I turn long spindles for making flutes. ..Turnings are often a little over 30". I have a lathe steady but was wondering about making a mandrel which would have a threaded rod going through it that would basically sandwich my turning and support it more and help some with whip...I have turned down some pieces for both ends to fit these tubes and thought about using a 3/8" threaded rod to tie them together...The only problem is I have an older Craftsman lathe and cant drill/bore and so being real accurate may be a problem drilling the holes for the rods...Any help/ other ideas would be appreciated !!! Thanks Mike