Engineering shop?

[Flying Torquewrench]

Does anybody know of a good and reliable engineering shop in the Redditch area? Quite happy to travel a few miles if required.

I am planning to build a little concrete crushing bucket for my digger. As a result I need to find somebody that has the capability to reduce the diameter of a 60mm round bar to 57mm round bar. The length will be around 700mm. In the end the round bar needs to fit into a 70mm tube with 6.3mm wall.

Over the last couple of weeks I have contacted most engineering firms in Redditch but none are willing to do the work. Ideally I need somebody who does it as a hobby at home. Whilst a lathe is on my ‘to buy list’, spending £4k just for one job might be a bit of an overkill.

 

[Banshee]

I don't know anywhere near us I'm afraid mate :doh

I'll have a word with Mick Merrel down at Earlswood Lakes scrapyard, he's an old school tinker, he might know someone local

 

[Flying Torquewrench]

Thanks Zac, much appreciated. :thumb2

 

[elty001]

I don't know anywhere near us I'm afraid mate :doh

I'll have a word with Mick Merrel down at Earlswood Lakes scrapyard, he's an old school tinker, he might know someone local

Pity Craig is up in Leeds as he would be able to sort it no problem.

 

[Flying Torquewrench]

It shouldn’t be too difficult to find somebody close to home. What really annoys me is that all the engineering firms around here say on their website ‘no job is to small’. Yet when you call them they say that the job is too small! :nenau

 

[Banshee]

It shouldn’t be too difficult to find somebody close to home. What really annoys me is that all the engineering firms around here say on their website ‘no job is to small’. Yet when you call them they say that the job is too small! :nenau

Wasters!!! If I had a £1 for every time I've heard that

 

[elty001]

It shouldn’t be too difficult to find somebody close to home. What really annoys me is that all the engineering firms around here say on their website ‘no job is to small’. Yet when you call them they say that the job is too small! :nenau

We suffer with the same at work.
When we are doing small batch or customer development we now use a retired machinists who has a small set up at home.

 

[Flying Torquewrench]

Supposedly that is what progress means. Most companies around here have computer controlled machines instead of an old mechanical lathe. Setting up the computer adds so much to the bill that the job becomes uneconomical.

Without wishing to cause offense to anybody, I do wonder if some of the more modern operators are out of touch with manual work. They are brilliant setting up a computer controlled machine but give them a 40 year old lathe and they have no idea. Obviously tarring everybody with the same brush here!

In my opinion this makes it difficult for a modern company to take on one off jobs. Not worth setting up a computer controlled machine for but also uneconomical to keep an old manual lathe and operator on the books for.

 

[solarman216]

If you are willing to post it to me my lathe can handle that, Rick

 

[Flying Torquewrench]

Thanks Rick, leave it with me. I have another lead locally but I can also see if the steel supplier can ship directly to you. Then it is only the return shipping I have to worry about.