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KELTON MANDREL

People who make fishing rod grips use simple mandrels, some up to 3/8" diameter and maybe 15-18" in length. That's small by your mind boggling usual dimensions, but if you're getting into "little stuff", you might do a search for someone making them. In the past they were a cottage industry item, like many of our turning implements. They would also be pretty simple to make for someone with a metal lathe--just a piece of drill rod with a section turned down to insert into a drill chuck and a 60 degree dimple in the other end. The headstock end could also be a collet, if you have one already.
 
John, if the Kelton Mandrel is like what is pictured in Bill's post, you can get something that works similar from Rubber Chucky. That's what I use on hollow forms and other uses.
 
I would think that it would be pretty easy to make something like that.
Mount a piece of drill rod in your chuck and that would be the rod going into the vessel.
Just need to make a cone with a set screw to hold it where you wanted it, and an end piece that would fit into your vessel.
 
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