The same thing can be done with a 1" diameter x 48" long wooden dowel that you buy at the local hardware store. I been aligning rings with this for years. Not a big deal, really!!!!!
yeah, it will work--but i've turned a lot of rings with wooden dowels, and the 20 footpounds of torque needed to turn said rings always results in wood compression. with that in mind, the ultimate end is that the rings may not be "squared" at exactly 90 degrees to the axis of the bore, and unless you employ some means to accurately check and verify that, you're potentially settling for less than perfect. compounding this situation is the fact that if you find a straight 4 foot dowel, tomorrow it will likely be warped...
but perhaps this may better illustrate:
160 years ago alot of hardy folks made their way across this country in praire schooners drawn by oxen, and the trip took 4-6 months. a drawn out, difficult trip.
47 years ago my brother crossed the country in an old ford, and it took him 5 days. according to him, it was a nice trip, spiced up with stopping for a few panoramic pics.
two weeks ago my son crossed the same distance in a commercial airliner, and the trip took about 7 hours--pretty effortless...
for certain all three of these means "got 'er done".
why travel in a wagon when you don't have to, especially when there's more efficient means readily available...
