Choosing a Mandrel (information)
Deciding which mandrel is best for you is a tough job, especially if you are fairly new to call making, calls, lathe tools, and such. The best advice we can give is to read the Manuals for each mandrel (located on the Download & Manuals page) for the MVS and PLS and see if anything catches your attention. The other suggestion is to visit some of the various forums and get feed back from other call makers on their likes and dislikes for the various designs available. Keep in mind, that people are bound to have several different opinions, and in the end it will be up to you do decide which mandrel you want.
Here are some details that may help you decide which mandrel is best for you.
- The expanding mandrel is available with a #2 Morse Taper in 5/8 and 3/4" and with a #1 Morse Taper in 5/8". If you have a different mount on your lathe, you will either need to find/make an adapter that will work, or look at a different style of mandrel. To help identify your Morse Taper, this link has the specifications for the various tapers to compare to yours.
- The MVS and PLS are not designed to be used without the tailstock in place. If you require an unsupported end on your mandrel, neither the MVS, PLS, nor CLS are mandrels you will want to use. You will want an Expanding mandrel or contact us for a a stub version of the PLS.
- The Expanding mandrel is available in 5/8" and 3/4". Custom sizes are not currently available. The MVS, PLS, and CLS can be made in any custom size you require including stepped mandrels (multiple diameters on one mandrel) for goose calls and duck calls utilizing guts and orings.
- The Expanding mandrel requires the customer to build a "Draw Bar" to secure the mandrel in the headstock. A draw bar is in essence a long bolt that goes from the back of the headstock into the actual mandrel and is used to "draw" the mandrel into the taper very securely and hold it there. The threads in the back of the Expanding mandrel are 3/8" - 16tpi for the #2 MT mandrels and 1/4" - 20 for the #1 MT mandrels.
- Turning on the face of the call (mouthpiece and end face) is possible with all of the mandrels. The expanding mandrel will require you situate the blank hanging off the end of the mandrel and can only work on end at a time. The MVS, PLS, and CLS which have recessed cuts spaced to allow end work and "bell mouthing" on both ends without moving the blank, but they require a very narrow tool to allow access to the inner wall without touching the mandrel.
- MVS and PLS mandrels require a very accurate hole. Drill bits are NOT good at giving accurate holes, they are not designed to be extremely accuate. Chucking reamers and boring bars are meant for bore accuracy. It is strongly recommended that you drill your blanks 1/64 undersize, and then use a chucking reamer to open up the bore to the proper size.
In the end, it really comes down to 'you', the customer. We can suggest things until we are blue in the face, but what is truly important is that you are happy and the only way to achieve that is for you to decide what would work best for you - for the way you plan on turning calls. We strongly suggest that you read the manuals on the Downloads & Manuals page, familiarize yourself with how they operate, and compare that with your current style. Or if you are new to call making and have no current style, get on some of the forums and see what others have to say about the styles of mandrels they use and why they like or dislike them.
If you are like many people that just want a recommendation, maybe this will help... The only mandrels used here at WEBFoot Custom Calls for hand turning calls are MVS mandrels - either straight for duck calls or stepped for goose calls. But, if we were to recommend a mandrel for a complete beginner (ie NEWBIE) we suggest the Expanding mandrel. (hows that for a mixed message :D)
For more help - check here!
Happy Turning!
