I need to prototype bushings for my shift knobs in order to expand which vehicles they can fit. Sticking with the Porsche crowd, I need to make a bushing that can adapt to the shift boots of later models ala the 924/944/968..... I really don't want to ask my client that makes produces the other bushings in quantity to do one offs. They are busy with military and commercial aerospace contracts. Since I have a lathe, I figured, why can't I freehand the prototypes. After being told by a few people that this could not be done, I went ahead and bought a used boring bar with one end having a 45* removable cutter and the other end having a removable 90* cutter. I took an old wood turning handle that I had made, but never used, bored a hole on it and shoved one end of the bar in.....
First project was to thin some aluminum tubing for another project....
Second project was to make the proto bushing. I did not have to bore the hole in this one.
Done! Some chatter in the groove, since I used a parting tool designed for wood to cut it. I have to buy a couple more metal tips to adapt.
The above is good enough to go ahead and create an integrated shift boot to test with. I may actually have to have my client machine the correct hole in it to test fit to shifters - afterthought....
All in all, you can turn soft metal on a wood lathe, freehand!