Where do you buy your hollow mandrels???
 

Hm??? :-k

Thank you!!!

~Michelle

Tink sells them on her site.
http://www.blackswampglassworks.com/mandrels.htm

You can also get them from Frantz.

Why Tink of course..lol

Yep. I got mine there. ;)

Evan makes 3/16"' & 1/8" mandrels with holes (for "blown-up" hollows). I asked for some for Christmas. :-D He has other cool stuff too.

http://www.dawnandevan.com/gallery4.htm

We order the tubing from McMaster Carr.

McMaster-Carr

You can pick up some welding rods there too.

I go down to my local Metals Supermarket, and have them cut stainless tubing to size for me. They are happy to sell just a few, and I think they only cost $2-4 each depending on the size and tubing thickness.
Maybe there's one near you:

http://www.metalsupermarkets.com/

Jeri Warhaftig has the original "Puffy Mandrels" for sale on her website. Puffy Mandrels at Jeribeads (I know they're the originals, because Jeri didn't know what to call them, and I was the one who named them Puffy Mandrels!! LOL)

Schermo

Thanks so much all you dear people!!!

Blessings,
Michelle

Thanks for the kind mention Schermo. We now have them in both 3/32" (std size) and 1/8" diameter. Jeri
www.jeribeads.com

I bought stainless steel brake tubing and cut it in the lengths that I wanted with a cutting wheel and my dremel. It cost me $20.00 and I got 15 mandrels out of it. Not to bad, I thought.

Brandy

Just curious, where did you find stainless steel brake tubing?
When I looked for it in SLC I couldn't find it.

Auto Parts stores

I found some stainless steel tubes at a local hobby store.
Apparently, model train enthusiast use it to build scenery or something.

I'm a do-it-yourselfer at heart and especially appreciate that information!

Blessings,
Michelle

I bought some stainless tubing from a truck parts place. It is 1/4 inside so it's bigger outside. The problem with it is that it's heavier gauge than the one 's they sell at Frantz, even though it was cheaper, and it gets hot to hold it!

I went to Ipaco and got some, then I went to a model airplane/train store and got some there too. Most machine shops have it also. I did find that the auto parts stores sometimes have it on a roll. You don't want that as the tube is all bent and crooked. I've used it after trying to straighten it, and it does work. Go to a machine shop, thats where I got the best deal. Alot of times they have scrap that they are willing to give to you or sell for very very cheap. If you know of any welders, they can tell you where to get some also. My dad is a welder and is always bringing me home all kinds of tubing, copper shavings (very cool) things to use as tools, etc.