I would like to shape cork on my lathe using a mandrill. I have a 1/4" rod ready to go and the cork rings I need. My questions are the following:
1. How do I prep the rod so the rings don't stick when I apply the epoxy to the rings?
2. Should the rings be very, very snug on the rod or slide on easily?
3. What lathe speed is recommended?
Any help with this would be greatly appreciated....

Mark, I am assuming you have a locking collar on your mandrel and the threaded end has been center drilled to accommodate the live center in the tail stock.
1. You can rub it down with a candle or paraffin wax.
2. Doesn't matter, I like them snug. If the rings have 1/4 " hole and your mandrel is 1/4" , your good to go.
3. I turn at a little under 1000 rpm, about 960 I think. It does a good job.

Jay got most of your answers. I'll add a few other tips.

Parafin is the right stuff for prepping the mandrel.
The work needs to be snug enough so it doesn't slip much when you are working it. If it does, then you can just add some tape to the mandrel and slide it over that to snug it up. I don't use a collared mandrel and sometimes have to do this if I ream a bit too much. If you use a collared mandrel, then just snug enough to keep from slipping is fine.
I differ a bit from Jay. I find a speed around 2000 to 2500 works well for me, but I use primarily sand paper for shaping. Basic steps for me are:

Mount the work in the lathe and adjust the tool rest about the center line, close to the cork without touching. You'll want to make this as short as possible with a 1/4" rod. These tend to give a little if they are long.
Square the ends with a bastard file on the narrow side. Works like a parting tool on cork.
True up the cylinder around the hole. I use a flat wood rasp or a stanley sureform tool against the rest. You must use the rest to round the cylinder around the hole. Can't do it with sandpaper.
You'll be surprised how off-center the cylinder is, even using the pre-bored 1/4" hole. Fire up the lathe and touch the rasp to the work, using tool rest. Turn off the lathe and you'll see the high side is rough and the low side is untouched. Work this untill the surface is roughed on all sides with no smooth spots. You'll be concentric around the hole when this happens.

Continue shaping with 60 or 80 grit to get the basic shape, then finish going through 100, 150, 220, 320 then 400. Smooth as a baby's toosh.

If you want any sharp features around the ends, you'll need to tool these with a round rasp, or 80 grit wrapped around a dowel. You could use a spindle gouge to do this as well, but be sure it is very sharp and here is where you'll want to slow down to 960 or so if you want to use wood tools on cork. High speed catches on cork will dig big chunks out in a hurry.

Hope this helps.

Terry

Very good tips Terry. I use wood turning tools and sand paper to shape cork. One other thing comes to mind . I found that if the 1/4" mandrel is much over 12 " long it will have a good deal of run out in the middle when turning at high speed. That's one reason I turned down the speed on my lathe. Live center would get loose in the end of the mandrel, thats when I noticed it. Also I found the speed I turn now works better on EVA. Mike Barkley knows about live center coming loose on a small dia. mandrel. Scared me !
Safety is always number one Mark. Make sure you got everything right and tight before you turn her on !

Very good info! I will just add that I always glue up and clamp my rings on a piece of threaded rod after drilling the all to a size close to the size of the rod (I drill most of mine to 3/8")) After they cure, I put them on a mandrel and turn/shape

This is the threaded type mandrel mentioned. It can be purchased or home made [www.rodbuilding.org]
This is how I clamp them [www.rodbuilding.org] although now, I just put the hole/groove in the clamp heads instead of using the wood

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!

I do the same as Mike except I pull the mandrel out after the grip is clamped up. I made some handles on the rods to make this easier. I just turned some hanles out of some material i had laying around and glued the rods in. I made one of every size that I use for turning.

[www.rodbuilding.org]

[www.solwaycustomcomponents.com]

I can't figure this out. I wanted to go to the links you guys posted but I am halted asking for a new registration. I will be building a grip again and I need some refreshers.

John
God bless the troops and USA

John,

The Photo page is actually a separate entity and you have to register on it. I would recommend that you use the SAME user name and password as you did on the forum as it makes it a lot easier to remember

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!

I got all sorts of errors when I tried to register. The goofy part is that I can see the pictures from the photo gallery but i can't go directly form the link on the phorum page.

I can't use the same user name as on the phorum.

I use a threaded rod to glue up my cork. large washers and wing nuts.Then when dry I loosen one end and then tighten the other, it pops off. Then I ream to fit my arbor yet not the blank. Put it on an arbor shape, then ream for final fit on the blank.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/14/2008 07:53PM by bill boettcher.

John, check your e-mail

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!

All,
Can I directly put down the parafin wax and then glue up the cork on the mandrill?

Mark

Yes you can.

I started taking the mandrels out making birchbark grips because you can have a real problem with them breaking. I just stuck with that method for all of my grips. Saves a lot of hassle and work. No wax, stuck mandrels etc

If you can bore the rings out to the smallest dia under the grip. Some blanks it may be 3/8" some 5/16"....... Its easier to run the tapered reamer through when you only have to remove min material. Your bore will stay nice and central as well.

Just my 2 cents

[www.solwaycustomcomponents.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/15/2008 12:27PM by Scott Bazinet.

The glued cork is often more difficult to get off the mandrel than you would think. I was surprised how well they stuck even with the parafin on the mandrel.

Like John said, They can still be a bear to get off. When I glue them up on a threaded rod and they get stuck, I can just put on end of the rod in a vise and unsrew the grip! I prefer the type of mandrel linked to in my post above as it locks the grip tightly in place while turning/shaping any material

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!

Thanks to everyone for the help. I created a good looking grip and foregrip with all of you help.
Thanks again...