What's your favorite tool(s) for cutting & finishing mandrels

[Beckah]

A bunch of my 12" mandrels have bent on the ends. I figure that I can take them to at least 9" before they're no longer useful. What's your favorite tool for cutting mandrels? I've also read that the ends need to be sanded for burrs. What do use to get rid of the burrs?

Thank you for your help!

[chrisdd]

I use a bolt cutter to snip them and I don't grind the ends. I just learned to be careful.

[IF-Designs]

Cable Cutters! My Airgas guy is sending a new pair up to us with my Liquid Oxy on Tues ! WEEEEEEEEE They cut my mandrels with ease!

[Rebekah]

My welding supply guy.

I just replace them. They're cheap and too much work to justify the time it takes to fix them compared to all of the other glassy stuff that I'd rather do.

[sarabu]

I have some heavy duty pliers with wire cutters in them- I'm not strong enough to cut the tig rods with just my hands, so I whack the pointy end of the pliers with a mallet- and BAM!- works like a charm. I'm getting so I can do it in a single whack, sorta like setting and driving a nail with a single hit LOL. Keep in mind, the rods *can* fly sorta far. My kids usually avoid me until I'm done.
Sarah

[Anastasia]

I´m with Bek...my welding supply guy works best...lol. It´s because he´s got and angle grinder...and I got none.....

I used a wire cutter, too...worked like a charm for me. For the ends I use a simple rasp...no big deal. I tried to use a dremel to do so...but since I hated that noise so very much, I do it manually now....

Anastasia

[beadysam]

I've got a stock fencing tool that cuts easily.
SAM x

[JanMD]

I use 1/8" mandrels and I need to use a bolt cutter to cut them. I have to clamp the rod in a bench vise, very close to the end I'm cutting, so I don't bend it while cutting. And then I use the side of a fiberglass reinforced cut-off wheel, from Dremel, to grind off the bur and blunt the cut end. I have this white plastic thing-a-ma-jig that holds the Foredom hand unit snug in the bench vise, which makes it a sinch to use the grinding wheel. I can hold the mandrel in two hands.

JanMD

[jokersdesign]

I use a mini bolt cutter to cut 36" rods to 12" and the use a cheap $30 table top metal grinder to round out the ends.

[jokersdesign]

Originally Posted by IF-Designs

Cable Cutters! My Airgas guy is sending a new pair up to us with my Liquid Oxy on Tues ! WEEEEEEEEE They cut my mandrels with ease!

Sweet. I'm so happy for you getting liquid oxygen. You'll have to let me know how it goes as planning on maybe getting liquid oxygen myself.

The only thing i'm worried about is the tank blowing off when the pressure builds up.

here is a little tip that might help you. I was at the renaissance festival yesturday and the glassblowers There use liquid oxygen. One of the guys I was talking to brought me back and showed me his setup. He told me to get liquid oxygen and then buy some insulation from the hardware store and wrap the complete tank up.

This well help stop the wasting of liquid oxygen and the tank will last about 30-35% longer.

[Lisi]

I use fencing pliers to cut them, it's a nice clean cut, but it's on an angle slightly. so I still have to grind the angle off, and I do that with the little cup shaped sander bit for my dremel tool.

[Julabula]

I use bolt cutters and I bought a bench grinder and make all of mine. Which reminds me, I've got about 2 #s of rod in the garage I've got to cut and grind. BORING.

[DesertDreamer]

My favorite tool is my DH.

But while he's being helpful, he uses my Dremel with the flexshaft, and a diamond cutoff wheel...slices right through the mandrels, then polishes the ends for me, too. He's a keeper.

[Emily]

Bolt cutters and a $30-ish bench grinder. The thickest mandrel I've cut is 3/32. I have some 5/32 mandrels, but a friend's father cut those with some kind of saw.

Whatever you use, don't neglect your eye protection! It's probably going to be a long boring job, and when you start to get bored, you can start to get careless, and we know what happens then.

Karen, I'm sitting here typing my reply, and I keep looking at the first sentence of your post, and alternate meanings are starting to suggest themselves. Maybe it's time for me to turn off the computer and go to bed.

Or maybe there's a reason you put three smileys there.

[Janetlee]

I use my dremel with cutting wheel attachment and safety glasses to cut 3/32" and my bench grinder to cut 1/8" tig wire. Bench grinder to knock burrs off and sand smooth for both of them.
Janet

[bclogan]

I'm with Karen, hubbies make the BEST mandrel cutters! LOL!

I believe he uses a bolt cutter to trim the mandrels, and then he has a grinding wheel to smooth down the edges.

A husband with power tools is a great thing!

[Flaming Beads]

I use aDremel with meduim size cutting disc. I found that bolt cutters will put a slit dend in it on the end. You might want to try this!

Theresa

[Beckah]

Thanks for all the help! I guess I need to put my DH to cutting and rasping