HankMcSpank
08-03-2010, 05:46 PM
I need to tap into your collective engineering mindsets!
Ok, for those who are following my spare time exploits...I'm now faced with making my own pole pieces (nickel plating kit is on its way) for a giuitar pickup type device (on account the pieces I need aren't exist to buy pre-made in the length I require)
So I'm faced with cutting 4mm diameter steel - into 5mm lengths (last we spoke I was going to be using 5mm dia steel rod, but I reckon can get away with 4mm now)
To actually cut the pole pieces to length, I'm toying with mounting my lightweight Proxxon rotary tool horizontally to my CNC's z axis & then just clamping the 4mm steel rod to my table - hey presto, I can easily knock up some G-code to cut six 5mm (exact!) lengths of steel!
The other option is to manually hover over my mini lathe & part the pieces off manually (not so appealing)
ok, if I go the rotary tool route ....it leaves a rougher edge so I need to deburr on of the edges at least (so it'll feed into the somewhat tight fit 4mm hole in the coil bobbin). The thing is 5mm lengths of steel are a nightmare to try and put into a chuck....so what I now think I need is a bespoke '4mm pole piece holder - deburring for the use of' tool!
To this end - any ideas?
My first thought is a very simple 'holder/collet' type arrangment made out of steel - I affix a rare earth magnet at the rear end of the collet - this will attract/pull the steel 4mm pole piece into the hole ....my collet will have a 4.2mm diameter - meaning the collet has to clamp down about 0.2mm to hold the piece. The holder - being longer & easier to hold - can then be inserted into a lathe spindle collet etc & then the pole piece chamfered.
Never having made a collet (and Google surprisingly has scant info) I'm wondering how to get those 'splits' at the end of one - they're a very fine dlot (dremel cutting disc at 0.8mm diameter springs to mind) - I don't need whole a lot accuracy ...the main driver here is being able to quickly mount/dismout through 6 pole pieces to debur them quickly.
Whatchathink?
Ok, for those who are following my spare time exploits...I'm now faced with making my own pole pieces (nickel plating kit is on its way) for a giuitar pickup type device (on account the pieces I need aren't exist to buy pre-made in the length I require)
So I'm faced with cutting 4mm diameter steel - into 5mm lengths (last we spoke I was going to be using 5mm dia steel rod, but I reckon can get away with 4mm now)
To actually cut the pole pieces to length, I'm toying with mounting my lightweight Proxxon rotary tool horizontally to my CNC's z axis & then just clamping the 4mm steel rod to my table - hey presto, I can easily knock up some G-code to cut six 5mm (exact!) lengths of steel!
The other option is to manually hover over my mini lathe & part the pieces off manually (not so appealing)
ok, if I go the rotary tool route ....it leaves a rougher edge so I need to deburr on of the edges at least (so it'll feed into the somewhat tight fit 4mm hole in the coil bobbin). The thing is 5mm lengths of steel are a nightmare to try and put into a chuck....so what I now think I need is a bespoke '4mm pole piece holder - deburring for the use of' tool!
To this end - any ideas?
My first thought is a very simple 'holder/collet' type arrangment made out of steel - I affix a rare earth magnet at the rear end of the collet - this will attract/pull the steel 4mm pole piece into the hole ....my collet will have a 4.2mm diameter - meaning the collet has to clamp down about 0.2mm to hold the piece. The holder - being longer & easier to hold - can then be inserted into a lathe spindle collet etc & then the pole piece chamfered.
Never having made a collet (and Google surprisingly has scant info) I'm wondering how to get those 'splits' at the end of one - they're a very fine dlot (dremel cutting disc at 0.8mm diameter springs to mind) - I don't need whole a lot accuracy ...the main driver here is being able to quickly mount/dismout through 6 pole pieces to debur them quickly.
Whatchathink?