On Feb 23, 7:54*pm, Karl Townsend
wrote:
I need to make a pin .25" long by .096" diameter with a 0.109 by 0.117
head. It needs to be hard so I'll make it out of a 7/64 drill bit, the
size of the head.

What's a clever way to hold this in the lathe? it would be hard to
make soft jaws go down this small. I'm thinking some sort of
collapsible bushing that I'd drill.

Karl

Seems simple for a smart guy like Karl so I must be missing something
but here goes anywar: I would make it like this

Chuck up a piece of 0.25 drill rod (O-1) in the late 3 jaw chuck with
1/2 inch extending out

Cut the diameter to 0.109 by 0.357 long

Cut down to 0.096 by 0.25 long

It is going to spring a little so use light cuts to finsh it off

Part it off

Heat treat by placing it on an SS plate and heat from the bottom

I made several pins this way with even smaller diameters