Southampton Lathe

dansteely · Post by **dansteely** » Wed Mar 10, 2021 9:37 am

Hi all,

I'm looking for someone in Southampton with a metal working lathe that can reduce the external diameter of a small piece of aluminium tube by a couple of mm.

Any pointers or suggestions would be most welcome.

Many thanks

dewaltdisney · Post by **dewaltdisney** » Wed Mar 10, 2021 9:57 am

Seeing it is aluminum can you not use a drill and a chisel as a one off?

DWD

dansteely · Post by **dansteely** » Wed Mar 10, 2021 10:08 am

The aluminium tube is an optical adaptor for a microscope and is approximately 27mm dia and need reducing to 25mm.

The biggest drill chuck i have is 13mm so i guess not.

Also it needs to be done with some precision.

dewaltdisney · Post by **dewaltdisney** » Wed Mar 10, 2021 11:26 am

Okay, just have a look in Yell.com for local firms.

DWD

dansteely · Post by **dansteely** » Wed Mar 10, 2021 1:17 pm

Hi,

I've contacted 4 Southampton firms and had very similar conversations like:

'Do you have an account with us? If not you need to open one' (requiring bank and trading references)

'We have a minimum order value of £100.00 before VAT'

'Please send us a DWG (Autocad) drawing of what you require so we can quote you'

How about a PDF of a Sketchup drawing? 'Sorry no...'

That's why i'm trying to track down a chap with a small lathe in his garage...

dewaltdisney · Post by **dewaltdisney** » Wed Mar 10, 2021 1:24 pm

A chap who used to be regularly on here would I think help you out on a simple one-off job like this. He has lathes and is a skilled chap. I will email him and ask him if he can help you out. No guarantees, but I will ask.

DWD

Dave54 · Post by **Dave54** » Wed Mar 10, 2021 1:25 pm

Try the local model engineering club.
You can't really expect commercial firms to get excited about one off work that requires setup time etc. Most of the little places with manual lathes have long gone.

kellys_eye · Post by **kellys_eye** » Wed Mar 10, 2021 4:29 pm

Look for 'Men's sheds' organisations. These are retired blokes (possibly women too, who knows?) who run charitable 'sheds' (often in old buildings) that have a good selection of machinist tools for loan/use and also offer assistance in using them, if not actually do it for you. Not 'free' as such (that would be taking the pizz) but I'm sure they'd do it for a donation of something (used tools, cash even)?

fin · Post by **fin** » Wed Mar 10, 2021 5:30 pm

that sorta thing is reet up my mates street.

unfortunately his street is in south shields not southhampton

etaf · Post by **etaf** » Wed Mar 10, 2021 5:47 pm

could it be posted ?

unfortunately his street is in south shields not southhampton

dansteely · Post by **dansteely** » Wed Mar 10, 2021 7:51 pm

Our local Mens Shed is closed due to Covid.

Yes it's easily postable.

I need to look for local model engineering clubs..

dewaltdisney · Post by **dewaltdisney** » Thu Mar 11, 2021 10:11 am

I am sorry that my contact is unable to help you at this time. He has explained that this is not a simple job though. His advice is that the actual turning of the bit of aluminium would be quite a lengthy job not being as simple as it seems. A short tube can't be chucked and easily and quickly reduced in diameter because the jaws get in the way where they secure the tube so the tube then needs turning over endwise losing the setting; this will leave an offset ring ruining accuracy. It would involve chucking a length of steel bar stock to turn a very accurate mandrel with a location spigot the end being drilled and tapped to accept a washer and set screw in order to nip the tube then the tube could be fully turned in one go maintaining concentricity.

This is difficult for me to picture but I guess it might explain the reaction you have had from engineering firms.

Good luck with your search

DWD

ayjay · Post by **ayjay** » Thu Mar 11, 2021 11:11 am

https://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-25mm-Mu ... m/p/188252#

You'd need to check the exact diameter, most I've looked at are 25.4mm, and I wouldn't trust Wickes to be 100% accurate.

Grumps · Post by **Grumps** » Tue Mar 16, 2021 9:19 pm

dewaltdisney wrote: ↑Thu Mar 11, 2021 10:11 am I am sorry that my contact is unable to help you at this time. He has explained that this is not a simple job though. His advice is that the actual turning of the bit of aluminium would be quite a lengthy job not being as simple as it seems. A short tube can't be chucked and easily and quickly reduced in diameter because the jaws get in the way where they secure the tube so the tube then needs turning over endwise losing the setting; this will leave an offset ring ruining accuracy. It would involve chucking a length of steel bar stock to turn a very accurate mandrel with a location spigot the end being drilled and tapped to accept a washer and set screw in order to nip the tube then the tube could be fully turned in one go maintaining concentricity.

DWD

Late to the Party but I can relate to all of that. In essence, a length of Hex steel with part of such being turned down to the I/D of the tube. Then either tapped or threaded. As the material will already have been centre drilled to locate onto the Headstock, then I would be inclined to thread the end and use a couple of sacrificial washers to provide pressure on the material to be machined.

dansteely wrote: ↑Wed Mar 10, 2021 7:51 pm Our local Mens Shed is closed due to Covid.

Yes it's easily postable.

I need to look for local model engineering clubs..

Local Engineering Clubs, I know about. Mens' Sheds! I'd never heard of the them but, after some research, my interest is piqued.

In normal times I'd also suggest trying local Technical Colleges but, things ain't normal.

Another possible avenue is the Engineering Dept of a local Heritage Railway. Resulting in a Gift Aided donation. Your 'local' being the Isle of Wight Steam Railway.

https://iwsteamrailway.co.uk/heritage/

Do you possess any decent Waders?