A sanding mandrel??? If you can't cut you shafts and butts to size, there is something wrong with you, your methods, or your tooling. Some CB's cut to .840 + or - a few thou. Whatever you like.
How about a "finish mandrel" for $3.....
I made my own because I just dont want to spend several hundred dollars for a carbide sanding mandrel. (not because I don't like them... I am just cheap)
Go to Lowes hardware department and look in the drawers that hold hardware special items. Buy a steel spacer that is 1in OD and 3/4 in ID and 2 inches long. Price... $1.51
Go on Ebay and buy a 1in delrin rod 1 foot long. Price... about $10
Turn about 2 1/2 inches of the delrin to about .750in. Keep trying to put the spacer on the delrin. When it will just go on about 1/2in but sticks, put it on the floor and hammer the delrin fully into the spacer. It must be tight and forget about gluing it.... not much sticks to delrin. Cut the delrin off and put the spacer in the lathe and face off both ends.
Put the delrin/steel spacer in the lathe and turn about 1in of the OD to .850in (or what ever size your finish joint is). YOU WILL NEED CARBIDE TOOLS. HSS will not cut it. I turned it in my Hightower lathe. I could take only .005in or less per cut.
When you have it turned to the right size and BEFORE YOU TAKE IT OUT OF THE CHUCK, drill and tap the delrin center for a pin just like a cue butt. I use 5/16-18 but use any size you like.
When you have a cue butt or shaft cut and sanded to size, put on the finish mandrel and build you finish to larger than the mandrel and sand it down to size.
It works for a butt like it is and will work for a shaft if you screw a short pin into it.
OK.... for the nay sayers....
Is it pretty? No its crude and ugly.
Does it work? You bet your ass it works for about $3.
Is it accurate? Not as accurate as a precision ground carbide sanding mandrel but it doesn't cost $400 either.
How long will it last? I don't know.... maybe 20-30 cues.. try not to sand on it very much and it will last longer. I slice most of the finish off with a razor blade. When it wears out, I will spend another $3 and spend 1/2 hour making another one.
Because the delrin center is somewhat flexible, you probably should not use it for machining butts or shafts.
Kim
!!!!!! Really!!!!!!!! I can respect someone being inovative I have had to be along the way but, to say there must be something wrong with someones cutting methods, or they cant cut a shaft to size is narrow. Very narrow. I have cut shafts within 5 thousands of finish and sanded, they dont line up the same as using a precision carbide sanding mandrel !! I can respect that not everyone can just fork over $400 or so for a set but it should be something to work towards, to improve, to stay the same level doesn't bring improvement.
Once you do decide to get a set of carbide sanding mandrels, and you see just how well your joints and shafts line up, then come talk about the homemade jig.