use my other fingers on the other hand to steady the stopper while being buffed.