My finishing mandrel

[Luke Pighetti]

Hey guys,

You all have helped me a lot over the last few weeks. I had a breakthrough moment today in the shop. Really simple stuff and I'm sure most of you have seen something like it before, but I wanted to share anyway. If at least one other person gains as much as I did from this, posting up this thread will be so worth it.

Anyway, it's basically a 3/4" dowel with features turned on the ends to stop it from sliding off the nails I put into the wall.

I then have 12 individual 'donuts' with foam tape surrounding it, which slide easily up and down each shaft.

The shaft is held between centers and the parts are loaded up on it. I can then easily spray them, remove the loaded shaft, and hang on the wall while I do the next set.

It's cut my finishing time by about 80% and has increased the surface quality by a good amount too.

Thanks for reading
Luke

[Rick Markham]

Luke, this is interesting to me. Thank you for posting it. I actually have a very similar idea in my head. I haven't quite Ironed out all of the details, but adding a simple turned pulley on one end of the shaft and a small variable speed motor mounted to "the rack" then the workpiece is supported on both sides via bearings, live center etc, would allow me to finish like it's on the lathe, then the bars can be removed and set aside (like you have done) while another piece is being sprayed etc. It becomes as simple as sliding a fan belt over the pulley as you put the rod on, and off you go. Simple easy and efficient :) Now if I ever get around to building it :D

Great idea, you will have to keep us posted on how you like it!

[Luke Pighetti]

I can tell you right now that I *love* it!

I am trying to come up with a cheap way to drive it without buying another lathe. I am thinking that I might attach a drill chuck to the end of an electric motor, and then support/capture the free end on the opposite side. If I could figure out how to attach the drill chuck we'd be in business! Then I could stick that outside and leave my lathe inside where it's nice and cozy. :)

But for now, it works really nice except for the ventilation and overspray issue.

[Marvin Hasenak]

Rig up a BBQ rotisserie motor, slow speed and plenty of power to turn the parts.

[Rick Markham]

Marvin, I hadn't considered that, that's an excellent idea!!!

[Tom Wilson66]

I had a machinist thread the end of an electric motor to fit a jacob's chuck. Screwed on a chuck and away I went. Use it for all sorts of things, buffing, sanding wheels and such. I have also seen some adapters that attach to the end of a motors shaft and have the jacobs chuck attached, maybe at Woodcraft, or Lee Valley (catalog)?

[Luke Pighetti]

I had a machinist thread the end of an electric motor to fit a jacob's chuck. Screwed on a chuck and away I went. Use it for all sorts of things, buffing, sanding wheels and such. I have also seen some adapters that attach to the end of a motors shaft and have the jacobs chuck attached, maybe at Woodcraft, or Lee Valley (catalog)?

Now THIS is something I'd like to know more about.

Edit: Is this what we are looking for? http://www.use-enco.com/1/1/32893-7374-jacobs-motor-shaft-adapter-manual-drill-chuck-arbors-adapters.html

Looks like a male morse taper?

[Luke Pighetti]

"Jacobs chuck #3326 capacity 5/64 to 1/2" that has a 5/8 straight mounting bore with a setscrew"

Might be worth looking into..

[Thom Sturgill]

Sears sells a rotissery motor for less than $20. That would be a sealed motor since it is designed to be used outside. Prpbably has a 1/4" square 'socket' on the end. Their picture on-line did not show, but I would be willing to bet it would be easy to adapt your mandrels by frilling a hole in one end and epoxying in a squar rod. Mount the motor to a cabinet with filters and a fan to suck out fumes.

[Luke Pighetti]

Don't rotisserie motors spin at ~1 rpm?

I attribute the seamlessly even finish on these parts to the high speed at which they spin. I'm not sure I'd want to lose that (unless there is some other reason I'm not considering?)

[Marvin Hasenak]

Check out the fishing rod forums, they use an epoxy like finish and slow turning jigs to get an even cure. Same goes for the lure makers, most will have a flawless finish and they also use slow turning dryer set ups for their lures.

[Luke Pighetti]

Check out the fishing rod forums, they use an epoxy like finish and slow turning jigs to get an even cure. Same goes for the lure makers, most will have a flawless finish and they also use slow turning dryer set ups for their lures.

Thats good to know, I'll have to check that out. :)

[Tom Wilson66]

Did a quick search for the chuck on a motor arbor, and found some on the Grizzly website. They are sized for either 1/2" or 5/8" shaft, and are keyless. Pretty cheap price, too, so probably not to machinist's standards. Should do for what you are working on here.

[Luke Pighetti]

Hey Tom, do you have a part number? Sounds really promising.

I have a belt sander here that has a dual shaft motor... hmmmmm!

[Tom Wilson66]

G5552 for the 1/2" and G5553 for the 5/8" arbors with 1/2" keyless drill chucks.

[Luke Pighetti]

Just for reference...

http://www.grizzly.com/products/Motor-Arbors-1-2-Arbor-1-2-Keyless-Chuck/G5552
http://www.grizzly.com/products/Motor-Arbors-5-8-Arbor-1-2-Keyless-Chuck/G5553

I think I might have to pick one up and attach it to my belt sander with the dual shaft motor. I never use the sanding wheel. Awesome find Tom...