Retro Tool and Die & Micro Machining questions. Also questions about the forum sections.

Well someone could build the make the upper and lower dies on a mill, or just take it to an EDM, the best type of die would be a bolt up on something like a 70 ton minster. Those parts are awfully small to be turning out punch on a mill...and using a rotary broach to machine the inside accurately to position would not be consistent. But hey, you can always try.
 
astjp2 said:
But hey, you can always try.
Click to expand...

Trying is the whole idea.

Your suggestion is kind of akin to telling a mountain climber to take a helicopter to the top of the mountain. I mean, I appreciate the suggestion. But that's not exactly what I had in mind. I'm well aware that these specific parts are going to require extreme precision and skill. That's what makes them so challenging. And just as some mountain climbers don't always make it to the top of their mountain, the potential for failure is ever present. I won't argue with that. I could fall at any moment. But in the spirit of a mountain climber I'll still have to pass on the helicopter ride.

I should also mention that I have other ideas for how to make these gears. I'll still need to punch out the center hole. The second method will make gears that have the potential to be "perfect", or at least extremely accurate and well within the tolerances called out on the drawings. I haven't posted those ideas because it would take too much typing to explain all the details. It would also require more work.

My current proposed path is the quickest and easiest way to produce these gears. Whether it will produce high enough quality gears is yet to be seen. If not, I'll need to resort to my "perfect method" for making these gears. It will still require a punch press so nothing will be lost there.

So for me, the question is whether or not I can do this on the cheap and dirty, or will I need to resort to the "perfect method".

The perfect method requires more work. And being somewhat like Maynard G Krebs I always try the lazy method first.

If the lazy method works, I'll be done a lot quicker. :grin:
 
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