Abstract: A cylindrical electroforming mandrel and method of fabricating and using same, the mandrel having a substantially cylindrical mandrel core having substantially parallel sides and at least one tapered end having curved sides which converge toward an apex, and a plated metal coating on the parallel sides and the tapered end, the profile of an axial cross section of the tapered end from the intersection between the curved sides and the parallel sides to about the apex having the shape of half an ellipse defined by the formula: ##EQU1## where: a=1/2 the length of the major axis of the ellipse and has a value between about 2.3b and about 1.7b,b=1/2 the height of the minor axis of the ellipse and has a value at least about 1,000 times greater than the thickness of said plated metal coating on said parallel sides, andx and y define a point lying along the outer surface of the ellipse measured from the center of the ellipse.

Abstract: A drum supporting hub having a tapered pot-like hub configuration comprising a bottom section and a rim, the rim comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced resilient fingers extending at a slight incline outwardly from the axis of the pot-like hub away from the bottom section, at least three of the fingers having lips at the ends of the fingers, the lips projecting away from the axis for engagement with an end of a cylindrical drum upon insertion of the pot-like hub into the drum, the rim other than the lips having an outside diameter slightly larger than the outside diameter of the bottom. The drum supporting hub is employed in a drum assembly comprising the hub, a cylindrical drum having a circular cross-section and a shaft positioned along the axis of the drum.