How are you guys doing it? I have been turning wood for a while now and I'm ready to try out some cork blocks (1-1/2" X 1-1/2" with 1/4" hole ) and acrylic reel seat inserts. I was shaping cork (round cork) on my drill press with 18" peices of all thread and wing nuts.

The threaded "TK" manderals from backlash intrigued me. How the heck do you use them?

I also noticed that Mud Hole has manderal wax. Do you wax the manderal (regular manderals not the "TK" I assume) then epoxy the cork to it? If so, how hard is it to remove the cork from the manderal?

THANKS GUYS / GALS!

GARRETT

Garrett,
I bond the rings together like this:
[www.rodbuildingtutorials.com]

Once the glue has cured I slide the pre-grip back onto the 1/4" mandrel and shape on the lathe. If the cork begins to slip on the mandrel while shaping, I make a partial turn of masking tape on the mandrel and slide the one end of the grip onto it. This usually keeps the cork in place.

Jeff

Thanks Jeff,

I got the glue up of the rings under control and shaping with sandpaper. Just not sure hou to secure the cork on the manderal to shape on a lathe with tools. I would think that just jamming the cork on the manderal would make the cork slip. I could be wrong.

THANKS
GARRETT

If the cork is a snug fit, it won't slip. You can even (and should) coat the mandrel with paraffin wax so the epoxy won't permanently stick to the mandrel surface.

...............

Garret,

Unhide your e-mail or email me at mbarkley@wowway.com. The TK mandrels are the way to go, particularly with wood.acrylic you want the threaded ones, though

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 did not know my e-mail was hidden..... I'll work on that. You have mail Mike B. Thanks!




gadams1qz@bellsouth.net

EDIT- everyone should be able to see my e mail now I hope.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/09/2010 09:02PM by Garrett Adams.

Tom Kirkman Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If the cork is a snug fit, it won't slip. You can
> even (and should) coat the mandrel with paraffin
> wax so the epoxy won't permanently stick to the
> mandrel surface.
>
> ...............


So... a coat of wax on the manderal, then a coat of epoxy?
Thats kinda what I figured, just not sure. Is a 1/4" manderal good for 1/4" ID cork blocks? Wow! that really sounds like a stupid question. This is my first time using a manderal and a square cork block (NOT RINGS) on a wood lathe so excuse my ignorance.

THANKS
GARRETT



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/09/2010 09:14PM by Garrett Adams.

i ream all my rings to fit the blank and then do a glue up on threaded rod or an old blank. I have a few mandrels that a friend made from drill stock. they all have 1/4" diameter on one end for about 2-3" of length and then the rest of the mandrel is 3/8" or 1/2" or whatever. The other end has a 60* cone to seat in the live center. These let me do a full grip with a rubberized cork butt (w/ plug) attached all at once. (Rubberized has 1/4" hole while rest of handle might be greater than 1/2").

To hold the cork tight i just use masking or electrical tape to get a tight fit on the closest sized mandrel.

Regards,
-Justin

I would like to turn these......

[www.mudhole.com]

into round peices. Sorry if I was unclear.

This has worked well for me for many years. Make two of your grip’s cork rings very tight fitting to the mandrel. The rest can fit close but easy on the mandrel. Press one of your tight fitting rings onto the mandrel. Now glue the rest to that one and finish off with the other very tight ring. Having a tight fitting ring on either end of the cork cylinder should suffice to hold the cylinder very snugly to the mandrel and allow you to turn under moderate pressure without having anything slip on you.

I glue my rings together using a threaded rod and wing nuts and washers. Then when dry I take them off , ream them to fit a mandrel if they don't fit tight I wrap tape over the mandrel .

Bill - willierods.com

You DO NOT "epoxy the cork to the mandrel!" Many of us use all thread rods for glue ups and when set up, transfer the glued rings to the mandrel. The TK threaded mandels tighten to hold the cork (or wood or whatever). If using the non threaded style a strip of masking tape will keep the cork from spinning on the mandrel.

Thank's everyone! The e-mails were very helpfull. I got it under control now. Thanks again!

edit..... i got the TK manderal from backlash....best thing ever!