[widgitmaster]

Well, I got bored doing production in my little shop, so I decided its time for a little fun

For starters, I have acquired two chunks of 303 Stainless! They are 5" dia and 3 1/4" long! So I setup my little horizontal band saw, and cut the bar stock into cubes around 3 1/8 x 3 1/8 x 3 1/8. Then I used my face mill to rough them down to around 3.010" cubed. Lastly, I put new carbide inserts into my face mill, and took one final pass on all six sides leaving a nice smooth, flat, parallel, perpendicular, and square cube! Then I drilled a 1/2" hole to the center o the cubes from all six sides.

Widgit

[widgitmaster]

Now I need to make a fixture plate that mounts on my lathe's spindle, to do that I will use the back plate with D1-4 cam lock studs from my 3-jaw chuck!

I found a nice block of aluminum in my scrap pile, and machined one surface flat and counter-bored it to fit snuggly on the backplate. Then I transferred the three holes from the backplate to the aluminum block, and drilled & tapped them for 1/4-20 UNC around 3/4" deep.

After fastening the block to the faceplate and to the lathe's spindle, I turned the OD and face true. Then I removed the block from the faceplate, and put it in my Mill's vise, I had to remove one of the jaws to get it to fit!

Then with a 1/2" 2-flute end mill, I machined a square pocket in the center of the block around 1/8" deep. In order for the cubes to fit in this nest, I had to go and extra 1/4" past each corner with the end mill.

Now the cubes fit snuggly in the center of the block!

Widgit

[widgitmaster]

Then with a drill chuck, I drilled 4 holes in the block and tapped them for 1/4-20 UNC around 3/4" deep. Now I need to make some custom straps to hold the cube on the corners where it will be strongest as I remove material with the lathe.

The clamps are 1"x1"x3" aluminum, with a .290 dia hole down the center of the long side. Next I milled a step in the end and in the side of each clamp, so it will hook on to the cubes!

Widgit

[widgitmaster]

It's been a good day, I have made the fixture and its clamps, and spent a few hours running the lathe! So far I have finished 3 of 6 sides in one of the cubes!

I can't wait to finish these, as I have always wanted to make one for myself! They look so cool!

Tomorrow I will finish up the lathe work, and spend a day deburring and polishing!

Widgit

[Geof]

FUN????? Your idea of fun is one h*** of a lot of work. But I guess you are correct, it is fun when you don't have to do it and are just doing it for the satisfaction of making something neat.

Some day I plan on making one but I think I will cheat in my lazy old age and program a CNC to do it.

[BobWarfield]

Something strangely hypnotic about those cubes. Even one that's spoiled. I have one I started but spoiled a while back. I should get going on another.

Do you plan on making 2, or is the extra cube for insurance?

They're even fun to draw in a CAD program:



Geof, if you're going to cheat with CNC, you need to make a whole series with different things inside. Perhaps one for each suit of cards or some such:



I've seen some odd things come out of lathes:



Cheers,

BW

[Mcgyver]

Eric, those look great, bet you could sell them.

I'd always thought a turners cube, as the English apprentices were taught, had undercuts so that the cubes separated, cube inside a cube that can't come out. Lautard in one of his books walks through how. here's a three cube one i made years ago, its 1" sq. Lot of fun just having it sit on the desk because all the non technical people would pick it up and hurt their brains trying to figure it out. lol. its the machinist's equivalent of worry beads so the edges have long since been rounded.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...urnerscube.jpg

[Geof]

Very nice job Eric.

But I think it is toss up between the finished cube and the elegant fixturing you built to machine it; both are an impressive example of craftsmanship.

[widgitmaster]

Very nice job Eric.

But I think it is toss up between the finished cube and the elegant fixturing you built to machine it; both are an impressive example of craftsmanship.

Thanks Geof!
I have been thinking of making some cubes out of plastic, or aluminum just so I don't have to toss the fixture in the scrap pile
It was surprisingly rigid, and the lathe was able to repeat nicely!

Widgit

[Geof]

Thanks Geof!
I have been thinking of making some cubes out of plastic, or aluminum just so I don't have to toss the fixture in the scrap pile
It was surprisingly rigid, and the lathe was able to repeat nicely!

Widgit

Plastic!!! Cast Acrylic.

