DIY Mandrel Drying Rack

For the longest time, I’ve been balancing my freshly dipped kiln formed bead mold mandrels on whatever is handy. Well, not anymore! If I had have realized how easy it was to make a drying rack, I would have done it ages ago!

To make your own mandrel drying rack you will need:

2 long bamboo skewers or dowels

piece of cardboard, longer than the skewers and at least 6″ wide

ruler

tape

Materials for mandrel drying rack

Step 1

All of the mandrels for our bead molds are 5″ long, so we are going to mark lines 4.75″ apart on the cardboard. I started by moving 1″ from the left side, making a mark, then moving over 4.75″ and making another mark.

Now do the same towards the bottom of the cardboard sheet.

Step 2

Tape the skewer onto the cardboard with a piece of tape at each end. Align with the marks on the cardboard.

And that’s it!

I know it seems ridiculous, but once you start dipping mandrels and have a dedicated place for them to dry, your life will be much easier. This rack will fit a couple dozen mandrels at a time.

Tips and Trouble Shooting:

If the gap is too small to slide pieces together, you’ll need to widen it with either a diamond file or a diamond bit on a dremel tool. Use plenty of water and wear a mask.
Make sure the feet are level, if your vase isn’t balancing, you may need to grind the feet larger and flatter
If your fiber paper doesn’t come out cleanly, add water and dig it out with a skewer or hooked wire.
Yes, the vase can hold water

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