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  1. #41
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Posts
    8082
    I would think that aerodynamic drag can have an influence on the support arms that the balls are attached to. Round carbon fiber rods are relatively stiff, very light weight, and are available for R/C foamy models. A symmetrical airfoil shape would exhibit less aerodynamic drag. K&S sells light weight airfoil shaped aluminum tubing that may work also. These won't be as stiff as Eric wants, but may still have some advantages to long term motion, especially in larger examples of this device.

    CarveOne
    CarveOne
    http://www.carveonecncwoodcraft.com

  2. #42
    This morning I setup the top plate in the vise, and set the DRO to the center of the plate. Then I drilled & bored the four .5000" dia. corner holes .

    Next I made a test run of .002" deep on the top of the plate, figuring that an error in my numbers would easily be removed by resurfacing the plate! When satisfied that my setup & numbers were good, I proceeded to mill all the pockets. The plate was sitting .015" off the top of the vise, so I had to use extra care not to mill into the cast iron vise!

    With the next set of numbers, I milled all the webs thinner, finishing the large milling operation on this part!

    While I was working, the UPS guy dropped off all my ordered parts and cutters, so now I can finish milling the larger radius on the edges of the bottom plate! All that needs to be done to the bottom plate is making a little counter bore in the center, so the bulls-eye level can be mounted.

    The little adjustable feet arrived as well, they need to have a .125" radius turned on the ends of the screws, to add a little softness to the protruding screw! That will be done in the lathe with a little fixture and a radius tool!

    Enough for one day!
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  3. #43
    I just wanted to say that I'm not ignoring all your suggestions, but as I have already committed to a design and it's difficult to make changes! I'm confident that my version of the "Newton's Cradle" will run long and smooth, and the new ideas and revisions will be considered for the next try! May be with bigger balls?

    I have removed the seals from the bearings, and washed off all the grease with mineral spirits. So that suggestion will be used in this model!

    So far I have dropped off the four posts at the plater for RED anodizing, and I think this thing will be stunning when sitting on the . . . . . .

    Wow, I need to make a strong table to support the weight!

    Eric
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Project Cost_2.JPG  

  4. #44
    Yesterday I worked mostly in CAD, as I needed to figure out a few fixtures for this project. But later in the day I drilled a hole through the base plate and counter bored the bottom side so the Bull's Eye level would be flush with the top surface.
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  5. #45
    This morning I setup the mill to hold the swing-arms, so that I could mill the over all length plus .025" for cleanup when I do the end radius's!

    With a little change to the setup, I held the plates on top of the vise, and milled the entire profile on one side using my 3" face mill. With all five plates finished, I changed the setup again, but this time I will be using my Starrett Hold-Downs to pull the plate down on the top of the vise. Now I had purchased both my Kurt vises used on eBay, and resurfaced both of them in my surface grinder so they were a matched pair! They were full of holes and gouges from the previous owners, but I only wanted them to be parallel and flat!

    After a few .050" deep passes with the face mill, I made one last pass .005" deep. Then I measured the plate and adjusted the mill. All the plates came out within .003" parallel on the .500" thick area. Not too bad for it's the final bore centers that are really critical to the alignment! So after all the milling is finished, I plan on doing the bores then end radius's last.

    Now If I only had someone to clean up my shop :drowning:
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  6. #46
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Posts
    152
    Outstanding thread! Thank you for sharing WidgetMaster.
    Devin

  7. #47
    Thanks Devin!

    This morning I started early on the swing-arms, first by making up a set of soft-jaws. With a stop installed on th vise, the part sits perfectly in the soft jaws. The stop is only touching a small portion of the part corner, because most of the material will be removed!

    With a marking pen, I inked up one corner on all five plates. This ensures the parts always use one side as the datum. Now I can set the DRO to zero on the center of the thick end of the plate. Then with a new 1/2" end mill, I removed all the material from the thick end of the plates. Leaving enough material on each side for the bearing bores.

    Next I drilled two under size holes, and connected them using another 1/2" 2-flute end mill. Then I moved over to the 2" dia. hole center location, and drilled a 1/2" hole. Then I used a 1 9/16" dia drill to expand it even more! Now with a boring head, I made the bore to 2.000".

    Now its time to drill & bore the two 1" dia holes. Then the .376" dia. hole. And lastly the large 2.500" dia hole. With a 3/8" end mill, I made the exit of the 2.500" dia hole perpendicular to the end of the plate.

