Yeah, for a one-off it's easier to find someone with one.

If you are going to do stuff like this overall, i'd take a community college metalworking class. They are usually very cheap, and things like lathes/mills are very easy to learn. They often have ones you can use once you pass safety training.

Metalworking lathes, for simple things like this, are relatively safe. Definitely much safer than woodworking lathes.