White side stopper mandrel

[Ron Stohr]

Does anyone here use a stopper mandrel made by white side? Bought one about a week ago from Woodcraft, it flew apart on me today with a small piece of walnut on it! Went back to the Woodcraft store and got my money back. Woodcraft was great and offered me a new one but had none in stock, so I took a gift card for it instead. Now I just have to find a better one that will work on a Shopsmith.

[Rich Aldrich]

I have one by Ruth Niles. It really works well. It is the only one I have used.

[Greg Ketell]

I made my own. Just get a bolt of the right thread, cut the head off, use a file to taper the tip and cut two grooves perpendicular to the threads from the tip to about 1/4" back. Now just drill and turn a chunk of wood the right diameter (same as the base of your stopper) and chuck the whole thing into a collet-chuck or your regular chuck with #1 jaws.

GK

[Ron Stohr]

That's what I ended up doing bought a 60 cent bolt cut the head off and put that in my nova chuck. Need to go back to the hardware store though and spend a buck for a better bolt, one mistake and the 60 cent bolt bends. Was able to get it running true again but can't always count on dumb luck getting it ti run true every time.

[John King]

Make you own mandrel from some scrap wood and 3/8" x 16 tpi carriage bolt. I mount mine in a 4-jaw chuck. The diameter of the wood on the carriage bolt end of the mandrel matches the diameter of the bottle stopper base. So, I have a reference diameter for turning the decorative wood piece of the bottle stopper. See attached pictures. - John

[Peter Blair]

Like Rich. I use one from Ruth Niles. Here site is VERY informative worth a look.

[Jim Burr]

Make you own mandrel from some scrap wood and 3/8" x 16 tpi carriage bolt. I mount mine in a 4-jaw chuck. The diameter of the wood on the carriage bolt end of the mandrel matches the diameter of the bottle stopper base. So, I have a reference diameter for turning the decorative wood piece of the bottle stopper. See attached pictures. - John


Although I use one from Ruth, I like this idea John. Not being up on Shopsmiths, what is the MT size?

[Bernie Weishapl]

I use Ruth Niles. I made my own but use Ruth's all the time.

[Harry Robinette]

Jim B.
There is NO MT on a Shopsmith just a 5/8" shaft with an angled grub screw slot.

[Cody Colston]

Make you own mandrel from some scrap wood and 3/8" x 16 tpi carriage bolt. I mount mine in a 4-jaw chuck. The diameter of the wood on the carriage bolt end of the mandrel matches the diameter of the bottle stopper base. So, I have a reference diameter for turning the decorative wood piece of the bottle stopper. See attached pictures. - John

That's a pretty neat idea. I have a mandrel but I might make one or two of those, also. Thanks for the pics.

[James Combs]

I use Ruth Niles. I made my own but use Ruth's all the time.

Same here.

[Marvin Hasenak]

Jim B.
There is NO MT on a Shopsmith just a 5/8" shaft with an angled grub screw slot.

For a Shopsmith I would drill and tap a piece of maple to fit the spindle. Turn it round and then center drill that with 5/16" bit and tap it with a 3/8" tap. Take a short piece of all thread and epoxy part of it in the tapped hole, leaving about 1/2" to 3/4" exposed. Then for the blanks, drill and tap for the 3/8 all thread, mount the blank and turn!