professional mandrel

[snowman56]

Somewhere on here I read about a "Professional Mandrel" and I would love to purchase one. Can anyone tell me where I might find one and if anyone has used one, how it does? I am tired of buying new ones everytime I bend them. Thanks! [8D]

 

[its_virgil]

There are several "professional" mandrels sold by our supliers and IMHO they are no better than the others. My favorite mandrel is homemade from letter D hardened drill rod, threaded to accept the brass nuts and held in my Beall collet chuck. Although, the homemade mandrels can be held in other type chucks, collets, or arbors as well or even threaded on the headstock end to screw into an arbor that has threads or used in the "pro" mandrel collet/arbor system.

Actually, I'm in the process of reaming all of my bushings to fit the larger mandrel (Berea's B mandrel) which measures .291 and I'm making making larger B mandrels which are stiffer and offer better stiffness and support than the 7mm mandrels. Just a little increase in diameter yields more than "just a little" increase in added strength. You can make a mandrel if you have a hack saw and a die to cut the threads and the drill rod.
Do a good turn daily!
Don

Originally posted by snowman56
<br />Somewhere on here I read about a "Professional Mandrel" and I would love to purchase one. Can anyone tell me where I might find one and if anyone has used one, how it does? I am tired of buying new ones everytime I bend them. Thanks! [8D]

 

[Rifleman1776]

I feel a need to throw a little different perspective on the 'pro' mandrel question than Don offered. A big advantage of the pro mandrels is that they are adjustable. The rod itself can be slid back making it shorter for use. This adds a great deal of rigidity to the rod and improves accuracy for turning by a big margin. I, and quite a few others, now do only one half of the blank at a time on the shortened mandrel. In fact, this is only done with 7mm kits, like Europeans. For larger pens I, and others, do not use a mandrel at all. Do a search for "no mandrel" pen turning. Bottom line, I believe you would be better off with the pro, or adjustable mandrel.

 

[GoodTurns]

I just bought the CSUSA adjustable mandrel and love it...no hunting for enough spacers, significantly less "bowing", and that is fully controllable. Definitely worth the investment.

 

[its_virgil]

I suppose I'm spoiled with the Beall collet chuck...I too shorten the mandrel and often turn only one blank a a time. Before I got the Beall I was making short mandrels. The pro mandrel does have the advantage of being able to shorten it, as Frank reported, and that is a great advantage which I did not consider.

And, I'm going to try the no mandrel turning next time I make a pen that can be done that way.
Do a good turn daily!
Don