OK, you lathe-using folks, I'll bite - how do you use one of those neat steel mandrels to turn a grip? I understand the part about coating the mandrel with a non sticky substance, such as wax, to keep the glue from attaching the cork to the mandrel, but what I can't seem to get my head around is, what keeps the grip from spinning on the mandrel when you apply any pressure to it on the lathe, since it's not glued to the mandrel? Undoubtably I'm overlooking something bone simple, so when you quit giggling, I could use some guidance! Thanks!

When you glue the cork rings on the mandrel enough glue will squeeze out and glue the grip to the wax or paraffin.

Peter,

I made my mandrels, and they are not tapered (just to clarify).
I have 1/4", 5/16", 3/8", 7/16", 1/2", 9/16" and 5/8"... and depending on the diameter of the blank; I will open up the diameter of the cork rings to fit one of these mandrels.
Once all the rings are arranged on the madrel I slide the aluminum locking rings in to place, and put it in the lathe (3 jaw chuck) and use a drill chuck in the tailstock to apply the pressure or force needed to have enough friction for things to hold in place.
When turning I use these small aluminum rings that I turned on the lathe to hold things in place. I have turned stabilized wood and rubberized cork and haven't had a problem yet.

Here is a picture of the business end of my 1/2" drill... which serves double duty as a mandrel :-)
(click to enlarge)


I don't know how others do it, but that's what I came up with.
Tight wraps!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/27/2009 06:01PM by Brian Morrow.

Peter,

Your email address is hidden, but if you'll send me an email, I'll send you some information on something I found from Golden Witch that may help deal with your problem. Sorry Tom for dropping a past sponsors name but it was relevant.

Bill in WV

Here's how I do it:

I lay up the grip on a 1/4" threaded rod, using fender washers and wing nuts for clamps. Once the (adhesive of choice) is dry/cured, I chuck the threaded rod up in my hand dril and spin it to remove the grip blank. I then, with a fair amount of effort, slide it onto a 1/4" steel mandrel. The ridges on the inside of the grip hole from the threaded rod provide plenty of friction on the mandrel to prevent it from spinning while I shape it. After that I ream it to match the blank.

This being said, you should know that I primarily build fly rods, so the small diameter works. If you make rods that are typically a larger diameter, you would use a larger diameter threaded rod/mandrel combination.


Hope that helps,

Walt

Please put photos on the photo page, not the forum. Thanks.

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thanks .. its something i've been wondering about too,

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Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day..
Teach a man to fish, he'll be broke!

I use the lamar wood turning mandrels that have locking rings as noted above to hold in place, if needed.

however, i find with cork, you don't need that much pressure to shape and sand and they'll hold in place just fine if the fit between the mandrel and cetner bore is not too loose

When working cork ! My mandrels are simple. I NEVER throw away anything, I have 30 years of broken rods of all sizes laying around. I pick the broken blank closest, just a tad smaller than the blank I want the cork to go onto. The old blank is cleaned of all thread. I give the old blank a quick rub down of wax. This prevents the Rod Bond from gluing to the blank Now I start reaming the cork to fit the blank gluing the cork rings as I go. I leave about 4 inches of the biggest part of the blank exposed. At a later date I well chuck this into my rod lath. once the cork has been reamed and glued (ROD BOND) in place. I place the blank with the cork into my Quick Clamp which I redesigned to work as a cork clamp. (I believe Tom Has some pictures of these type of clamps in the Photo or Library sec.) Once the glue has cured , I remove the cork and rod from the clamp and chuck them into my rod lath. At both ends of the blank I wrap masking tape four or 5 turns, This well help secure the blank to the to the lath jaws without crushing the blank. An at the other end do the same where the rod rollers well hold the blank this gives the rollers a little cushion.
When working with cork, you do you do not need to use a lot of pressure, like you do with wood. As for forming my grip I use simple tools. (I am a farm boy so I use what’s laying around) Sand paper, Fine, Medium and heavy, I at times use a verity of wood files and what I use the most of all is Wall Board sand screen. Also in my arsenal I have a rubber sanding block and a couple of round dowels to wrap my sand screen and sand paper around to shape my grips.
When it comes to removing the cork grip from the mandrel I just shove it off. Not often but some time I have had to pour hot water inside the blank to soften or loosen the wax so I can remove my grip. Now reream the grip to fit the blank and glue it in place.

Good Wraps Bob

hey bob, thanks! i have quite a bit of old broken blanks, from which i cut out segments .. now i have another use for them!

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Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day..
Teach a man to fish, he'll be broke!

I turn on Andy Dear's mandrels 100% of the time.

No wax. Hundreds of rods and never had a grip stick to the mandrel. Most times they don't stick to the mandrel well enough to turn on the lathe without aid so I certainly don't worry about them being stuck permanently.

When I have grips that turn on the mandrel when I try to shape them I put a layer of masking tape down on the mandrel and slide the grip over it. That provides enough bite for the grip to hang on.

I have 1/4", 5/16", 3/8", 7/16", 1/2", 9/16" and 5/8" mandrels. I use the one closest to the blanks diameter for minimal reaming. All cork rings are drilled out on the drill press to fit the mandrel.


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Better to have and not need than to need and not have.

I must be missing something. Why all the mandrel sizes ? Why not have one mandrel and then shape the cork BEFORE reaming the cork?

Mo

Mo,
It is MUCH easier to ream a grip just a bit to have the grip fit the blank, rather than reaming the grip a LOT to fit the blank.
Hence the need for the different mandrel sizes. i.e. ream the cork to sizes that are at or near the size of the blank, before gluing. Much much easier to finish up the blank, rather than trying for example to ream a long 1/4 inch id holed grip to a 1/2 or 5/8th hole to accommodate some large blank.

Take care
Roger

To keep my glued-up cork grip from spinning on the mandrel, I lay a flat toothpick parallel on the mandrel and insert the cork into it. One toothpick usually keeps the cork from spinning, if not, add another at 180 degress on the other end. Simple and works great, especially for small, split grip sections. I go "wax-free" also, and clean up the mandrel with steel wool when done.

Mo

Reaming a 1/4" ID grip out to 1/2" often leads to an off centered hole. And is a ton of work. ...as an example...

Reaming out a 0.4375" ID grip out to 0.4688" takes just a couple strokes of the reamer and keeps the hole perfectly centered.

I drill out all my rings to the nearest 1/16" under the blank diameter. Some times even gluing up different sections of a split grip on different mandrels. I'd much rather drill rings on the drill press than ream grips. Much easier, quicker, and more accurate in my opinion.



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Better to have and not need than to need and not have.

i have 1/4 and a 1/2 mandrels i had made for me out of drill stock. The last 2" is tapered down to a 1/4" so i can turn a full butt section with a rubberized end cap (the kind that has a 1/4" hole and a plug). For glue up i use titebond II clamped on the rod itself or on a threaded rod with tape arbors.

When i got to turn the cork, i arbor my mandrel about every inch with masking tape (doesn't require much ) - enough so that when the cork goes on it is tight enough it won't shift while turning. I always ream all my cork and eva to fit the blank before turning as well, to ensure a symmetrical and even looking grip after its been turned.

Regards,
-Justin

finally took the plunge and used my 1/4" mandrel to glue up and shape the cork... pretty good i must say .. now the next thing i need to worry is reaming....

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Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day..
Teach a man to fish, he'll be broke!