Whether a run of pipe is required to be mandreled before an inspector will sign off, or you are looking for a relatively cheap way to help ensure that your pull will go off without a hitch, there are a limited number of options when it comes to actually acquiring a proofing mandrel. Oftentimes, you are forced to have a mandrel custom-made and then usually out of wood. Wooden mandrels present a couple of problems, first, they expand and contract with humidity. This could mean that the mandrel you bought mid-summer is badly out of spec by mid-winter - or sooner. Also, the expansion and contraction, not to mention the general abuse from being around a jobsite, can lead to a wooden mandrel being distorted or even split. Wooden mandrels will function perfectly well for a while, but if you are looking for a lasting investment in a cable installation tool, you will probably need to look somewhere else.

 

A second option can be found by turning to some of the industry's specialty tool manufacturers. There are a few out there that produce proofing mandrels but the pickings are slim. The material of choice for them is usually aluminum. This is certainly a solid solution to the expansion and contraction problem but an aluminum mandrel can still get beat up pretty badly without any extraordinary effort. From dents caused by a simple drop, to scars caused by being dragged over pieces of gravel or poorly reamed joints in a run of pipe, an aluminum mandrel will show it's battle-scars.

 

Our answer? Northend Rental manufactures a line of proofing mandrels, which, while maintaining comparable cost, offer features that address the major shortcomings found in other mandrels. All of our mandrels are machined from Ultra High Molecular Weight (UHMW) Nylon. Like aluminum, UHMW is not subject to changes in humidity. Unlike aluminum mandrels, if you drop one of ours – it bounces. 

Text Box: 80% Proofing Mandrels (NEMA)
 
·  80% mandrels are made of white UHMW nylon
·  Finished with a maximum ½” radius round-over
 
80% Proofing Mandrels (NEMA), Cable Eye, Light Duty
·  Eyes formed from 3/32” galvanized aircraft cable and 
irreversible aluminum ferrules
 
Part #
Conduit Size
Actual Size
Load Rating
Price
MAN-¾
¾”
0.61”d x 1.10”
 
$59.99
MAN-1
1”
0.77"d x 1.30"
 
$59.99
MAN-1¼
1¼”
1.00”d x 1.50”
 
$59.99
MAN-1½
1½”
1.20”d x 1.75”
 
$59.99
 
80% Proofing Mandrels (NEMA), Formed Eye
·  Zinc plated, formed steel lag-eyes
·  Failure occurs when the eye begins to straighten (The eye yields before it pulls out of the UHMW!)
 
Part #
Conduit Size
Actual Size
Load Rating
Price
MAN-2
2”
1.60”d x 2.10”
350 lbs.
$74.99
MAN-2½
2½”
2.00”d x 2.56”
350 lbs.
$84.99
MAN-3
3”
2.41”d x 2.96”
350 lbs.
$99.99
MAN-3½
3½”
2.77”d x 3.36”
350 lbs.
$124.99
MAN-4
4”
3.20”d x 3.76”
350 lbs.
$159.99
MAN-5
5”
4.00”d x 4.56”
750 lbs.
$194.99
MAN-6
6”
4.77”d x 5.36”
750 lbs.
$239.99
 
80% Proofing Mandrels (NEMA), Welded Eye (High Force)
·  Welded zinc plated, formed steel lag-eyes
·  Failure occurs when the eye begins to pull out of the UHMW
 
Part #
Conduit Size
Actual Size
Load Rating
Price
MAN-2-W
2”
1.60”d x 2.10”
2500 lbs.
$94.99
MAN-2½-W
2½”
2.00”d x 2.56”
2500 lbs.
$104.99
MAN-3-W
3”
2.41”d x 2.96”
2500 lbs.
$119.99
MAN-3½-W
3½”
2.77”d x 3.36”
2500 lbs.
$144.99
MAN-4-W
4”
3.20”d x 3.76”
2500 lbs.
$179.99
MAN-5-W
5”
4.00”d x 4.56”
5000 lbs.
$214.99
MAN-6-W
6”
4.77”d x 5.36”
5000 lbs.
$259.99
Text Box: Seattle City Light (SCL) Spec Proofing Mandrels
 
·  Mandrels meet SCL standard #U2-11.40/NDK-40 effective 6/11/2010
·  80% mandrels are made of black UHMW nylon
·  Finished with a maximum ½” radius round-over
 
SCL Spec Mandrels, Cable Eye, Light Duty
·  Eyes formed from 3/32” galvanized aircraft cable and 
irreversible aluminum ferrules
 
Part #
Conduit Size
Actual Size
Load Rating
Price
MAN-¾-SCL
¾”
0.62”d x 1.00”
 
$64.99
MAN-1-SCL
1”
0.78”d x 1.25”
 
$64.99
MAN-1¼-SCL
1¼”
1.00”d x 1.50”
 
$64.99
MAN-1½-SCL
1½”
1.25”d x 1.75”
 
$64.99
 
SCL Spec Proofing Mandrels, Formed Eye
·  Zinc plated, formed steel lag-eyes
·  Failure occurs when the eye begins to straighten (The eye yields before it pulls out of the UHMW!)
 
Part #
Conduit Size
Actual Size
Load Rating
Price
MAN-2-SCL
2”
1.62”d x 2.25”
350 lbs.
$94.99
MAN-2½-SCL
2½”
2.00”d x 2.75”
350 lbs.
$104.99
MAN-3-SCL
3”
2.50”d x 3.25”
350 lbs.
$119.99
MAN-3½-SCL
3½”
3.00”d x 3.75”
350 lbs.
$144.99
MAN-4-SCL
4”
3.50”d x 8.00”
350 lbs.
$249.99
MAN-5-SCL
5”
4.75”d x 12.00”
750 lbs.
$299.99
MAN-6-SCL
6”
5.50”d x 12.00”
750 lbs.
$379.99
 
SCL Spec Proofing Mandrels, Welded Eye (High Force)
·  Welded zinc plated, formed steel lag-eyes
·  Failure occurs when the eye begins to pull out of the UHMW
 
Part #
Conduit Size
Actual Size
Load Rating
Price
MAN-2-SCL-W
2”
1.62”d x 2.25”
2500 lbs.
$114.99
MAN-2½-SCL-W
2½”
2.00”d x 2.75”
2500 lbs.
$124.99
MAN-3-SCL-W
3”
2.50”d x 3.25”
2500 lbs.
$139.99
MAN-3½-SCL-W
3½”
3.00”d x 3.75”
2500 lbs.
$164.99
MAN-4-SCL-W
4”
3.50”d x 8.00”
2500 lbs.
$269.99
MAN-5-SCL-W
5”
4.75”d x 12.00”
5000 lbs.
$319.99
MAN-6-SCL-W
6”
5.50”d x 12.00”
5000 lbs.
$399.99
Text Box: Short Seattle City Light (SCL) Spec Proofing Mandrels
 
·  Mandrels meet SCL standard #U2-11.4.40/NDK-40 effective 6/6/2005
·  Variance typically required to use these mandrels!
·  SCL mandrels are made of black UHMW nylon
·  All mandrels have a maximum ½” radius round-over on edges
 
Short SCL Spec Proofing Mandrels, Formed Eye
·  Zinc plated, formed steel lag-eyes
·  Failure occurs when the eye begins to straighten (The eye yields before it pulls out of the UHMW!)  
 
Part #
Conduit Size
Actual Size
Load Rating
Price
MAN-4-SCL-S
4”
3.50”d x 4.25”
350 lbs.
$179.99
MAN-5-SCL-S
5”
4.75”d x 5.25”
750 lbs.
$214.99
MAN-6-SCL-S
6”
5.50”d x 6.25”
750 lbs.
$259.99
 
Short SCL Spec Proofing Mandrels, Welded Eye (High Force)
·  Welded zinc plated, formed steel lag-eyes
·  Failure occurs when the eye begins to pull out of the UHMW
 
Part #
Conduit Size
Actual Size
Load Rating
Price
MAN-4-SCL-S-W
4”
3.50”d x 4.25”
2500 lbs.
$199.99
MAN-5-SCL-S-W
5”
4.75”d x 5.25”
5000 lbs.
$234.99
MAN-6-SCL-S-W
6”
5.50”d x 6.25”
5000 lbs.
$279.99

 

Text Box:  Custom sized mandrels are available upon request.
 Load ratings for cable-eye mandrels are determined by the manufacturer of the aluminum ferrules used to create the cable-eyes.
 Load ratings for non-cable-eye mandrels are determined by repeated bench-top failure testing. Typically, one half of the lowest failure load is used.

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Proofing Mandrels