On Tue, 12 Jan 2016 15:59:08 -0600, amdx wrote:


I have one of the Harbor Freight 7 x 10 lathes.
I have a bicycle seat post that I want to reduce the diameter by 0.025".
The spindle head is to small to accept the post, the bed is to short to
use the tail stock.
Any clever ideas how I could use this lathe to do the job. The post is
aluminum.
I took it to a machine shop, he laughed and said, "I've already spent
more time on this than the part is worth."

Mikek

You need a steady rest (Google "lathe steady rest"). For a one-shot
that doesn't sound at all critical, cutting aluminum, you can make one
out of plywood that will do the job.

You may find a plan or idea for one online, or maybe someone here can
tell you how to jury-rig one.

However, if the bed is too short to use the tailstock, it raises the
question of how long this thing is and how much of it you want to turn
down. A long, thin aluminum tube is going to present a deflection
problem, in which case you may have to rig a follow rest in addition
to the steady rest. You can look that one up, too.

--
Ed Huntress