Dangermouse
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- 23 Dec 2010
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I'm not quite sure where to put this post, here or in the turning or metal work section. But plumped for here as I don't do much turning and its making a hand tool, ( sort of).
I saw a very nice new marking awl kit on evil-bay a while back and got it for a very few shillings. Now it is complete except one has to turn a wooden handle for it. No problem I thought, until it came and the instructions told me a I needed a bit of kit called a pen mandrel and some bushes ( not the garden variety ). So back to evil-bay for a look around. Turns out cheap kit, expensive mandrel kits ! Well to me anyway, who has very little intention of making a pen and if I did, wouldn't be more than once in a blue moon.
Soooooo what to do, decided to make one. I had some 6mm sliver steel rod in the workshop so that was ok, next found an old brass front knob from a block plane that has departed this life. right so threaded the end of the bar and put a threaded hole in the brass knob, hey presto a pen mandrel thingy. I will hold it in a three jaw engineering scroll chuck that fits my Union Jubilee lathe. Cost ..........nothing plus £1.50 for the bushes.
I saw a very nice new marking awl kit on evil-bay a while back and got it for a very few shillings. Now it is complete except one has to turn a wooden handle for it. No problem I thought, until it came and the instructions told me a I needed a bit of kit called a pen mandrel and some bushes ( not the garden variety ). So back to evil-bay for a look around. Turns out cheap kit, expensive mandrel kits ! Well to me anyway, who has very little intention of making a pen and if I did, wouldn't be more than once in a blue moon.
Soooooo what to do, decided to make one. I had some 6mm sliver steel rod in the workshop so that was ok, next found an old brass front knob from a block plane that has departed this life. right so threaded the end of the bar and put a threaded hole in the brass knob, hey presto a pen mandrel thingy. I will hold it in a three jaw engineering scroll chuck that fits my Union Jubilee lathe. Cost ..........nothing plus £1.50 for the bushes.