Make them in cast acrylic, polish all the surfaces optically clear and they would look fantastic. Especially if you illuminated them correctly, you would get a prismatic effect in all directions.

See if you can locate a supplier for blocks of cast acrylic and how much it would cost, I will cover the material cost if it is not too horrendous in exchange for you making me one.


P.S. Never, ever toss a fixture in the scrap...that guarantees you will need it the day after you tossed it.

[widgitmaster]

Plastic!!! Cast Acrylic.

Make them in cast acrylic, polish all the surfaces optically clear and they would look fantastic. Especially if you illuminated them correctly, you would get a prismatic effect in all directions.

See if you can locate a supplier for blocks of cast acrylic and how much it would cost, I will cover the material cost if it is not too horrendous in exchange for you making me one.


P.S. Never, ever toss a fixture in the scrap...that guarantees you will need it the day after you tossed it.

Now that's a done deal!
As I have already ordered an 8" dia x 7" long piece off eBay!

Two plastic cubes are in the works

Widgit

[Hennessy]

unless i am seeing things wrong ..... i would set the block upright in a small grinding vice.... use a v block to bring an edge to the top... then mount the grinding vice in my mill vice at a 45.... i may be missing some thing tho ... i am at work and am in a bit of a hurry

dam see what i get for being in a hurry ... i get to be wrong ... i got a chance to draw it up at lunch.... cool blocks

[widgitmaster]

unless i am seeing things wrong ..... i would set the block upright in a small grinding vice.... use a v block to bring an edge to the top... then mount the grinding vice in my mill vice at a 45.... i may be missing some thing tho ... i am at work and am in a bit of a hurry

dam see what i get for being in a hurry ... i get to be wrong ... i got a chance to draw it up at lunch.... cool blocks

Not everyone can afford a nice Grinding Vise big enough to hold a 3" cube!
With all the tools and machinery I own, even I don't have one!

So off to the V-Block and Sine plate it is!

Widgit

[widgitmaster]

Two Turner's Cubes made from 303-SS

Widgit

[Shotout]

Two Turner's Cubes made from 303-SS

Widgit

This is really nice work. Kudos on the effort and skill to turn out such an interesting project. Looking forward to seeing the acrylic cubes.

[widgitmaster]

The Cast Acrylic bar arrived today, it is 8" dia x 7.9 long.
With a little luck I should be able to make 4 cubes out of it!

Widgit

[Hennessy]

Not everyone can afford a nice Grinding Vise big enough to hold a 3" cube!
With all the tools and machinery I own, even I don't have one!

So off to the V-Block and Sine plate it is!

Widgit

ya it was one of those things i really needed for one job. used it on a few things but it just sits in the cabinet most of the time.... not exactly a tool u need to have in a shop but its nice.

looking at your setup i feal like i cheated... i made mine on a vf2.
whin i get home i will see if i can find the pix of mine. i made one part run with circles and one with ellipses.

Hennessy

[widgitmaster]

A little disappointed, but the project must go on!
Those little sapphire vee-jeweled bearings I had ordered arrived yesterday, and they are too delicate to support the massive weight of the stainless steel cube (1lb 5.4oz) I would estimate a SS cube of 1"x1"x1" would be the limit for something so delicate.

So as an alternative solution to keep the cube spinning, I have ordered 4 small double sealed bearings. To use them I need to make some little posts to fit into the bearings, and press into the points of the cube!
The bearings have an OD of .250" dia, an ID of .125" dia, and a height of .1094" Here are some sketches of what I had in mind

Widgit

[Geof]

A little disappointed, but the project must go on!..... To use them I need to make some little posts to fit into the bearings, and press into the points of the cube!
The bearings have an OD of .250" dia, an ID of .125" dia, and a height of .1094" Here are some sketches of what I had in mind

Widgit

Read my suggestion a few posts up, I don't think you need to do anything; just put the corner in the bearing.

[NEATman]

Widgetmaster-
How about making the cubes from Steel and Nickel plating (or magnetic stainless) them and having a rare earth magnet in the top and bottom of the frame, and letting the corners of the cube be the bearing points? Easy to remove, and you could put it back in any orientation.
Here's a great source for rare earth magnets:
www.kjmagnetics.com (no affiliation except I've bought dozens of magnets from them)

NEATman