Return-Path: Received: from mtiwmhc12.worldnet.att.net ([204.127.131.116] verified) by logan.com (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 4.1.5) with ESMTP id 2626474 for flyrotary@lancaironline.net; Mon, 06 Oct 2003 19:41:58 -0400 Received: from unknown (161.birmingham-06-07rs.al.dial-access.att.net[12.86.90.161]) by mtiwmhc12.worldnet.att.net (mtiwmhc12) with SMTP id <20031006234148112007dfqke>; Mon, 6 Oct 2003 23:41:50 +0000 Message-ID: <002601c38c63$39dad700$a15a560c@unknown> From: "Michael D. Callahan" To: "Rotary motors in aircraft" References: Subject: Re: [FlyRotary] Re: Mill Drill and Lathe Date: Mon, 6 Oct 2003 18:40:24 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0023_01C38C39.4E3C3920" X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2800.1106 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1106 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0023_01C38C39.4E3C3920 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Message"I guess if you buy really old, unsupported machines, you have to = get two mills, and two lathes, so you can have one good machine to make = parts for the one that's broken :-)" Nope, you use the machine to replicate parts. That's the really = great part about this whole machine tool thing. If you have a lathe, it = can theoretically replicate itself. That is the reason the lathe is THE = most valuable machine in the shop, and the basis for all machine work = (the Gingery lathe that Rick C. mentioned creates itself in this way). = The FIRST machine tool was the lathe. All others came from there. Unofficially, the lathe was also the first horizontal milling = machine (using a milling attachment), until Browne&Sharpe made the first = dedicated horizontal mill in 1880 (yeah, I was surprized it was that = late, myself). The first vertical mills didn't appear until the early = 1900s. Milling operations prior to 1880 were done on lathes with milling = attachments, or with shapers; a reciprocating motion machine that used a = single point cutting tool like a lathe to flatten or shape a surface = (thus it's name). They also had planers for flattening large surfaces = and drill presses for boring work on large pieces. To make practically anything you can imagine, short of jet engine = parts, all you need is a lathe, mill, and shaper or shaper head for the = mill. The shaper's niche is that it can cut inside keyways and splines, = something that cannot be done with any other machine. It is also handy = for cuting unusual profiles as it uses the same square bits as a lathe. = You can just grind the desired profile into a lathe bit and go at it. It = is very slow, and you will have to sharpen the bit often, but it's LOTS = cheaper than making or buying a purpose-made rotary mill cutter, or = having that cutter sharpened. As for Clausing being unsupported, check out ebay. You can usually = find a huge number of parts for them there. Same for about any other old = domestic brand you can think of. Again, though, unless the part is = EXTREMELY complicated, you can probably make it yourself with a little = creative thinking for little or nothing. Machine tools open up a totally different world when it comes to = repairing things. You will often find yourself making a custom billet = metal replacement part for a crappy piece of plastic or badly porous = casting. It will look better, last longer, and you will have the = satisfaction of saying, "I carved that out of solid metal." An example = is the crappy plastic drawer brackets in my kitchen cabinets. They won't = break again. They are now made of billet 6061T-6!:-P Mike C. ------=_NextPart_000_0023_01C38C39.4E3C3920 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Message
"I guess if you buy = really old,=20 unsupported machines, you have to get two mills, and two lathes, so you = can have=20 one good machine to make parts for the one that's broken=20 :-)"
 
    Nope, you use the machine to = replicate=20 parts. That's the really great part about this whole machine tool thing. = If you=20 have a lathe, it can theoretically replicate itself. That is the reason = the=20 lathe is THE most valuable machine in the shop, and the basis for all = machine=20 work (the Gingery lathe that Rick C. mentioned creates itself in this = way). The=20 FIRST machine tool was the lathe. All others came from = there.
    Unofficially, the = lathe was also=20 the first horizontal milling machine (using a milling attachment), until = Browne&Sharpe made the first dedicated horizontal mill in 1880 = (yeah, I was=20 surprized it was that late, myself). The first vertical mills didn't = appear=20 until the early 1900s.
    Milling operations prior to 1880 = were done=20 on lathes with milling attachments, or with shapers; a reciprocating = motion=20 machine that used a single point cutting tool like a lathe to flatten or = shape a=20 surface (thus it's name). They also had planers for flattening large = surfaces=20 and drill presses for boring work on large pieces.
    To make practically anything you = can=20 imagine, short of jet engine parts, all you need is a lathe, mill, and = shaper or=20 shaper head for the mill.
    The shaper's niche is that = it can cut=20 inside keyways and splines, something that cannot be done with any other = machine. It is also handy for cuting unusual profiles as it uses the = same square=20 bits as a lathe. You can just grind the desired profile into a lathe bit = and go=20 at it. It is very slow, and you will have to sharpen the bit often, but = it's=20 LOTS cheaper than making or buying a purpose-made rotary mill cutter, or = having=20 that cutter sharpened.
    As for Clausing being = unsupported, check=20 out ebay. You can usually find a huge number of parts for them there. = Same for=20 about any other old domestic brand you can think of. Again, though, = unless the=20 part is EXTREMELY complicated, you can probably make it yourself with a = little=20 creative thinking for little or nothing.
    Machine tools open up a totally = different=20 world when it comes to repairing things. You will often find yourself = making a=20 custom billet metal replacement part for a crappy piece of plastic or = badly=20 porous casting. It will look better, last longer, and you will have = the=20 satisfaction of saying, "I carved that out of solid metal." An example = is the=20 crappy plastic drawer brackets in my kitchen cabinets. They won't break = again.=20 They are now made of billet 6061T-6!:-P Mike = C.
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