David Billington wrote:
I have been asked if I can make some items that use a steel rod tapering
from 1/4" down to 3/32" over about 7". All I can think of at the moment
is to try and turn it but using a special tailstock centre to allow it
to be placed in tension and offset the tailstock to set the taper as
normal. The taper doesn't have to be accurate, it could be slightly
barreled, but does need to be smooth. Any body have any better ideas.

Turning it will be a real bitch because you have so much deflection and
you cannot turn it too fast. If you could figure out a way to grind it
on a simple bench grinder you may have more luck. I'm thinking of
something similar to a centerless grinder only with one wheel, the
standard rest supporting the bar, and a fixed stop clamped to the rest
to take the thrust from the grinding wheel. You would have to spin the
rod has you feed it across the wheel. Maybe you could use a slow hand
drill to spin the rod. Now the only thing you need to figure out is how
to get it tapered. I'm thinking that if you had a tapered wedge, maybe
plastic, that was the full length of the bar, and inserted between the
rod and the fixed clamp on the rest, you could feed it with the bar to
increase the grinding depth and generate a taper. Maybe you could slide
a big washer over the bar until it bottom on the hand drill chuck. The
plastic wedge would bottom on the washer and push the wedge along with
the bar while the bar is spinning. Yeah, I know its real hokey but its a
start.