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Could you not knock the corners off one of those many rectangular blocks of nice steel that you have and turn that round? May be quicker then all those light cuts and then finding that you can't cut a nice taper in the bore due to tool deflecting off the hard metal.
I still am working on that bit of hard stuff. It needs shallow cuts to get any sort of surface and to prevent it work hardening. I cannot see any other use for it other than the bin. I knew it was a horrible bit under its protective coating, other than the way the coating developed, the clue is the coloured marking on its end Jo
I understand Graham had sets of the Chuk No 1 castings available (like the Plank engine) not the inverted no 2 engine, which we also don't have