rolling-thunder wrote:Tonight i've been looking at the suspension with a view to getting it made in metal with working leaf springs. I also considering the feasibility of having the wheels copied with a view to CNC some from Aluminium. I'm also considering making a mould of the final drive housing with a view to casting them in white metal in sand. I have no experience but my Son has wanted to try lost wax casting so it has to be worth it for a try?
It might all be pipe dreams at the moment but it depends on who i can interest locally for such a small job of steel cutting and milling?
Hope you won't take offense at this, RT, but you happened to hit on a pet peeve of mine when you said you want to "CNC some from aluminum". People are constantly misusing that term and I thought I'd straighten that out right here.
"CNC" stands for "Computer Numerical Control" and is simply an operating system, much like Windows or Mac are Operating Systems for your PC. When it comes to working in metal, you can turn it or mill it or grind it, but it's not possible to "CNC" metal. CNC simply operates the machine, which then does the turning or milling or grinding.
I'm not sure how it goes anywhere else, but here in Detroit (the original "Arsenal Of Democracy") a machinist would say he was going to "turn" some wheels from aluminum.
Like I said, no offense meant, it's just that for some reason it's important to me that folks have an accurate understanding of my profession (I spun up my first lathe in 1979 and I've been at it ever since, and can now operate just about any manual machine ever built) and it's terminology. But, I've always been something of a strange duck with stuff like that. You have no idea how many times I've told my fellow Americans, "It's Porsch-uh, not Porsche with a silent "E". There are no silent vowels in German!!
And since you've been kind enough to read my little vent here, I'll make an offer. It sounds like you already have access to a lathe, but if you don't, you provide a sketch or blueprint and the metal (or the money for it) and I'll turn those wheels for you. You pay all material costs and postage, and I'll donate the machine time for your project. But keep in mind that I'm guessing you're in the states, not the UK. If you're in the UK the cost of shipping would probably be more than it's worth. But even if you are in the UK and still want me to turn them the offer stands.