Recent content by Paul Hannaby

I have a lathe big enough to turn them if you're still looking for someone?

You could just use epoxy putty to fill the holes or put masking tape over one side and pour epoxy in the other side.

You might find someone who could build up the broken part with weld and re-machine it. Presumably it's held in the collar with a circlip or similar and the break along the groove where the circlip fits is why it is detached.

In which case, I suggest when you create a spigot on the end of your blank to hold in the chuck, you leave a shoulder that acts as a register against the top of the chuck jaws. i,e, the spigot that ends up in the chuck jaws is a smaller diameter than the rest of the blank. This way, if the work...

I'm assuming your problem was while the blank was mounted between centres? If so, using ring centres might make it easier to maintain alignment.

I think the are UNC as the imperial threads are aimed at the American market.

The east way to get a centre out if the thread protector isn't fitted is to use your four jaw chuck. Just clamp the jaws tight on the drive centre you are trying to remove and lock the spindle. The chuck gives you something substantial to get hold of to loosen the drive centre! :)

if the hole is around the thickness of your little finger (1/2"), it's MT1 and if it's around the thickness of your thumb (3/4"), it's MT2.

If you have plenty of time on your hands and the machinery to resurface any rusted/pitted parts, re-sleeve any rusted holes, recut bearings, rethread etc. etc. it could be seen as a challenge. To me it just looks like a waste of time as at the end of the day you would still have a lathe way...

End grain oak is going to let any liquid through so you would need to apply a finish that sealed the wood completely. That's why oak barrels have ends which are side grain!

The optimum speed for pen turning is around 6000-10000rpm but I haven't seen any woodturning lathes that do that! I used to have one that went up to 5000 but I got rid of it a long time ago. 3000rpm will allow you to turn a pen reasonably quickly, any less and you will just need to take more...

I have used the Honeywell Bionic visors for many years and replace them regularly as they only have a two year shelf life. This time round I bought some Bolle Sphere visors because they are high impact rated (EN166-A) rather than the medium impact rating (EN166-B) given to the Bionic visors. The...

I've got a bench grinder going cheap!

If it's hide glue, heat will soften it.

I wouldn't use stickers. The glue may be good now but how long will it remain stuck in place? I have a heated brand but rarely use it because I found it too much of a faff! On the things worth signing (I don't sign the cheaper stuff!) I have always used a fine permanent marker and with...