Any woodworkers on the forum with a decent sized lathe?

[kaveman]

I need to have a 'tool' turned out of hardwood to help me install new bushings in my excavator. Excavator's out in California and once on-site in a month or two I'll have nothing more with me than what I can bring so I'm trying to cover bases and bring along an alignment/driving tool. Basically, if you have the ability to carve a baseball bat and a hardwood blank of some sort you can probably make me what I need.

The bushings themselves are 80mm ID(3.15") and I'm driving them through the stick which is at most 20" wide. So what I imagine is a two diameter wooden rod about 30" long with the minor diameter section 3"x20" and the major diameter of whatever is left at 4" or so. I can remove the 'old' right side bushing and use the rod to both align and drive the 'new' right side bushing using the 'old' left side as a guide and then remove the old and align and drive the 'new' left side bushing.
Rough idea of a sketch,...

 

[UNCLE HARLEY]

Check with your local high school metal shop. Bet they have just what you need.

 

[schmart]

I could make something right at 28", not sure my lathe would go quite to 30. I've got 3" thick oak runners that came from pallets and could use those and make something pretty quickly, but the large end would have flats on them. Don't know if I'd even have to turn that end, or just leave it rectangular. I could also laminate a block but that would be more work and time. How quick are you needing this made?

I'm in Lafayette if distance matters. PM me contact info if you are interested and we can discuss options and details.

 

[kaveman]

Thanks schmart. I appreciate the offer to help. Dimensions aren't too critical, especially the length. Anything 24" and up would probably be fine. I just drew up a three inch square and superimposed a three inch circle on it and that looks OK as well. Still leaves about 50% contact on the driving shoulder. Anything less than 3"x3" would leave is a little thin though. Any chance you can grab an accurate measurement and post it? I'll have a look around here and see what I have laying around. Have some nice oak but it's already shaped into table legs and not sure the dimensions work. I've also got some nice 30yr dry curly maple rifle blanks but they're only about 2" thick and I'd need to glue/pin/clamp them together to make something to work from. Shame as it's really too nice to use for something like this but I need it so I'll do whatever needs to be done.

Timing is still pretty open. I've probably got four weeks before I make the trip. I'm just over an hour north of you and would not mind at all coming down some day when you're free. It's been 35yrs but I've made that drive a hundred times,.....5yrs at Purdue. I'll bet things have changed since last I saw any of it.