vferdman
Member
I have read a lot about the mandrel saver, but when I got into pen making I bought a set Woodcraft put together that included an ordinary pen mandrel, not the "saver". I asked the sales guy about it and he said that the "saver" was not necessary and the one in the set is one of the better ones and will not bend. Well, I am 7 pens into it and now I am getting a bit of vibration on the side farthest from the headstock. Not a lot, but annoying and making it difficult to get a smooth surface. Am I doing something wrong or do these types of mandrel all do this? I can not see a bend in it, but as I said, the vibration is slight, so I don't expect to see it with a naked eye. Is there a way to remedy the situation without buying a new rod? The way I use it is tighten up the thumb wheel on the bushings and then bring the tail stock up and tighten the tail stock on the end of the rod lightly, just enough to engage the live center turning. I did not want to put a lot of pressure on the end of the rod because I thought that may bend it. What happened? I may just take the rod or the whole mandrel back to Woodcraft and see if I can get a replacement, but I need to know how to prevent this from happening again. Suggestions welcome.
Also, how do I turn pens between centers without a mandrel? Perhaps that's the better way to go...
Also, how do I turn pens between centers without a mandrel? Perhaps that's the better way to go...