Help - Machining slim rod on the lathe

[Wongster]

Thank you all for chimming in.

Steve, the 100mm was because I started the trial piece with a 9.6mm dia aluminium rod which I have available. One end went into the jaws of the 4 jaw automatic chuck (or is it called scroll chuck?) and the other end on the revolving centre. I'll get hold of 4mm dia SS to ease the process. On the M2.5 he wants at the end of the 3mm dia section, they were on the off the shelves axle he bought. I don't know if it makes sense at all as I read that the tap drill for M2.5 is 2.05mm. With the threads cut, it does leave a very thin wall... I'll give him that feedback to see what he says.

Mayhem, what I can't get in my thick skull after I tried using the follower rest on the sherline a couple of years back is the setting of the "fingers" after a cut. The "fingers" will hit the shoulder created by the previous cut. If I do a series of cut, I'll have several steps around the thickness of the "fingers". I think I may be using the follower rest wrongly. Yet to take the follower rest for the Proxxon lathe out of its box except for photo taking when the lathe first arrived...

Regards,
Wong