Closed End Retro Mandrel??

[TomG]

I know the Retro is fairly new and I will not get my kits until the group buy is complete which will be a few weeks. But I like to plan ahead. Has anyone done a closed end Retro yet? If so does the Jr. Statesman Closed End Mandrel fit or will this have a seperate mandrel all together? I ask because the bushings are the same for the Retro and Jr. Statesman (al least I am assuming since the item numbers are the same in the magazine???)

Tom

 

[micah]

I would assume so, at least that is what I am hoping......[]

 

[TomG]

Originally posted by micah
<br />I would assume so, at least that is what I am hoping......[]

Awesome!!! I hope so to since I have been itching to make a closed end pen!! Retro or Jr. Statesman will hopefully give me the fix Im looking for!!![}]

 

[Rudy Vey]

Since the tubes are the same size as the Gent Jr II or Statesman Jr II, the mandrel for these should fit the Retro just fine.

 

[gerryr]

Having made Jr. Gents, Jr. Statesmen and now Jr. Retros, I can attest that the tubes are completely interchangeable. So, if you have a closed end mandrel or pin chuck for the Jr. Gent II, you can use it for the Jr. Retro.

 

[LanceD]

Here's a closed end Retro I finished several days ago.

<br />

 

[fstepanski]

At the AAW Symposium I watched Russ Fairfield turn a closed end pen with no special mandrel. Essentialliy he boared holes using three drills. The first went about an inch deep (same diameter as that required for brass tube), the second drill, was a bit smaller, however large enough to accomodate the remaining pen guts, (this needs to go as deep as required for all pen guts), the third hole was smaller than the diameter of the standard pen mandrel he was using. He modified the threaded end cutting slots essentially forming a tap. Slip your blank over the bushing and screw the pen mandrel into the tiny hole, at the headstock place pen mandrel into a Beal collet chuck, use the tail stock to support the wood.

This was a REAL SLICK way to turn a closed end pen & you need no special tools!! I beleive Russ has a video detailing all of this, plus more...

Happy turning

Frank

Frank
It worked GREAT, you can create a

 

[TomG]

Originally posted by LanceD
<br />Here's a closed end Retro I finished several days ago.

<br />

Nice Design!! Very Classy!

 

[TomG]

Originally posted by fstepanski
<br />At the AAW Symposium I watched Russ Fairfield turn a closed end pen with no special mandrel. Essentialliy he boared holes using three drills. The first went about an inch deep (same diameter as that required for brass tube), the second drill, was a bit smaller, however large enough to accomodate the remaining pen guts, (this needs to go as deep as required for all pen guts), the third hole was smaller than the diameter of the standard pen mandrel he was using. He modified the threaded end cutting slots essentially forming a tap. Slip your blank over the bushing and screw the pen mandrel into the tiny hole, at the headstock place pen mandrel into a Beal collet chuck, use the tail stock to support the wood.

This was a REAL SLICK way to turn a closed end pen & you need no special tools!! I beleive Russ has a video detailing all of this, plus more...

Happy turning

Frank

Frank
It worked GREAT, you can create a

Thanks I will have to check that out.