Why does every job in this hobby end up needing three others doing before you can start!

I have reached the stage in my clock project where I need to machine the winding drums. They are 42mm OD and 85mm long. I have sourced some steel pipe 42mm OD with 4mm wall. Now I just need to machine it on my little Taig lathe.

I do have a couple of live centres, the standard Taig one (1/4″ diameter), and a couple of Chinese ones based on a bearing carrier that can be held in the tailstock drill chuck – on the right below. But nothing that is going to help with the pipe.

So after a bit of work I now have a basic pipe centre that should do, and what feels like several miles of aluminium string.

Then I realise that the fixed steady  for the Taig has a maximum capacity of 11/2″ (38mm) – so now before I can actually start the real job I need to decide whether to make a bigger fixed steady (will I ever use it again), or possibly an expanding plug I can put in the end of the tube to support it while I face the tubes to length. Three drums and six ends to do!