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Pattern progress- coming along really well, thanks to CNC.

10/13/2010

4 Comments

 
Hi guys.
I know, it has been a couple of months since the last post. If you don't hear much from me for a while, then it's quite likely due to me being buried in the workshop, nose to the grindstone, working as hard as I can.
Well, it has been a very good couple of months.
Firstly, I have been learning CNC programming and now know enough to be able to export my CAD drawings to the CAM software, process the file to output a CNC program, set up and run the machine and also tweak the programs on the fly. This allowed me to go to the workshop (where I work as a machinist) on weekends and evenings and get a good start on the new casting patterns, which are being CNC'd as opposed to the original ones which were entirely handmade. It was a quite an experience to watch the machine cut the part from glued up blocks of seasoned, kiln-dried maple  in a few hours with all the geometry, fillets, radii and all, clean and precise and accurate. This would have taken days and days to do by hand. I have to say, it has given me  much encouragement to reach this step. The problem with working with CAD software is that you can spend vast amounts of time creating something which basically doesn't exist. It is pixels on a screen and no matter how realistic it looks on that screen, there is a certain feeling of uncertainty and 'unrealness' about it...till you see a tangible, physical object take shape- one you can hold in your hands.
It made me wonder if I had wasted a lot of time doing things by hand before- both the wooden patterns and the machining of the castings. But I did learn a lot from the process and no doubt it is helping now.
Here's a few images from CNC test pieces-
Picture
1. Maple block clamped down and tools ready in holders.

Picture
2. The 'inside' of the part is hollowed out.

Picture
3. The block is flipped over keeping the geometric center exactly the same. Locating dowels easily allow this. The 'outside' is machined.

Picture
4. Three test parts ready in a few hours.

4 Comments
David Meermans
10/13/2010 01:51:45 pm

It looks like you are making wonderful progress.

Reply
Pramodh
10/13/2010 09:40:30 pm

its looks good bro... keep up the good work...

Reply
Tom
10/14/2010 02:07:27 pm

Doing it the hands on way at least once is never wasted. :)

Reply
Steve
12/5/2010 03:16:42 am

Thanks for sharing your nice work...you are designer and fabricator...your skill in itself is reward, everything will payoff...I hope many enthusiast will be riding your machines...

Reply

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