[TheForge] Tinsmith's mandrel (Was: Flattening fireplace screen)

[Mike Spencer]

> It turns out that I have one of them  there things.

Well, Don, now that you know, you'll never want to be without it.  :-)

> ...but...how do you mount one of  those tinsmith mandrels?  There is a 
> lengthwise slot underneath. Is that  for mounting?

Yes, just so.  You need a heavy, sturdy bench and a widget.  The
widget is roughly mushroom-shaped with a square head that fits in the
slot.  The stem of the mushroom is ca. 5/8" diammeter and threaded.
You bore a hole in your workbench, drop the stem of the widget through
it and put a big 'ol wingnut (possibly including a heavy washer if
your bench is softwood) on the bottom end.  Then you slide the flat,
anvil-like end of the mandrel over the widget and tighten the wingnut.

Loosen the wingnut and you can easily  slide the mandrel back and forth or
remove it completely.  If the widget isn't in the way of other work,
it can stay in place, ready for the next time you need the
mandrel. 

Actually, I think the original widget is so proportioned that the
mandrel can be slid back and forth with the nut tight.  I can post a
pic of an original, factory-made widget RSN but not right this minute
because I gotta do some stuff in town before the stores close.  But
you can figure out something that will work.  I just has to put
reasonably well distributed force on the lip of that slot. And you c
figure see pretty easily that it would be possible to set that up so
that there was too much leverage and you'd break the lip or splinter
your bench.  Just don't do that. :-)

I hand-shaped the stainless sheet to make my forge flue just by
working it over such a mandrel, then lock-seamed it.  Wonder-tool.



- Mike

-- 
Michael Spencer                  Nova Scotia, Canada       .~. 
                                                           /V\ 
mspencer at tallships.ca                                     /( )\
http://home.tallships.ca/mspencer/                        ^^-^^