How to keep a whistle between centers

[Nicholas Blanton]

So I have been turning some tabor pipes out of fruit woods. The small ones are not much trouble but the low ones have to be about 45cm to start, and with a bore of 12 mm they seriously chatter, while I'm finish turning. Using a a heavy leather glove and the small gouge helps, and I would not be surprised to learn that my technique just needs to be better. Though it would be nice to have them taper from about 20mm, which seems durable enough and graceful, I could leave them a little heavier, also. But I have been wondering if there's something better, like using a mandrel to stiffen them. What is the usual solution?

[Charlie Schultz]

You've probably already considered these, but:
1. Using a steady rest instead of the leather glove? I've seen some home-made ones that use roller skate wheels. They can be a bit of a pain to dial in, but are steadier than hand (at least in my case). Plus it frees up both hands for the gouge.
2. Check the alignment of head and tail stock centers?
3. Too much pressure from the tail stock can force the wood to distort as it gets thinner. It can be kind of a fine line between too much and too little pressure though.

[Nicholas Blanton]

Thanks, Charlie. Might try the spring-loaded steady rest. I think there's something older, that's just a flexible slat of maple, sprung against the spindle. But spring-loaded wheels would need less adjustment. The pressure from the tailstock was one reason I thought about using a mandrel. I have seen people turn very thin objects, with a gouge and a leather gloved-hand for support, so I have a feeling that I also just need to be willing to trash more turnings and get some practice. Happily I am not working with ebony and blackwood, so that's possible.

[Charlie Schultz]

If you can use a big enough mandrel, it should work too. But I've seen short pen mandrels bend enough to cause problems. In any event, let us know what works for you (and maybe give us some photos of the whistle making process??).

[Dan Warren]

I could see drilling out a dowel and putting a pen mandrel through it, to beef up the working diameter of the mandrel. I got one of these things:

http://www.pennstateind.com/store/PKMST ... 8972039783

and I haven't had any trouble with my pen mandrel bending since then.

[Daniel Bingamon]

When I make Native Flutes, on the tailstock end I make pieces of PVC that fit inside the bore of the blank being turned. It then has a center hole which rests with the live center's point.