BAHHHHHHHHHHHH

[mcbryde]

How in the world are ya'll getting the wood to stay on the stinking little stopper mandrel when you are turning the stoppers? My lathe is wanting to throw everything I put on there across my garage. I drilled a hole smaller than the shaft, and then threaded it on there. Turn on the lathe, and it's like WW3 in teh garage when I go to ducking and dodging pieces of wood. Do ya'll start with the tailstock on the piece of wood? Also, how big is the blank you are starting with? I had a piece of boxelder on there that I was loving and then I screwed it up ROYALLY!! Now it just looks like a little chiminea porch chimney. FUGLY bottle stopper is what it is!

E

[boodrow]

Em first of all Ur post made me laugh , second There are lots of varibles I need to know.
How big a piece are u puttin on the mandrel?
I have never had one spin off ?? U dont have a reversable lathe in reverse do u ?
If its a stopper ur tryin to turn , I use a 5/16 drill bit , not the one that comes with the mandrels , there to big. I then thread it to 3/8 x 16 same as the mandrel.
If u have a cell phone that will call within the us for free I will PM u my phone number or we can tag here on the post.
Boodrow

[boodrow]

Em PM sent
Couple other thangs I thought bout.
What speed are u turnin , I turn mine at about 1250 rpm
Also on softer woods , I will only tap it to get good starting threads , then whilst screwin it on the mandrel the wood will actually bit into it. Sometimes its hell to get um off the mandrel. I recomend brakin it loose from the mandrel fore puttin a finish on it , the slightly hand tighten again.
I used to use the tail stock , but it always left that naggin lil indention in the end to deal with. Also U cant use the tail stock while turnin on the top of it , so I dont use it at all on stoppers.
Boodrow

[sachbvn]

E - I agree with Boodrow, STOP - man, there is something seriously wrong with the set up - has to be. So many variable though, we'd need to know more.

DON'T get frustrated - this has to be an easy fix because it SHOULD NOT be throwing things around. I have NEVER had a stopper come off the mandrel - maybe..... 2 or 3 out of all I have done have I had STRIP out, but knew I should have used a little smaller hole because the wood was punky or of a tricky variety.

Seriously, we can get ya rolling - no problem. Also - I tap the blanks before I put them on the mandrel - that helps a lot - but you'll learn tricks with that too. I only tap a little bit of the hole - back it out and then let the mandrel finish the bottom threads - unless the wood is really really hard, then I tap the whole thing. Walnut doesn't seem to take real good threads so you've got to be careful with that.


A few more details and we can point you in the right direction. Oh - also - if you are using any of that stuff that Scott sent to us, the grain is not running length wise so it is going to be a LOT harder to cut with a gouge, in fact - it almost acts like the gouge is completely dull..... probably not the best to start out with. Try a piece that has the grain running left to right - parallel to the lathe bed.



Zac

[Doug B]

Boodrow and Zac gave you lots of info and I agree with them. I also wondered if you have a reversable lathe - the stopper blanks should not come off.

Only thing to add, is that I do use the tail stock until I'm ready to shape the very end of the stopper.

One other thing...I've had some wood that busted the threads inside the hole and came off. The cure for that is to put a little thin CA down the hole and swish it around and spray with accelerator before you tap the hole. I always tap them all the way down to the bottom because I have had lots more times when I had a hard time getting the stopper off the mandrel when it was done.

Oops, dang, I keep thinking of more things...when shaping the end of the blank and you remove the tail stock, try to come at the stopper from the end and move the tool toward the head stock - that will put less pressure on the piece. Way out there at the end you have a lot more leverage and a catch can really put a lot of pressure on the piece. Move your tool rest so that it is perpendicular to the piece you are turning. You are turning end grain here, so a scraper works well for doing that, or a skew on its side and used like a scraper which is what I use a lot.

And like Boodrow said, you might want to slow your lathe down so any catches are less dramatic.

Good luck!

[boodrow]

Em my 2 amigos are correct in what thay is sayin. U need to drag Scotts arse out and come to tyler for a weekend. I'll have u turnin stoppers fore u leave, thats a given. ;D
Boodrow

[maverick31]

"FUGLY bottle stopper is what it is!"
I have made a few of these ;D

[mcbryde]

Well,

I was trying some black walnut, box elder, spalted pecan, and bocote. I was drilling the hole with a 5/16 bit, and then using the mandrel to thread it. After I'd get it on the lathe, which I don't have a reversable one, but I do not know the rpm's, the piece would start to wobble from the threads being torn out of it. I think I'll try to just use the headstock to turn it down with, then take that away to do the end. Is using a tap a must with these? If so, I need to go get one, cause I don't have one.

