[ImanCarrot]

There must be someone else here that does Single Point Diamond Turning...

I spend all day in me lab all on me own. I think I'm on me own on these boards as well.. surely there must be someone else on the planet that does Diamond Machining?

ps: They let me out now and again for a glimpse of that big, round scary thing in the sky called oh.. erm.. oh! yea.. the sun... but I find it uncomfortable and scurry back to the comfort of my windowless, air conditioned lab hehe.

For those who don't know what it is:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diamond_turning

[bradodarb]

Very interesting, what does the swarf look like? All linear components float on air? That is one way to get rid of friction. Are you cutting optics?

I think people would like to see what one of your machines look like.

[ImanCarrot]

Yep, Optics in high index polymers for night vision goggles/ scopes for the chaps fighting in a very sandy place and optics in aluminium for stuff real, real far away- as in upwards (the swarf looks reall pretty like a big long string of shiny tinsel, at xmas I decorate my lab with it lol- sad aint it and infrared optics like Germanium and Zinc Sulphide and Zinc Selenide (though I dun like that cos it's toxic) for erm.. stuff *mumbles* not allowed to say.

Nearly time to go weeeeee! pub time almost! I get to interact with things other than my machine and PC hehe, gods, I feel like a prisoner in solitary lol.

Sorry for the rant :P

[Edit]Yep, both axes floating on air and indexed to 0.00001mm using laser interferometer optical encoders, spindle floating on air too and liquid cooled, but I also have a secret weapon... a small piece of wood that I touch when I press the big green button... the machine sometimes has a mind of its own lol[/Edit]

[Zumba]

but I also have a secret weapon... a small piece of wood that I touch when I press the big green button...

Hmm... so SPDT gets you THAT excited huh? Also, why so small? (nuts)



:rainfro:

[ImanCarrot]

ROFL! nooo... touch wood for luck lmao it's an ancient thing like when people were in the olden days they thought that gods and stuff lived in trees... so they would touch wood for good luck.

And I only got a small bit of it in case the machine sees it and gets nasty on me lol

[harryn]

Interesting work cutting optics. I have purchased polymer asph lenses made on diamond turned molds - not exactly the same thing, but hey, at least I help keep the optics guys in business.

[walter]

Ok, let's talk base. Typical boring granite or the super cool epoxy/granite?

:rainfro:

[Geof]

....for stuff real, real far away- as in upwards...

But at least you can impress the guys in the pub with how far your work goes. The upwardest I can manage is around 140,000 feet and then it fell back down.

[vger]

Not long ago I was looking into making telescope mirrors and found some info on single point diamond turning for makeing mirrors of aluminum. Sounded pretty simple untill I found what equipment was needed $$$$$$$$. Sounds like you may be using what I would have needed. After the diamond turning, the process turned to polishing and finished off with using India Ink to get the mirror surface. Interferometers have always facinated me, as has anything doing with LASERs. If you are ever looking for vibration problems, polytec has some really cool non contact laser dopler vibrometers. Keep turning, and keep looking up.
Steve

[NEATman]

ImanCarrot-
First, thanks for he help in finding the diamond tool a few months back, it helped us get a better surface finish on our air bearing spindle parts.

It's been a while since I ran a diamond turning lathe, and when I did, it was only when troubleshooting them on first startup. It's also been a while since I designed one - 9 years ago. I think I had asked you before about what brand you are running, an old Pneumo if I remember correctly?

I know what you mean about the "tinsel” chips. With a really light finish pass, I remember some of the chips would literally float around the room on the air currents. The other impressive feature was looking at the part in a Zygo interferometer, and realizing that the aspheric part was accurate to better than a 1/4 wave.

I've collected a pile of air bearing parts, and I have been toying with the idea of making a small diamond turning lathe or insanely accurate miniature mill at some point. I have (4) 20,000-rpm air bearing spindles, and an XY air bearing stage assembly. I have no real use for it other than it would be cool to have a working system. For now I'll have to settle for my "new" used Hardinge lathe.

NEATman

[ImanCarrot]

Heh, I get an optical finish straight off the lathe- no need for post polishing. We do our own optical coatings in house so turnround times is ok.

The base is an epoxt granite mix floating on four active air pads.

I used to build interrferometers for another uk company, but the trouble with these bits of kit is that apart from the laser there's nothing that wears out in them, so you kinda flood the market!

I also used to make optics by hand to a twentieth of a wavelength at 633nm, but the old guys that taught me this have all retired and I got no- one to pass the knowledge on to