[sanddrag]

Not to derail the thread but it's a good discussion. When we make round parts, I almost always go with round stock, and no lathe operations. Our horizontal bandsaw has actually been holding +/- .005 lately. It takes me 3 minutes to cut a 3.5" round using a (too fine) 14 TPI blade. It's a snap (2 minutes) to machine some softjaws to hold it. And by using round that is just slightly larger than the finished part, I'm not paying for much bar stock I know will just be turned to chips, and I'm reducing machine cycle time because I don't have to machine away that extra stock. We pay between $1.89 and $3.69 per pound depending on the shape and supplier. Unless I need it same day, I'm usually paying around $2.00 per pound. The 12 foot bar I just bought of 6061-T6 3.5" dia round was $300, taxed and delivered to my shop floor.

Okay, now back to the pictures.