The madness needs to stop...how about a GROUP PROJECT?

Shotgun said:
(5) I have a Wrong-Fu round column mill, an Atlast 12x36, and the fixture and homemade hob to make the the worm gear.

It's kind of backwards, but if we could work up a drawing around this gear, then I have the material on hand to make ten sets of gear, worm, and shaft. I'd ship it to ten people that would commit to making a tenth of the parts of a dividing head, and shipping their parts to me.
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No, not backwards....I think you're right on with that idea. I was assuming people would sign up for parts within their personal work envelope, but it may be to the point where they are given prints based on their available equipment. THOUGH I for one may have more equipment than I can work with 80% or more ability.
 
GunsOfNavarone said:
I was hoping something organized like this...

1) GunsOfNavarone 1st choice Dividing Head, 2nd Oil Can
2) Joe065 (Doug Gray) I'd love to help with CAD work as needed
3) I have a lathe with 0.0001 run out so I can make some precision parts and make round stuff
4) erichkeane I have a big lathe, a surface grinder, and a huge shaper, so big and/or flat is my specialty :) Up for any project, though the dividing head seems fun!
5) ttabbal. PM1127 lathe and Bridgeport mill. I'm up for whatever. We have someone willing to provide us with the gears, so perhaps the dividing head is a good idea. It's one part I can't make at the moment.
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@Erichikeane, Joe065 and Shotgun seem to be on the same page. The owner of the metric plans gives individuals permission to use his plans, where do we stand as a group? Should we ask his permission to have @Joe065, and others convert them to imperial? His plans have something we need first, a bill of material. Rough count is 40 +/_ parts includes some duplicates. The plates with the indexing holes may be a real challenge.

I have a dividing head underway with a 40:1 worm gear supported on Timken bearings and some parts made so am reluctant to start over. I would be interested in making a small part if you run short of machinists however.

It is horn blowing time! I also have some tools capable of working on a project of this nature. Not sure if the local salvage yard has anything but A36 in new stock. Next supplier is 140 miles round trip.

Have a god day
Ray (rock breaker)
 
rock_breaker said:
@Erichikeane, Joe065 and Shotgun seem to be on the same page. The owner of the metric plans gives individuals permission to use his plans, where do we stand as a group? Should we ask his permission to have @Joe065, and others convert them to imperial? His plans have something we need first, a bill of material. Rough count is 40 +/_ parts includes some duplicates. The plates with the indexing holes may be a real challenge.

I have a dividing head underway with a 40:1 worm gear supported on Timken bearings and some parts made so am reluctant to start over. I would be interested in making a small part if you run short of machinists however.

It is horn blowing time! I also have some tools capable of working on a project of this nature. Not sure if the local salvage yard has anything but A36 in new stock. Next supplier is 140 miles round trip.

Have a god day
Ray (rock breaker)
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Dividing plates are actually not a problem. Time consuming as all heck, but not a problem. I already have a rotary table for my mill (plus a DRO!), so I could likely do it with either. Presumably a number of others could as well.
 
Too late for another project suggestion??
I didn't think so....

How about a belt sander setup sans motor??
I could use one of those for sure and I'll bet a lot of others could as well.
 
I've been following along. I don't want to participate in the fab process at this time, however I have a couple of ideas to throw into the pot.

My thinking is that all participants should end up with a complete device. Availability coordination and shipping of something as large as a BS 2 indexing head would be obnoxious, IMHO compared to buying one of your own. If the device is small enough to fit in a Priority Mail FRB, how hard could it be to make enough parts for each participant to end up with a complete unit?

Anyway, my project ideas are 1) a radius turner or 2) a quick retract threading device.

My thinking is that a single design (for each) is pretty easily adaptable to any lathe between, maybe, 9" to 13" at least. Maybe each participant makes their own adaptor.

I don't have plans to link to but there are many out there. Maybe a group collaboration on the design is in order. You already have a design/drawing volunteer.

Good luck all.
 
GunsOfNavarone said:
@extropic absolutely nothing is in stone yet...I like the retracting threading device, but I assume that is very little parts list?
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I was thinking on the order of 20-30 parts for the retractor. I expect 1/3-1/2 would be COTS (Commercial Off The Shelf) parts.
The concept I like is using an over-center link to advance and lock the tool.
A very close linear guide is necessary which means, to me, hardening and grinding.
The cool feature is to incorporate a wedge, cam or solenoid to release the over-center link.
The release is activated by an adjustable stop attached to the lathe bed.
With those features you can OD thread very close to a flange (or specific length) without risk or a relief groove.
The CNC guys are ROTFLTAO by now. :grin:

I've never seen a device as described but everything has been done, someplace, at sometime, by somebody.
AFAIK, it would require a non-trivial design effort.
It's on my personal bucket list.
 
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