Machining Ideas

[The Chairman]

Keep us posted as to what you make.

Just off the top of my head:

spools
reels
lights

 

[Zung]

There's a few of us who'd like to have turret retainers for the Scubapro MK5 reproduced in stainless steel.

Do you think you could do it?

 

[berk]

I'll give you your first commission. I need a stainless tube about 6.5" ID, open and chamfered on the top, very round and smooth on the inside with a closed end (flat). Thickness of tube about 3/16"-1/4" 403 stainless? something marine.

-matt

Sorry, it needs to be about 17.5" long.

On the Delrin question. I'm not sure it would survive, although I've wanted an light weight one for travel. This is a canister for a rebreather scrubber on the megalodon. I find the Aluminum one too light for cold water diving and much too heavy for travel. I'd like to keep it warmer as well, I have some ideas regarding the specific heat of Aluminum vs Steel and how to insulate the canister or heat it.

7" dia rod that is 17.5" long might get pretty expensive with acetal and I think it would flex too much and perhaps nick too much on the inside given the application. There is an o-ring joint where the head meets the canister, so the inside need to be perfectly round.

-matt

 

[cool_hardware52]

I never thought of doing a backplate. That could save me some cash. Now if I were to make a few and sell them, does this forum have a policy that I would need to become a "Vendor"? I have no intentions but am just curious.

Machining sheet gauge materials, particularly Stainless Steel, on a VMC will definitely be a learning opportunity..........

Tobin

 

[captain]

For the time you would spend making a backplate you could buy one for $75 to $100 and save a lot of headaches... Now, I know the whole do-it-yourself feeling as I too enjoy it, but there are some things just worth paying for.

The advantage of making anything yourself is you can make exactly what you want.
I made a backplate because I couldn't buy what I wanted.

 

[350xfire]

Sorry, it needs to be about 17.5" long.

7" dia rod that is 17.5" long might get pretty expensive with acetal and I think it would flex too much and perhaps nick too much on the inside given the application. There is an o-ring joint where the head meets the canister, so the inside need to be perfectly round.

-matt

7" on anything that long will be very expensive!

 

[Cave Diver]

Sorry, it needs to be about 17.5" long.

On the Delrin question. I'm not sure it would survive, although I've wanted an light weight one for travel. This is a canister for a rebreather scrubber on the megalodon.

A stainless Meg can would be cool.

 

[berk]

A stainless Meg can would be cool.

Yeah dog!

I asked Enrique at Dive Equipment Specialties if he could make one from Titanium but he said too expensive and he didn't want to make life critical parts for the machines.

Diving Equipment Specialties Every diver should have an "Enrique Hammer"

I'm sure there's a reason for the Aluminum as well. You might find that something starts to rust really fast that didn't before on the inside or outside by adding all that stainless. I'm thinking about adding a sacrificial zinc as it is. I've had it long enough that I've scratched enough anodizing off to cause some nasty corrosion flowers on the outside near the stainless g-snaps etc. Not that it matters on the nearly 1/4" thick canister.

-matt

 

[berk]

7" on anything that long will be very expensive!

A spare canister is $750-900 retail and Steve gets the metal for free. It says he lives in PA.

If he's at a state school I don't feel so bad. I'm a tax paying citizen.

He might not be able to spend 8 hrs a day playing video games like most college students since he's an engineer, but his time is still more free than those of us with the wife, kids, jobby job, etc. He might actually be able to pump out some custom pieces and make a little coin!

-matt

 

[Cave Diver]

Yeah dog!

I asked Enrique at Dive Equipment Specialties if he could make one from Titanium but he said too expensive and he didn't want to make life critical parts for the machines.

Yeah, I'm not so sure I want something that I'm injecting pure O2 into to be made out of Titanium. Never know what kind of interesting results that could end up with.