"Turning" without a lathe?

[Tony Sade]

I need to reduce the size of a vise handle by a smidge. I don't have a lathe and I don't have any turning tools. Given how little I have to take off, I could probably get by with sandpaper, but I still need to figure a way to spin this thing. I was thinking of a drill press, but I can't figure out how to make the equivalent of what I think is called a live center-so the dowel actually spins instead of stopping when any pressure is applied. I'm sure I've seen something in one of the wood mags, but I can't remember where or when. (Song, right?)

Any suggestion? TIA,

[Jeff Sudmeier]

In your case, if you truely only have a real little bit to take off, I would probably use the ROS to take it off.

[Bruce Shiverdecker]

You could use a SPADE BIT as a live center, just remember to set the DP on it's slowest speed. You will also need something for it to spin on on the bottom.

Bruce

[Bruce Shiverdecker]

OOPS........ Didn't see it post the first time.

Sorry, Bruce :rolleyes:

[Norman Hitt]

Tony, if you have quite a bit to take off it might be worth throwing together a jig and using a router, but if not , drill a hole in the center of each end, and screw in a lag bolt, and chuck one of the lag bolts in the drill press and place the other lag bolt through a predrilled hole in a scrap block that is clamped to the DP table to hold the bottom and keep it from wobbling when side pressure is applied to the handle by the sand paper. Set the DP at a medium-low speed, turn on the DP and use a strip of sand paper to sand away. Good Luck