So I finally got round to finishing off this project by turning a wooden base for it. Now this is more familliar territory for me, and while I did this on my woodworking lathe, the techniques are the same on an engineering lathe equipped with a toolrest.
1st of all I got a chunk of oak that happened to be around my dad's workshop (that's where my woodturning lathe is residing), and that chunk of oak just happened to be quartersawn ( nice looking grain ).

I then marked it out with lines on the diagonals. This was because I was going to mount it on the faceplate, but then I realised that I had my external jaws on my 4jaw self-centering so I just gripped it with that.

I then turned a dovetail recess on what will become the underneath of the base. ( this was to match the dovetail jaws that I then mounted on the 4jaw ) then I removed the oak from the external jaws and bandsawed it into a rough circle. ( the only type of circle I can cut on a bandsaw

)

Then I mounted the dovetail jaws onto the 4jaw, and mounted the oak base onto them. Then I turned a recess to fit the ali base of my elmers#25.

I then turned a concave section, 2 flat bits and 2 tiny grooves.

Then I sanded it 120,220,230 and then 420grit, burnished it with 0000 wire wool (sourced locally from steel sheep

) Then I finished it with quick-drying friction polish, then I polished it up with some canuba ( I think that's how it's spelt

) wax.


These are the tools I used,


I find woodturning a very tactile experience, when I started to turn the base I didnt fully know what shape I was going to make, the wood sometimes just lends itself to a certain shape. The shape just flowed on this one.
Now all I've got to do is polish the engine up and take some final photo's.
Tim