Great War truck Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 As you know, we have a problem with our gearbox case. It is repairable, but the situation is not ideal. I was mentally toying with the pssibility of getting a new one carved from a block of aluminium using a CNC. Having put the idea on the back burner i received an e-mail today from a chap who has made a new water pump for his Dennis using CNC. Here are a few photos of the process: So what do you think chaps? Would this solve my problem? How much does a massive hunk of ali cost? Tim (too) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War truck Posted May 22, 2008 Author Share Posted May 22, 2008 This Youtube clip might be of interest. it shows the same process being used to carve a V8 engine block. I have come across a chap in the USA making replica Peerless engine cases and sumps. i cant imagine that demand is that high so i bet that he is suing the same method. Fasinating stuff, but it does go on a bit. As a matter of interest, the water pump was made in about 5 hours. Now, i wonder if i can get a big block of ali how long it would take for them to carve me a Panther tank? Tim (too) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 Tim I have a good mate who is in the business of this, he makes and designs his own grass track bike engines using CNC, if you want to give me the overall dimensions I can soon get it priced up for you, at least then you have a number to go by. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 So what do you think chaps? Would this solve my problem? How much does a massive hunk of ali cost? Tim, With the high cost of Aluminium, machining a gearbox casing out of a billet would be ultra expensive with most of the metal reduced to swarf. A good pattern maker is what you really want, then get one sand cast, as original, probably a lot cheaper option and authentic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick W Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 Amazing what you can do with modern technology for our old bits and pieces. Very impressed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 He also does pattern making Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.O.S. Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 An interesting idea, Tim. I recently spent a couple of days at the International Machine Tool Exhibition (don't have much involvment in m/c tools but taking wife's elderly uncle from Oz around - he runs a precision m/c business, how about batches of miniature lathes to put the radius on the edges of contact lenses, or re-profiling Mazda Wankel engine cases). Anyway, m/c tools are going multi-axis and multi live head, and the demonstration m/cs were busy profiling all manner of complex shapes out of blocks of recycled coke cans. I was completely mesmerised by it all, and spent ages watching the processes. It just seemd bizarre to generate so much swarf! The technique seems to have been given a boost with the Aero industry moving away from forgings and castings to machining from solid block as the best way to ensure consistent metallurgical quality. The point is although the block of ali is £££, so is the value of the swarf, so you only pay for the ali left in the component and the cost of recycling the swarf into solid again. The other fascinating side being the computer software which works out the machining sequence - what most of us would regard as impossible is someone else's bread and butter work, like Mark's mate? I for one would be very interested to see 'machining from solid' or 'casting and final machining' is the cheapest solution. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest catweazle (Banned Member) Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 I am having two new props cast,and wanted the man who did the last one to do the shaping,because of round britain race he is to busy so another company are handling it,Tate and Lyle,untouched by human hand,somehow takes the edge of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessie The Jeep Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 What about CNCing a wooden pattern for use making a casting? Which would be faster, hand making a pattern or programming a CNC machine and getting it to make it? Wood is cheap to machine, and you're only then paying for the ali used in the casting process. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArtistsRifles Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 If you can get the data file(s) from the guy who did the one shown you could go either route - either machine from billet or machine from wood as a casting mould. I did some work on this a year or so back when I was still with Uncle Henry - fascinating stuff - a good multi head wil make short work of this for you. Only "issue" will be the software - there are 2 or 3 commercial packages that can be used to input data into a multi-head so if you get the files make sure you know what package they came from. We used to use CATIA or iDEAS to design the component and generate the data files for the CNC units. Can't remember now what the CNC machines used though...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirhc Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 Try looking up the price for a copy of CATIA, not a cheap tool!! Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abn deuce Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 The machining from solid is likely the best way to , there can be porisity with castings or other faults . In the first photo there appears to be a bit of brass on the other side of the housing ? or am I wrong , I was thinking it to be a grease cup but it did not show on the mounted and finished assembly ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArtistsRifles Posted May 23, 2008 Share Posted May 23, 2008 Try looking up the price for a copy of CATIA, not a cheap tool!! Chris Of course - if it were cheap then Fords crack team of accountants would never have gone for it!!! Seriously though - AutoCAD will do the same job for a fraction of the price. If you've got access to that then you should be OK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War truck Posted May 23, 2008 Author Share Posted May 23, 2008 Some excellent ideas there chaps. We have been offered the use of a machine so we might take that on board for small things (like our water pump). The price of the ali billet would indeed make the gearbox very expensive, so our best bet is to make one of our surviving shells work. But it is useful to know that the technology is there to help us if necessary. Tim (too) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArtistsRifles Posted May 24, 2008 Share Posted May 24, 2008 Try looking up the price for a copy of CATIA, not a cheap tool!! Chris Just had a nose on the dreaded evilbay - and look whats there for £60 on a "buy it now"!! http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/CATIA-KOMPLET-DVD-MULTY-LANGUAGE_W0QQitemZ260243382442QQihZ016QQcategoryZ2288QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirhc Posted May 24, 2008 Share Posted May 24, 2008 That can't be a 'real' copy, it's about $16000 too cheap?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sean101ryan Posted May 24, 2008 Share Posted May 24, 2008 Know anyone going to Bangkok? Get pretty much any software with a crack code. I have copies of CAD programs from my last job fom there. Very dodgy commercially but only way I can have CAD at home without paying through the nose. I'm purely 2D, even sober I can't get my head round 3D moddeling! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sisu Posted May 25, 2008 Share Posted May 25, 2008 (edited) Removed Edited June 5, 2008 by Sisu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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