Sources for metric tapered pin?

[Dave Sawdon 1Participant @davesawdon1]

A need to replace a metric tapered pin but can't find a source – any suggestions?
The original pin had diameters of 3.5 and 4.0 mm and length of about 25mm.

[Dave Sawdon 1Participant @davesawdon1]

[DaggersParticipant @daggers]

Recently purchased some 3mmx60mm long pins from ebay, they came from Zoro tools UK and are available for £3 for 5 incl post. Zoro are also online.

[Dave Sawdon 1Participant @davesawdon1]

Many thanks! Once I searched for "3×60" several hits appeared. Interestingly, buying 5 from the Zoro website would have cost £1.60+£4.99 delivery, but buying from Zoro on eBay was £2.60 with postage included … unusual to be that way around.

[Clive FosterParticipant @clivefoster55965]

Dave

When ordering small quantities from Zoro the E-Bay listings are almost invariably lower price than the main site.

So its always worth checking.

Sometimes you find vastly better deals too. As evidenced by a recent thread about vices.

Clive

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

If you only want 1 why not make one?

[Dave Sawdon 1Participant @davesawdon1]

Because I don't have a working lathe until I have one and also because I'm a relative newbie and also do not yet have a steady … I know, "make one", which I may well do if I can't find a Myford 254 steady at a sensible price

[Pete RimmerParticipant @peterimmer30576]

Posted by Dave Sawdon 1 on 07/11/2022 17:54:48:

Because I don't have a working lathe until I have one and also because I'm a relative newbie and also do not yet have a steady … I know, "make one", which I may well do if I can't find a Myford 254 steady at a sensible price

Knock a roll pin into the hole and use the lathe to make a tapered pin.

BTW you don't need a steady to make a 25mm long 3.5mm thick pin.

[Dave WoottonParticipant @davewootton]

Bit off topic in a way, but i couldn't find a steady for my 254+ at anything like a reasonable price ( at the time one made £277 on ebay, and a dealer wanted £350 plus VAT) I made the Hemingway kit originally supplied by and designed by MES. Not a difficult project and it has very useful extra capacity over the makers one.

Back on topic I've bought metric tapers pins from Zoro , sent in a huge bag with ten little pins hiding in the bottom.

Dave

[Dave Sawdon 1Participant @davesawdon1]

Rather than buying a suitable roll pin to make a tapered pin it seemed simpler to just buy the tapered pin and miss-out a step . Thanks to "daggers" sorting-out my google-fu it (and 4 friends) should arrive in the next day or two.

Previous attempts at turning small pins on my (recently sold) Holbrook were not always successful, and certainly not without a steady. AFAICT the tool height and sharpness were OK, but the material was an unknown (salvaged) steel so that may have been the problem.

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

A bit like Dave W, I got a steady off an anonymous 5" lathe and modified it with a block of cast iron. My travelling steady is off an ML7 with a riser block. I'll post some photos if any interest

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Posted by Dave Sawdon 1 on 07/11/2022 18:31:06:

Previous attempts at turning small pins on my (recently sold) Holbrook were not always successful, and certainly not without a steady. AFAICT the tool height and sharpness were OK, but the material was an unknown (salvaged) steel so that may have been the problem.

I'm finding it hard to imagine how a steady would help be it fixed or traveling?

Fixed steady would offer no support as you would want 25mm sticking out so may as well just have it sticking out of a chuck or collet.

Traveling steady won't work with a tapered workpiece.

If you do want support then 3.5mm is plenty large enough to drill with a ctr drill and use the tailstock with a centre as support.

[not done it yetParticipant @notdoneityet]

Posted by bernard towers on 07/11/2022 17:03:15:

If you only want 1 why not make one?

If making one, it takes s fair amount of time/effort to set things up. Making at least a spare, and possibly more, at the same settings is very much more efficient.

I make them with a piece of rod supported by a centre from the tailstock. Uses up a bit more metal, but if only making a very few (like one and a spare) it really makes little odds.

Certainly simpler to buy in, mind, but those I have made have usually been for home projects and not a standard size which would be ‘on stock’.

[Dave Sawdon 1Participant @davesawdon1]

Posted by JasonB on 07/11/2022 18:41:43:

Posted by Dave Sawdon 1 on 07/11/2022 18:31:06:

Previous attempts at turning small pins on my (recently sold) Holbrook were not always successful, and certainly not without a steady. AFAICT the tool height and sharpness were OK, but the material was an unknown (salvaged) steel so that may have been the problem.

I'm finding it hard to imagine how a steady would help be it fixed or traveling?

Yes, that's fair. The previous attempts were longer and narrower parallel pins, so not a reasonable comparison. Inexperience and doing small work on a big machine didn't help, either.

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