Cheers chaps, keep up the encouragement.... it's needed just now...
Spigots of Death - Part 1I need 3 spigots, one per pipe, so that the flexi hose to the oil pump can be fixed on. This means lathe work... In my defence, the lathe is much newer to me than the milling machine, and I've had a lot less practice on it. Which probably explains why I now have 2 scrap spigots & no good ones... and I'm rapidly wearing my 1" ali stock down...
Here's the two attempts:

Attempt #1, incongruously, is the one on the right that looks just fine. OK, the shoulder end of the thread is a bit messy, but that side is basically OK. The thread was cut with a mixture of single pointing & then a die. As it transpires, I had my metric threading tool in the toolpost, so it didn't cut a particularly good BSF thread... Switched to the imperial cutter tonight and that did better.... except I cut the threads too deep. So, when I drilled out the centre, the last drill just ate the threaded end. Doh!

Looking from this side, you can see the problem with the "good" spigot - I've badly over-cut the spigot wall, so there's nearly no meat left. Certainly not enough to clamp a hose to. It makes for a
really light part, though! Wall thickness on the other one is better. All it needed was a chamfered end, and it'd have been bob on.

I cut the spigot end (on both parts) using a parting tool: I'm sure that's a Really Bad Idea, but I can't think of a better way to cut between the shoulder and the 4-jaw chuck. Won't be a problem after tomorrow, I've got a tasty new ER32 collect chuck + some collets arriving

so I'll finally be able to turn stuff around without having to spend 1/2 hour dialling it back in. I just hope it sticks out past the 4-jaw, so I don't have to take that off... 'cos that would be a right arse ache.
So..... a disappointing evening on the lathe. But fear not.... I will not be beaten.... Part 2 tomorrow (hopefully).