Does anybody know where I can get tapered mandrels for foaming poured foam handles?
Here is the tricky part. I am making ice ice fishing rods. The tapers are approximately .15"-.125".
Or will I have to use a rod to get what I need?
Can I use a rod for my mandrel?

Any tips would be appreciated.

Next part will be making the molds

Thanks, Doug

Why do they have to be tapered? Just use a straight non-tapered mandrel sized roughly the smallest portion of the blank where the grip will reside, and do a slight bit of taper reaming to get a precise fit. Takes a minute, maybe.

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Doug,
If you want tapered mandrels, take your request to a machine shop and they will take drill rod and cut any taper that you like. You will have the privilege to pay for the service, but you will get the mandrels that you want.

Be safe

Tapered mandrel's can make a lot of sense for someone who builds a lot of rods that are the same or very similar. The time savings from fitting each and every handle could easily warrant the expense of having a custom-tapered mandrel turned.

x2 on Roger's drill rod recommendation. It's wonderful stuff to work with as a finished tool. I'd make sure have a strait section on each end to make it easier to mount in a chuck, and depending on the size, possibly some turning on the end for lathe centers.

I've never built any myself as I don't build in that kind of repetitive volume, but I wouldn't hesitate to do so if my volume warranted it.

John,
When you take a tour of the St. Croix plant, you will see machine shop made tapered reamers for their various fishing rod sizes.

They take the grip, one quick pass with the reamer, and the handle fits the particular blank perfectly.

Of course, they make hundreds or thousands of rods with the same blank, so the use of a custom made reamer make perfect sense.
Notice, that I used the word reamer, not just mandrel.
This is where the machine shop cuts reamer cutting edges into the tapered rod, after the rod has first been tapered.

Be safe

Making a tapered reamer is not a tapered mandrel. My full- time job is in the machining business and making a tapered mandrel is not an easy task. I spoke to a couple of shops and they were not interested. They were not even sure about doing it without stepping them. I would be surprised if St. Croix made their own mandrels for the rods. I have been there many times and never saw that kind of equipment. I would not think it would be that wise for them to invest in that kind of equipment or expertise. I would bet they contract that work out. Those mandrels are very cool and how they are made is as much art as technology.
The mandrels are the basis for their ipc designs.

Back to my project.

Can I use a blank in place of a steel mandrel?

Thanks, Doug

I make all my turning mandrells from scrap blanks They work well handles come out Round !!
if they are thin or flexy i glue another inside to stiffin it
make it smooth and put a release agent on to get it out Should work fine

Bill - willierods.com

Doug,
I have several tapered reamers myself, that were machine shop made and are commercially available.
I do agree that St. Croix likely farmed out the machine shop work to make the tapered reamers.

I also agree that making such a reamer is not easy, but it is certainly possible.

Be safe

Making a high precision taper to tight tolerance can certainly be challenging on older non-CNC tools, but high precision is not necessary for this particular application. Any old school machinist who understands how to set up an engine lathe to turn a taper should be able to get you close enough (to be fully functional) without much effort at all.