I saw what you said and didn't disagree with it.As I said Richard. I've used small cutters in a 3-jaw and got away with it. I've even run an 18mm cutter that way, but only for aluminium. There just isn't the surface area to provide adequate grip with anything other than a collet chuck. Also, if you do try and tighten down too much you risk damaging the scroll.
Don't buy the genuine Myford vice. They are way over priced and very limited on capacity. I have one as it came with my slide but I've done some work on it to make it much more usable. Originally 36mm was all I could hold in it. I've milled it out to hold bigger stuff up to 45mm and machined a small step in the front of the jaws so I can hold flat bar towards the front. Obviously if doing this you need to clock it bang on or you'll machine the vice on the p##s making all future work on the p##s. It took some time tbh but I got it spot on.Ok thanks Seadog, Its good to see a pic, it puts it right in my mind. I think I will go for ER40 as that is what I was looking at anyway so this kills 2 birds etc.
Just have to find that L00 backplate and an ER40 chuck.
Oh and I still need a small vice.
I'm sure you can. I've not been machining long at all and my use with a lathe is really down to picking the brains of these knowledgeable chaps and putting it into practice. I do things on a small scale and most of my stuff is small 1 off fabrications. The lathe is rarely used at all but it's a tool I won't be without at it aids some of my fabrication work perfectly. Accuracy and quality are all I look for. My private work doesn't put bread on the table but it must be finished perfectly so speed isn't a factor for me (good job really as it's no production tool) but does produce lovely finished accurate work so it fits my bill.Richard, that looks great. If I can do something as good as that I will be happy.