Boodrow, I didn't get your PM.

E

[sachbvn]

E - I'm assuming you meant, you'll try using the tailstock to support the piece - then remove it to finish the end. Just making sure I'm not clearly lost on what's going on.

The Ruth Niles mandrel and the PSI bottle stopper chuck are the same size and thread - however I think that the RN mandrel has.....more "aggressive" threads if that makes sense at all....maybe it's just me.

Anyways - yes - I always tap at least part way, biggest reason is because it helps to insure that you are threading the stopper squarely onto the mandrel.

You know what guys? I bought a handy dandy Flip HDmini camera and I think I may just do a little video - how to make a bottle stopper.

I would go out and get a tap to match the stoppers. Even if you don't thread EVERY stopper you make - you'll run into some real hard stuff - Bois d'Arc is one of them - that you will want to tap.

From the sounds of what you've got going on with the wobble - your stopper is not "seated" well on the mandrel. Question - are you threading it all the way on the mandrel - you don't have any kind of home made bushing or anything that is stopping you from screwing the blank all the way down do you?


Zac

[boodrow]

Em I would say the tap is a must , u can get by with the softer woods without one , but u get some really hard wood , it would be very difficult
Also u stand the chance of splitin the wood without taping it , also u have a lot better control of starting a tap strait than tryin to manage doin that on the mandrel. I also advise u to use a T handle with the tap for the above mentioned.
Boodrow

PM sent

[mcbryde]

Yes Zac, that is what I meant, tailstocking it until I want to finish the end, not headstock. OOPS! Don't think I'd be getting much spinning on that end when I plugged it in, LOL.

I think a video of a start to finish stopper would be FANTASTIC!!!!! First submission to the new site? And when are we moving btw?

OK, looks like I need to get me a tap and die set, any recommendations?

The pieces were set all the way up against the mandrel, I think they were just out of round pieces that I was trying to turn down, and didn't have them centered well enough.

E

[boodrow]

Em I wouldnt by a tap and die set , just a 3/8 x 16 tap and a tee handle for it. U can by taps at nearly any auto parts store , individual taps that is , unless ur in need of a tap and die set I wouldnt waste the money.
Also use a center finder to mark and drill center.
Last but not least what tool are u usin to take the square corners off with? I use nuttin but a ruffin spindle gouge and take small passes , dont try to make it round to quick.
Good luck my friend.
Boodrow

[mcbryde]

I'll try to find me one of those Boodrow. I'm using either a roughing gouge, or my new handy dandy carbide tipped tool. Think I was using only the carbide tipped tool on all of those.

E

[mapleman]

E,
one other thought -- are you making sure you square the face before drilling the tap hole? that is - using a 1" forstner bit or so to flatten the face to the same plane as the tap hole will be. if the face is not seating squarely on the mandrel, it will not have the same security on there...

just another thought - good luck.

[Ruffnek]

Jun 11, 2010 10:20:02 GMT -6 mcbryde said:

I drilled a hole smaller than the shaft, and then threaded it on there.

Did the blank split in two when it came off? The hole may have been too small and you cracked the blank screwing it onto the mandrel.

That's about the only guess I can offer.

[mcbryde]

I'd say taht probably happened on teh bocote Cody, but not the others.

E

[Doug B]

Jun 12, 2010 13:58:12 GMT -6 mcbryde said:

OK, looks like I need to get me a tap and die set, any recommendations?

E

I got the Harbor Freight tap and die set and they are actually pretty handy to have around. www.harborfreight.com/hand-tools/tap-die/40-piece-sae-carbon-steel-tap-and-die-set-39391.html

The handles leave a lot to be desired, but, for the the price it is nice to have all the different sizes if you ever happen to need them.

[mcbryde]

And even on sale right now! If you had to pick a good handle for some, what type of handle would you choose?

E

[Doug B]

Honestly I have not looked into new handles. The HF ones do not tighten up well and eventually come loose and sometimes come off the taps. Not a big thing to have to deal with, but just kind of irritating.

Maybe someone else has some experience with handles that work well with the taps. I wonder what Boodrow uses?

[boodrow]

I use a T handle as I would call it. Will post a pic this afternoon if u like.
Boodrow