Bottle Stopper stuck on mandrel

[JoAnn Duggan]

I have both types of Ruth Niles bottle stopper mandrels . I am having a big problem getting the stopper to release from the mandrel when I am finished. Today I turned two stoppers and both of them are stuck on the mandrels and I can't get them off no matter what I do. I am ready to cut them off. I hate to ruin them but I may not have any choice. Has this ever happened to anyone else and if so can you please give me a solution for releasing them from the mandrel.

JoAnn Duggan

[Dan Masshardt]

Maybe some wax on the threads could help in the future. Or using a slightly bigger drill bit. I have two different sizes I use depending.

I have had some pretty well stuck but always manage to wrench them off - usually off the lathe.

I have the psi 1x8 mandrel so it's easier to grip.

Do you consider yourself to have a very strong grip? I'd lock your headstock and get the strongest grip you can on it. Otherwise maybe put the mandrel in a vise or something to hold it securely while you get all your strength on the stopper.

If you don't consider yourself to gave a very strong grip or your hand is too small, maybe ask someone to help

[Jim Howe]

The rubber strap wrenches work well. I agree with waxing in the future.

[Tony Rozendaal]

Is it slipping in your hand, or can you just not turn it? If items on a screw mandrel slip in my hand, I can sometimes get it to turn by putting on one of the nitrile gloves that I use for finishing things. Otherwise put several warps of a piece of a leather belt round it to give it a larger diameter, or to protect it when using pliers.

Good luck!

[Peter Fabricius]

Hi Joann,
I cannot imagine how a piece of wood (bottle stopper) can get stuck on a small 3/8" mandrel bolt...?
I have been using a 3/8" bolt with the head cut off. I have a nut and a washer on the threaded end and the threaded wood blank screws onto this mandrel. I have never had a stopper stuck.
As said above locking the spindle and applying more force to the stopper will get it off.
I hope it works for you.
Peter F.

[Ronald Fox]

I had the same problem. My cause was that I was hardening the threads with thin CA and putting the blank on the mandrel too soon. The threads ended up gluing to the mandrel. I now wait a good 24 hours just to be safe. It is very frustrating to ruin a nice bottle stopper trying to get it off the mandrel.

[John C Lawson]

I had the same problem, and discovered the nitrile glove method Tony mentions. I removed the mandrel from the spindle first, and a couple stubborn ones required a glove on each hand. I did ruin a couple pieces figuring out this trick, but it never failed once I worked it out. I was using the mandrel to hold smaller things than a stopper.

[Marvin Hasenak]

I always drill and tap the hole an extra 1/4" deep, and then CA the blanks. I do all of that one day on the next day, I run the tap through one more time to clean up the CA and to take care of any changes in the wood. Giving the wood a day of rest and running the tap through the hole again has eliminated the getting them stuck problem. When you drill and tap, the wood stresses and the hole size will change over time.

[JoAnn Duggan]

Thank you everyone for your input. I finally got them off by putting the mandrel in a vice and using the leather wrapped around the stopper and using vice grips to turn the mandrel. I do not have a tap as I didn't think I needed one with the Niles mandrel as it has one built in. But I am going to purchase one and try your method of the CA and taping the blank. Can you recommend what tap I need to get for the stoppers.


Thank you again for all your help.

JoAnn

[Michael Stafford]

Sears sells a set of plastic strap wrenches similar to an oil filter strap wrench. The smaller one in the set works well for me for small items like bottle stoppers.

Make sure your pilot hole is sized correctly. I have pre-cut the threads with a tap in dense woods using a bottoming tap to prevent this problem. And as others have said a little paraffin wax on the threads of the mandrel goes a long way.

[Don Orr]

Thank you everyone for your input. I finally got them off by putting the mandrel in a vice and using the leather wrapped around the stopper and using vice grips to turn the mandrel. I do not have a tap as I didn't think I needed one with the Niles mandrel as it has one built in. But I am going to purchase one and try your method of the CA and taping the blank. Can you recommend what tap I need to get for the stoppers.


Thank you again for all your help.

JoAnn

JoAnn-you need to drill a 5/16" hole and use a 3/8"x16tpi tap for the threads. Available in most hardware/big box stores.
Glad to hear you got them off OK.

[Adrian Anguiano]

I also have the ruth niles, and it is made for a super tight fit. You HAVE to use some wax on the threads. sometimes if you dont you will crack brittle wood like black palm. Some guy in my shop made that mistake once. Just remember if you had to apply lots of pressure to get the mandrel in, then its not going to come out easy.

Along with wax, if you finished ur stopper on the lathe, get a skew and make a tiny cut to part the mandrel from the stopper finish.

For those tough situations I use the ruth niles for the first quarter inch into the wood, so I know i get a very straight fit, then Ill use a regular tap by hand. The 1/4" of threads makes sure its perfectly in line.

And yes, make sure u use the right drill. measure ur drill bits.. they arent always exact. test in some scrap wood.