Muchos Muchos Mandrel confusion!!

[amber0307]

Can anyone help?
I'm not sure what is the 'standard' size for a mandrel, i.e the most commonly used size.  I see lots of people use 3/32" mandrel - but not sure how this relates to the size sold by Tuffnell or Hamilton Taylor - I have got some of the 1.6mm x 12 " ones and there are a few other sizes in my starter pack - not sure what size they are!

[Lush!]

Most people use 1.6mm or 2.3mm mandrels, but Quinton also sells 3.2mm mandrels (which I rather like!).

I get confused when mandrels are referred to in imperial measurements (blame the Americans again I reckon!)

[Redhotsal]

3/32 inch = 3 divided by 32 =  .09375 inches. To convert this to metric multiply by 25.4 which gives you 2.38mm.

So 3/32" = 2.4 mm, which is also known as "medium" and is the "standard" size mandrel.

They generally come in small, medium and large - which is a bit empirical but it only really matters when you know what you want to do with your beads. Medium sized holes tend to let small seed beads fall through....

[Lush!]

3/32 inch = 3 divided by 32 =  .09375 inches. To convert this to metric multiply by 25.4 which gives you 2.38mm.

Uh, yeah, see, I knew that 

[turnedlight]

I do it in mm, and then the imperial users have to work it out themselves!

[afina]

Just go to google.com and type in "3/32 in to mm" and hit the "search"-button. It then says: "(3/32) in = 2.38125 millimeters"
I couldn't convert it myself...

[Revontulet]

I think most people start out on the 3/32" (or 2.4mm), as they're easier to use than the thinner ones, but the hole is quite large for making jewellery. I now use mostly the 1.6mm (or 1/16") as I prefer the smaller hole for making jewellery.

[amber0307]

I think most people start out on the 3/32" (or 2.4mm), as they're easier to use than the thinner ones, but the hole is quite large for making jewellery. I now use mostly the 1.6mm (or 1/16") as I prefer the smaller hole for making jewellery.

And there was me thinking it was just me finding it wasier using the thicker mandrels for starting out!!

[turnedlight]

I also found it easier to get them off the bigger ones to start with, but now I use the thinner ones quite a bit, although if they're chunky and for threading on cord, I might use the bigger ones.