On Wed, 27 Aug 2008 19:16:27 -0700, "Michael Koblic"
wrote:



Are there any other suggestions ("Buy a lathe!" does not count)?

The other thing that puzzles me (and please note that the nearest I have
been to a lathe is in the movies and picutres in books) is how do you start
turning something that is irregular in shape? Or even how do you turn a
round piece out of a square stock? Does it not do horrible things to the
cutting tool when it contacts only at the corners? Or is there a trick to
get the shape roughly round first somehow? I want to change the shape of the
brass cup but the initial attempt was somewhat discouraging.

Thanks for all your patience,
A file works quite well, although slowly. For even slower metal
removal, use various forms of scraper (think single tooth file). For
coarser work, use hammer and chisel. If you want power assist, use
various grinders.
Gerry :-)}
London, Canada