Just a quick question about stabilized wood inserts. I have turned a few seats using the 4 jaw chuck to hold the block and have experienced off center holes, so I am using drill rod mandrels, 1/4 inch. Problem is holding the block on the mandrel when turning. I used crazy glue and had to use adequate amounts, and when I was done the seat during the removal process just broke into a number of pieces. I realize that maybe I had too much glue, but how do you guys hold the blocks on the mandrel , and better yet, how do you get them off without breaking. The block went on quite difficult with me having to twist and push it on. How much glue do you use and how long do you let it dry before turning. Is there a better way?

You only need to put your adhesive, usually epoxy, on the ends of the seat blank. Then once you've turned it to your satisfaction, you can part off the very ends where the adhesive is adhered. Easy and quick.

I believe Andy Dear's DVD shows this same technique for holding the seat blank to the mandrel.

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Galen,
Stay tuned dude.....I am engineering a "Reel Seat Specific" mandrel as we speak. The 5 minute epoxy trick I use works great, but when you turn 100 seats a year or more (like I do), that's A LOT of wasted time!

Andy Dear
Lamar Reel Seats

Thanks for the information, sometimes the answer is so simple it is hard to see the forest for the trees. Waiting for the new technic, Andy, I will stay tuned.