Diy mandrel saver

I made this from an old live center removed the bearing drilled all the way through the morse taper 7mm then drilled a part through with a 10mm to take the end of a mandrel that is normally held in a chuck axminster supply them knocked off and drilled through to take mandrel the bevel both sides holds it straight hope it helps, Frankie

This is a great piece on innovation Frankie, well done ....

Forgive my ignorance but Doesn't a 7mm hole give room for play and possibly off center turning?
If the tube fits inside a 7mm hole surely the internal diameter of the taper should be smaller to fit the mandrel not the tube.
A bloody good idea none the less and I hope it works for you.

Your correct george it was the same size as the mandrel shaft sorry if it mislead anyone.

turnaround360 said:

Your correct george it was the same size as the mandrel shaft sorry if it mislead anyone.

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Phew and here I am with a 7mm drill bit and an old live center, good job you stopped me in time.:nonono::nonono::nonono::nonono:

Not really aye.

A good piece of innovation Frankie!!!!!

Nice one, Frankie. Now I just need to whack my perfectly good live centre with a hammer and then say: "Love, this just broke. I need to order a new one ..." Will report back if I can still see the keyboard through two black eyes!

Turn....

Send me a pm with your E Mail addy and I will show you my various takes on the same theme rather than appearing to trump your ace.

Kind regards Peter.

Peter, just post it here I'm happy to learn and others might like to see them also cheers Frankie.

Morning folks I thought perhaps I had already said a lot about mandrel saving. As in a bank this very statement is an oxy moron the saving IMHO is that I mean it saving like that film the saving of private Ryan in America years ago you have to want to do something real about a situation. Early in my experience ie at least back to the 80,s I looked at the initial way mandrels were made and held heck they worked like spaghetti held in place by a morse taper threaded on the end (this threaded part now a different size less than the overall mandrell as in most threaded objects) a strange not always consistent tiny internal champher in the end of the shaft to locate the point of a live centre of uncertain quality then apply an unknown pressure on the mandrel, in the mean time locking the blanks on using the knurled nut on that infamous thread on the outboard end.

Fraught with endless problem possible inevitable problems. OK having all my life endeavored to try and avoid repitition with unsatisfactory IMHO practices I have modified or changed routine into easier or better.

So in my tiny mind I figured why flog a dead horse eliminate another common problem flex on the shaft during turning I used the steady the damn thing with my fingers

only turn half a Slimline at a time. Cut off the end thread on the mandrel to eliminate exterminate that tiny recess on the end never to be used again to hold the mandrel.
Step 2 I converted a small spare chuck from my Hercus Metal Lathe with a thread on compatable with 1 inch ten threads. Make a shield to fit over the chuck jaws so I keep all my fingers.
Step 3 Only turn half a pen or one piece.
Step 4 Buy a removeable centred live centre. Make a sleeve fit hole 3/8 inch deep in that brass sleeve. Use washers if needed to pack the shaft for small differences.
Step 5 Align the points between a dead centre in the chuck end and live centre end using a thin metal piece between align the points up down sideways etc you choose the method.
Take the various sizes of brasses to a top gun engineering type place select a neat fit machine screw if you like with length and little thread on the end and make your own mandrel ( I buy ready made mandrels now)

Cutting a long story shorter please find enclosed what I use now from Craft Supplies in America and one such home made mod please note the one with the brass insert the insert is held in with a grub screw on the other side.

Now duty calls the joyous big shop each fortnight.

KIck my thoughts around make up your own mind any questions for me ask, I am no genius only a concerned pen maker who likes to share.

Kind Regards Peter.

Peter it is very similar to the one I made its the same idea different configuration but if the results are the same then thats all that matters ..

Turnaround?

I feel the same way mate I published mine on this forum on the 26/6 under a couple of suggestions same pics I put on this post what I will do is now my daughter is visiting I will get her to teach me how to use my scanner so I will draw an inner detail of some of my methods on other machines with hopefully pics on a new posting in a few days I have had requests to do this.

My close friend in the States has a favourite saying this isnt a Fishing Competition (substitute word) like when you are young coming out to rush to the loo, how high can you make it , size matters etc for me it is purely sharing my experiences however I can besides the hydrolics have altered over the years and the distance varies.

Kind regards Peter.

Peter I had been meaning to make one then alex I think got one or asked about them, and I was just waiting till I got my shed kinda set up before I did it but to be fair I might have seen yours and it left a subliminal message in my brain I don't know Frankie.

No probs anyway I have three small lathes two of the Taig and another forget the maker that I have jigged to do special things for me, an american Pen Wizard I heavily modified because I can see advantages for me as well as a vicmarc , two other Woodfast lathes each lathe serves a purpose so I will take or resurrect some more pics, our daughter has agreed to teach me how to use my scanner so I will start a new page and say why etc for me its been fun playing. Every drill I buy for quality I mike for true size dont know if you have acheived a neat slip fit on your way to mandrel saving but that sleeve fit has to be well done or forget it and to eliminate my probs I drill near to finish the use tiny end mills to cut a poofteenth at a time to acheive the final fit, everything has to be in a perfect world lined up exactly ( no such thing is there) so the reason I am wrapped in the mandrel saver from Utah is its a ripper for mine. Now a plumber came to my place recently 187 AU Dollars to come with a half hour thrown in every quarter hr after 40 dollars OK so he used a trade snake and cleared our en suite sewer line from tree roots easily and well. This is why employing tradies etc can scare the socks off us Pensioners, having said that if someone comes up with a for sale anything you really need and like the aformentioned product ready made for 40 something dollars cheap as chips IMHO the rest is play time really.

Kind regards Peter.

Peter,I try to recycle things when I can, I mean thing that have served their purpose, or just odd bits I have laying around I'm buildimg a pressure pot at the moment from watermain pipe 1" thick polypropolane or whatever its called may work may not I think I should change my name to Heath Robinson.

Me too mate we both are hoarders my workshop the equivalent of a brick double garage two car ports built in in front another two workshops in the back yard 5 sheds up to twenty feet long and a 20 feet shipping container for my smalls ie elect stuff etc SWMBO had over 300 some enormous hand sewn quilts in no 2 bedroom just reduced somewhat sample shown so we are distressed thinking downsize now. All spaces are full in my areas you have to be 6 ft two and walk in the footholes.

Kind regards Peter.

My pic of SWMBO close up quilt 6 feet by 8 feet hand sewn and quilted the good lady has a remarkable sense of humour called this Quilt Half Bread Horses.

Kind regards Peter

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Doug heres my one.

turnaround360 said:

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Doug heres my one.[/QUOTE]

Cheers, thanks for sharing :up::up: