Really, really NSR - machining metal

Any machinists in here? I have a little gizmo that I want to make as a sort of experiment, and I'm wondering if I have any prayer of doing this successfully w/ my limited skills and tools. Basically, I want to take a short rod of metal (say 6") that's about 1.75" in diameter, and then machine it so that there's a short region in the middle that is still 1.75", and then gradually taper it down to about 1.25" diameter at each end. It doesn't really need to be too precise for this trial run.

Any prayer of being able to accomplish that w/ a bench grinder? I'd like to use a steel of some sort, since it needs to have some heft to it. Should I just make a drawing and go to a machine shop instead?

That's easy for anyone with a lathe. Any machine shop should be able to do this no problem.

Probobly expensive, but emachineshop.com can do any kind of prototyping for you.

Yep, lathe. Someone would be able to knock that off in about 2 minutes. You will probably get it way too hot with a grinder.

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Originally Posted by RootSkier

Yep, lathe. Someone would be able to knock that off in about 2 minutes.

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Definitely. If you find someone you know at all who works in a shop they might even do it for free for you. If you need help doing up a drawing let me know.

Fourthed on the lathe. Easy with that but the grinder would take forever, not be uniform, and would heat it too much.

Guys do stuff like in prison all the time. Maybe you should post this over on Con Talk.

Machine shop it is! Thanks all.

(In other news, this is yet another example of why I need to get a place where I can put up a huge garage/shop)

check out your yellow pages - there should be a machinist in your location who'll do it.