Just got back from the exhibition. As exhibitions go it was OK, usual collection of model engineering clubs showing off their creations, some interesting rocketry, demos of indoor RC aircraft, and the usual suspects, Warco, Chester, Chronos, RDGTools, etc.

Picked up my box of tooling from RDG - weighed 20kg so saved that postage (OK it cost me £9.50 entrance).

But the main reason it was worth going was the result of an extended browse on one of those junk/secondhand stalls. Rummaging through I came across a 1.25" x 12tpi Whit die, and then a second one and finally a 1.25" x 12tpi Whit tap... and all for the princely sum of £15! 1.25" x 12tpi is the unusual size of the spindle nose on my 1924 lathe... so now i have the means of creating new chuck backplates for the lathe.

As soon as I got home I ran the tap, with some oil, through the thread on the faceplate to clean it up and now I can get the faceplate on the spindle :D:D:D:D

I am so pleased!

I was quote £60 to manufacture one (its sort of a non-standard size as a 1.25"BSW is 7tpi) so this trip to the exhibition well paid for itself :D