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Which mandrel is right for me?
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 advise we can give is to read the Manuals for each mandrel (located on the Download & Manuals page) 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 in #1 and #2 Morse Taper in the 5/8" diameter, but the 3/4" is only available in #2 MT. 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.
- The MVS, PLS, and CLS 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.
- 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 mandrels with a tapered shank require 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. If you are using a collet chuck that attaches to the threads of your spindle and using a straight shank expanding mandrel, a draw bar is not needed.
- 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.
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 we were to make a suggestion, for the absolute Newbie - get an expanding mandrel. If you have been at this a while, and know you dont need to turn unsupported on the tailstock end, the MVS might be the better pick.
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.
Happy Turning!