    That's enough for one Saturday! I think I added another inch to the pile of chips
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  8. #48
    This afternoon I finished up the small fork by milling the outsides. Then I cleaned up the mill and setup the big angle plate for drilling & boring the bearing holes.

    To do this I used a tall stop, and positioned the tip of the stop on the upper bearing pad. Then I used an edge finder to locate the center of the pad, and drilled an under size hole. Flipping the part allowed me to get both pads drilled.

    Next I setup the boring head, and moved everything in position. This time I rigged up and indicator holder to the extra side hole of the boring head. This way I can easily check every bad on all five parts. My goal is to get three zero's on each pad, and set the DRO to X,Y Zero.

    Next I measured one of the bearings, and it was .5001" dia. So I bored all the holes to .5003" dia. This is taking into consideration the red anodize plating which will close the hole a few "Tenths". Now this setup assumes the pad ends are perpendicular to the plate's side edges. So I first checked them prior to removing the vise from the last setup. All the plate's pad ends were within less than .0003"

    I'm pleased with the results, as a precision linear rail which is .0006" smaller than the bearing passed through both bores without any alignment issues. So I can now move over an drill & ream the smaller holes.
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  9. #49
    Now I can start designing all the little fixtures which are needed to position the plates on the Rotary-Table, and hold the parts at 24.0781532°! Soon these swing arms will be ready for the red anodize plating


    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Angle_fixture.jpg  

  10. #50
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Posts
    4553

    Eric,

    Looking very good, be careful you don't have a domino incident.

    Jeff...
    Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.

  11. #51
    This morning I started working on some of the fixtures, first by making the one which puts the .25R on the fork ends. Then I made the one which holds the parts on an angle.
    After the fixtures were done, I realized I would need to use the angle fixture first, as the plates were too heavy to hang of the little radius fixture.

    The angle fixture is really simple, as all it needed was two gage pins and two sets of small straps. I had reamed a hole through the fixture for each pin, and wrapped some black electrical tape around the pins to keep them from falling through!

    With the part securely located on the fixture, I used the coordinates for all the radius tangents as a start and end point. Then with a 1/2" 2-flute end mill, I removed all the surplus material. The parts are very light now!

    Next I milled the small radius on all parts.
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  12. #52
    Today I worked on the top plate, first by strapping it to the mill's table, then by dialing it in parallel to the x-axis. Then I set the DRO to zero in the center of the part, and moved outward an equal distance to mill a .78" deep slot .375" wide. This slot will be for the bearings and pivot pins, to be drilled, tapped, reamed & c-bored for a .250" dia x 1.25" long stainless shoulder bolt.

    Next I put the BIG angle plate on the mill, and clamped the part to the front. This time I set the DRO to zero in the center of the plate, an equal distance from the .501" dia holes. The plate and part are so tall, that I had to hold each tool in a separate collet, as a drill chuck would not leave much room to work!

    All that is left is to put a .375" radius on all four corners, around the .501" dia holes.
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  13. #53
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Posts
    4553

    Eric,

    It sure looks awesome,

    Dreaming of the clack clack clack, clack clack clack....

    Cant wait for the "You Tube" video with Dolby Surround.

    Jeff...
    Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.

  14. #54
    Neither can I my friend !

  15. #55
    This morning I made up a quick setup to drill the .376" dia hole through all five of the center webs in the top plate. This was a bit tricky, as every cutting tool needed to be held differently in the spindle. Even then I could only get three webs deep! So after flipping the part, I had to recenter everything and do it all again!

    Next I finished up a quickie fixture to make a .375" radius on all four corners of the top plate. This went quick, and all that's left to do is de-burr the part and bring it to the plater.

    While at "Chem-Tek" the plater, I picked up and paid for the bottom plate and the four corner posts! OMG - they look fantastic
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  16. #56
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Posts
    2502
    That's going to be quite a work of art, Eric!

    Looking forward to seeing the finished "exhibition".

    Cheers,

    BW

  17. #57
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Posts
    152
    wow!

  18. #58
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Posts
    439
    Exceptional work as always!
    Can't wait to see it in action!

  19. #59
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Posts
    1468
    Absolutely awesome! a pure pleasure to watch it growing. Many thanks for sharing
    I love deadlines- I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.

  20. #60
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Posts
    1268
    Eric;
    You are one talented fella! Great work.
    Bill
    billyjack
    Helicopter def. = Bunch of spare parts flying in close formation! USAF 1974 ;>)

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