[Noisebridge-discuss] Help with mini lathe, please!

[Andy Isaacson]

On Wed, Jun 01, 2011 at 07:50:52PM +0000, Roque Lopez wrote:
> I am very, very new to noisebridge. My first encounter: maker faire,
> second: a great soldering workshop with Mitch Altman, last saturday..
> so I am looking forward to get more and more involved... however, for
> the moment, I need help from someone who knows how to operate the mini
> lathe.
>
> My issue: I totally under estimated how difficult it would be to find
> metric bolts locally. Specifically I need three eye bolts (or similar
> lifting device)... metric thread M4x0.7... 8 to 12 mm length. I need
> to get ahold of them by Friday, at the very latest. After looking
> online and calling many hardware stores, I cannot get these bolts in
> such short notice Then I remembered that at noisebridge there is a
> mini-lathe. I used to know how to operate a lathe back in college, so
> I could give it a shot myself... but then again, I need some steel, I
> guess. 
>
> Or maybe there is an easier solution, if there is a bunch of bolts
> somewhere at noisebridge, I could dive to see if I can find something
> useful... 

Harrison & Bonini should have those.  If not, McMaster definitely does
(and delivers to SF business addresses via California Overnight for less
than $10).

We have M3 and M6 at Noisebridge in the dirty shop, but I'm pretty sure
we don't have M4.

Cutting your own M4 is a very ambitious first project on a new lathe.

Wait, did you say you need a M4 eyebolt?  That's a very unusual part
AFAICS.  You'll probably have to cobble together something with an
eye-nut, I'm afraid.  And I see today is your deadline. :(

-andy