Newbie Needs Your Advice on Turning a Small Item

[Brian Reyman]

I'm new to turning - just done a few pens and misc. items. I'd also like to some neckerchief slides for Cub Scouts that I work with. I'm trying to find the best/most practical way and need your advice.

A neckerchief slide is essentially a napkin ring. 1" - 1.5" long with a 5/8" or 3/4" ID.

I watched the following video on making a wooden expanding collet to do napkin rings. Very slick, but I'm not sure how it will hold up over time and would like a metal option if at all possible. I'd like to do a lot of these.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfrldsntWbA

I have access to a Barracuda2 chuck and some basic tools. What do you suggest? Would an expanding mandrel like one of these work? They seem a bit short, so I'm guessing it would be great. Just looking for ideas and can't find a ton - at least not nearly as many/pre-built and metal machined solutions as something like a pen.
http://www.dunhamtool.com/expanding_mandrel.html#model

Ideas?

Thanks!
Brian

[Marvin Hasenak]

If I was making them, for my mandrel I would get a 2" square blank about 5" long, drill and tap one end to fit the spindle of the headstock. Turn the end round to fit the inside diameter of the slides. Then drill and tap the other end for a 1/4" NPT pipe plug. Then cut slits into that end for about an inch. It should look like this. Get your NPT tap and the pipe plug at any good hardware store, before you start.

http://i58.tinypic.com/33wtw5d.jpg

For the actual neckerchief slides, cut to length and chuck them in the 4 jaw chuck, drill with the size you want. The above mandrel will need to be turned to a pretty close tolerance, but a bit less than your chosen hole size. My advice is to drill and sand the inside before you remove from the chuck. Remember the inside diameter will be slightly larger after sanding so allow for that on the mandrel. If you have questions feel free to ask.

[Paul Williams]

Been many years since I was a cub scout, but I believe you would do just fine with a slightly tapered piece of hard wood held in your chuck and sized to be a tight fit on the hole in your slide. If I was just making a dozen or so that is what I would do. The Bob Hamilton video you linked to would be an upgrade that might be worth doing if you plan to turn several dozen. Another option would be to find a pipe with OD the size of the size of the hole in the slide. Slit it lengthwise and use your live center to expand it. I wouldn't go to te trouble unless I was making a hundred or more.

[Shawn Pachlhofer]

"Expansion Chucky"

http://www.rubberchucky.com/pages.php?ExpanC

[Bruce Pratt]

Google rubber expansion plug. They come in a variety of diameters and lengths; available at most auto parts stores. You should be able to find one to fit the dimensions of the neckerchief slides.

[Tom Giacomo]

I would follow Bob Hamilton's video exactly. If you have access to a 4 jaw chuck a drill chuck for your tailstock and a forstner bit that's all you need.

[Bob Hamilton]

Hi, Brian:
The fixture I made for that video worked fine but I did make another that was longer to move the workpiece further away from the chuck. After making the first few napkin rings there will be a raised ring where the blank sits and there is really no further wear on the fixture. I used that fixture to make a bunch of napkin rings for my son's wedding reception and it is still fine for use. I have made well over 200 napkin rings using that same fixture.

Take care
Bob

[Don Bunce]

I have a set of expanding mandrels from CDCO Machinery Corp that work well, and are inexpensive.


Search for item 25145

http://cdcotools.com/

[Rick Gibson]

If you don't mind spending the money this expanding collet set from Lee Valley would likely work for you. http://www.leevalley.com/US/Wood/page.aspx?p=71613&cat=1,330,69091&ap=1

[Scott Conners]

If I were turning that shape I wouldn't use a chuck for the outside at all. I'd just put it between cone centers. I'd turn wooden ones that fit with tight tolerance, and that have a recess turned in them to let me round the ends of the tube.

You can turn the drive side to fit in the chuck, so you just put it in after drilling. Then you'd turn a cone tipped attachment to fit your live center.