[TheForge] spinning with tool instead of mandrel?

[Bruce Freeman]

An idea just popped into my head, and I wonder whether it's feasible.

Normally, metal spinning is done against a wooden form.  But hos necessary
is that?

Imagine a metal lathe with a rolling wheel mounted on a cantilevered rod to
the cross slide.  This wheel sits at the center-line of the lathe,
vertically, and is on the chuck side of the cross slide.  The cantilever
should be kept to a minimum so the device is very rigid.  This replaces the
wooden form.  (The wheel may be flat or radiused or otherwise shaped,
depending upon the work to be done.)

Now affix your metal disk (here presumed to have a center hole) to the
chuck, and start spinning.  The tool could be constrained to work only at
the vertical centerline of the lathe to keep the forces located
appropriately.

Anyone heard of any setup like this?

The advantage I'm thinking is the possibility of completely flexible, or
even CNC-controlled, metal spinning.

-- 
Bruce
NJ