Bottle Stopper Mandrel

[Rich Aldrich]

I am going to try turning some bottle stoppers. I bought some stainless steel kits with 3/8"- 16" UNC studs. I bought one from Woodcraft, but it has a small diameter shank that I cant chuck in my SN2. Maybe I should get one with the #2 MT since my lathe has a #2 MT. I have a drill chuck on a #2 MT, but it doesnt have the tapped hole for the draw bar.What mandrel do any of you bottle stopper turners recommend?

[Mike Willeson]

Get the one from Ruth Niles. Good quality and it has a tap built into it. Her stoppers are great as well.

http://www.torne-lignum.com/index.html

[Steve Schlumpf]

Another vote for Ruth Niles! She offers a starter kit that includes the drill bit, mandrel and some of her stainless steel stoppers!

[Rich Aldrich]

Thanks for the tip guys. I had checked out her site, but ordered my stoppers elsewhere. I like the idea that the mandrel also acts as a tap. I will probably try some of her stoppers as well. The starter kit sounds like the way to go.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Another vote for Ruth Niles. Her stoppers are great and the mandrel works good.

[Jim Burr]

I think I'm on my third starter kit...Ruth is a joy to talk to!

[Cory Norgart]

Hey Rich, I use a peice of 3/8 threaded rod or a bolt, with a double nut and a washer for a backer, costs nothing and works just fine.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

+1 for what Cory said. You can get away essentially free, if you cut the head off a bolt. The thing you gain with a purchased stopper mandrel, is the mandrel is the same size as the the stopper, so if it's important to you that the stopper and your turning are the exact same size, (i.e. they don't have a transition step) tehn you should buy a mandrel from whomever you buy stoppers from. They may not be the same size, in fact, probably not the same size between PSI, W/C and someone else..

[Greg Just]

I got this one from Penn State Industries:

http://www.pennstateind.com/store/PK-BS1-MJ.html

I also picked up a tap at the hardware store to pre-tap the blanks. They fit the Ruth Niles SS Stoppers which I use all the time.

[Eric Holmquist]

I use a mandrel that has a 3/8 - 16 threads on a 1/2" shaft.

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Due to the large shaft, it has a shoulder that I can use some home-made bushings with.


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The bushings have a taper that matches the stopper so that I have a visual reference for how the top will look next to the SS piece.


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As there are two common sizes of SS stopper, I have two bushings. One for the Ruth Niles size and one for the larger variety.


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I am a fan of collet chucks, I make various specialty work holding gadgets for small turnings that all fit in a collet.

[James Combs]

I use a mandrel that has a 3/8 - 16 threads on a 1/2" shaft.
Due to the large shaft, it has a shoulder that I can use some home-made bushings with.
The bushings have a taper that matches the stopper so that I have a visual reference for how the top will look next to the SS piece.
As there are two common sizes of SS stopper, I have two bushings. One for the Ruth Niles size and one for the larger variety.
I am a fan of collet chucks, I make various specialty work holding gadgets for small turnings that all fit in a collet.

+1 on what Eric does. I do something similar except my bushing is an appropriate size washer.

[Rich Aldrich]

Eric - I like your idea. It doesn't matter where you buy your bottle stoppers with this method. You just need a different bushing.

[Jim Burr]

This looks like a cool idea despite the fact that Ruths' is on a MT2 so the huge (and they are not cheap http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/store/Chucks___Collet___Apprentice_Collet_Chuck___app_co llet?Args= ) expense of a collet chuck is offset by the fact you get a drill bit and stoppers too