I am still learning woodturning and am turning a birch bark grip on a Central machinery floor lathe(Harbor Freight). I am having trouble with the bark separating as I turn using a jaw chuck and spindle. I would use a mandrel but need to know how to secure the workpiece to the steel mandrel(MudHole) without the piece slipping. Any help? Thanks

Harry T. Bell

Best thing would be to use the mandrels with the lock collar, spacers and nut. They are also available from Mudhole.

Ron Weber

G'day Harry

Not sure if this will help you but this is the way i have been doing them.I cut the rings out using a hole saw and you have a 6mm in the centre then.After cleaning them up i glue them together on a 6mm mandrel just as i would gluing cork rings.Make sure you use wax on the mandrell.I glue up about an inch worth at a time.When dry i give them a quick rough up on the lathe just enough so they are roughly round.I then take them off the mandrell and drill out the centre to 10mm.Then i transfer them to a 10mm mandrell and glue them up with cork,burl or whatever your choice of material is.Then i turn them all up and you have a grip.I have found with the 10mm mandrell it tends to flex less when turning and you also have less to ream out at the end.I am sure people have other ways but this has worked for me.

cheers

Ray Balmforth
Figtree
NSW
Australia

Harry,

Put the blank onto the mandrel. Slip the one end of the mandrel threw the chuck run the chuck down so its just centering the mandrel but not holding it. Now push your tail stock up until its pushing the mandrel and blank up against the chuck. Lock in the tail stock and tighten the chuck. Now use the crank on the tail stock to really lock everything down. Now turn said handle. The other problem that might be going on is unshapened tools. I have alot more blow outs if my tools aren't sharp. Bought a PSI carbide turning tool and have never looked back.

Thanks for the great info. What company/website/store did you purchase the psi tools from?

Just tried to order a lock nut mandrel from Mudhole. Out of stock, so I'll get one later.
Currently I have it on a 3\8" threadsall, locked down with washers and wing nuts. I drilled a dimple on one end of the threadsall for the tailstock and I'll lock the other end into a drill chuck at the headstock.
Comments?

I have turned a lot of eva and cork on my drill lath using tappered blank sections If too flexible I would glue anothe blank section into one Just make sure each piece is STREIGHT

Bill - willierods.com

This is the one I am using: [www.pennstateind.com] They also have great deals on chucks and other lathe accessories.

What works for me is to use urethane foam to glue the rings onto. They stay together much better this way for me.

Try to use a mandrel that is as close as possible to the final size needed for the rod blank.
The larger the mandrel, the stiffer the mandrel.

If you find that you get too much flex with the length handle being turned, use shorter pieces, turn them and then glue them together, as posted by another writer. Better to have a non flexing mandrel, than a mandrel that is too small and flexes too much while turning.


Be safe

Thanks, Roger

best advice, Jimmy. Thanks

I first used elmers woodglue. Now I'm trying Gorilla Glue. Seems to hold well so far