There's Gotta Be A Way To Do This

There's Gotta Be A Way To Do This

It turns out that the 5.5" ID aluminum tube is just a little too small to accept the CI-700 equatorial mount head. How much too small? Close enough that the calipers claim that it will fit (although the accuracy of these calipers declines as they approach the end of their 6" range)--so this is hundredths of an inch too small, and partly because the tube isn't perfectly round.

This is too big to put on the lathe, so I can only hold it under the drill press with an end mill in it, and slowly turn the tube. I've done something like this before, but it sure is inelegant.

These are the times that I wish that I had a low accuracy lathe--something that if it turned parts to an accuracy of .05", that would be just fine.