Beginner Question

[Richard in Smithville]

I bought this kit to try. All was going well but when I tried to remove the turned stopper from the mandrel, I had one heck of a time. It seems the act of turning had tightened the blank to the mandrel more than when I started. I ended wrapping a cloth around the stopper and using channel locks to twist it off the mandrel. I like the stopper and will use it at home but my actions left small groves in the side of the stopper.

Are there any tips or tricks than will help me prevent this in the future?

[gerti]

I had the same problem the first time, I added a little bit of bees wax to the threads the next time. Worked better!

[Zenaca]

Richard try a small piece of milk jug or oil bottle ,cheap plastic cut a piece to fit over the threads like a flat washer sort of to keep the blank from tightening to much on the face of the arbor .
I had to do this to keep my scroll chuck from sticking on the threaded end of my lathe i was having one heck of a time trying to get it off till i put a small piece of old antifreeze jug over the threads like a flat washer. now just a little jerk of a dowl in the hole in the side of the chuck and off it comes!

Maybe the just the wax on the threads will work also like Gerti says.


Bud

[Uncle Cracker]

A beeswax stick from WC does the trick for me... In a pinch, you can use a crayon.

[Whaler]

I tap the threads in the blank and put a dab of Johnsons paste wax on the mandrel threads.

[Richard in Smithville]

Thanks guys. Tonight I added some paste wax to the mandrel and worked the blank back and forth on the threads before chucking it in the lathe. Turned beautifully and released with no problem. Will post a picture once I have sanded and applied a finish.

BTW: Even though the first stopper had some little grooves in it from fighting to release it from the mandrel, my mum thought it was one of the nicest things she had seen......and getting a compliment from my mum is rare on a good day

[Uncle Cracker]

...my mum thought it was one of the nicest things she had seen......and getting a compliment from my mum is rare on a good day

One of the fundamental truths, that. "If Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy..."