Cliff, I subscribed to your channel after seeing this. I probably wouldn't have heard about it except that I've been a subscriber to Mark's channel for some time now, so I'm thankful that Mark has collaborated with you on this.
Cliff, I think the project will get some traction out of the combined release of both videos. I am thinking we have both gained a few new subscribers. Onwards and upwards! Regards, Mark
Gday Preso, I’m keen to see more of this, unfortunately I didn’t know about Cliffs channel but do now and heading over there next, definitely a very interesting project to take on, looking forward to the next instalment mate, great work so far, cheers
Thanks Matty. Cliff has some interesting videos. Toolmakers seem to have a very different skill set and there is always something to learn. Regards, Mark
I've used your epoxy/sand cores in some pretty complex castings, and they really are great! The surface finish is very nice, and they break out easily. Great tip!
I wish it was my invention but I learned it from @luckygen1001. I have made cores using sodium silicate before but the epoxy sand technique is more predictable for me. It just takes a bit longer. Regards, Mark
I like you alot Mark, the utopia of a father i never had. As skilled as my father was, he never took time for me, explaining and such. I've 'outgrown' that sentiment - not enough so that i guess i still talk about it, some could say - and just wanted to make a point that you seemed to be a great man, would have enjoyed your tutoring classes, or even just as the class 'handyman', or the right arm to the 'proper' teacher. Take care! From Qc, Canada!
Well, thanks for that. I must say, my own son seemed to resent me for wanting to tutor him in workshop technique and we often had unresolved conflict regarding how he treated my workshop. He is now almost 30 and a successful engineer working for a company making quick release couplings for earthmoving equipment. He recently acknowledged the contribution I made to his career. It was gratifying to know that he has accepted that my influence has paid off. As a teacher, I can tell you that mentoring and tutoring is an indefinable art. We often don't get to know and cannot measure how that influence works. I am sure that your father did have some influence on how you have developed. Sometimes it is hard to quantify if it was positive or negative. At the end of the day, you don't get a second run at it. Don't be too hard on your Dad. I made mistakes as a father but I did the best that I could or knew how to do. Now I am getting all maudlin. It is something that I feel strongly about. I once had a student call me "Dad". He was mightily embarrassed when it happened and I felt sorry for him. He as a good kid and it turned out that he was caught up in a family breakdown and I got the feeling that there was some conflict between he and his father. It made me realise that, as teachers, we don't get to understand the complex nature of adolescence and how it play out with development. Regards, Mark
My old man was a diesel fitter, fitter & turner, and mechanical engineer / draftsman. But by the time I was born he was over trying to teach his kids anything. I started machining at 40, he saw a few parts I made but didn't seem to understand why I'd want to do this for fun. There was so much he could have taught me but to him it was just a job. I have his machinery's handbook, a micrometer, and a few other tools but I wish I'd been able to show him some of the stuff I've made. None of my kids are interested, unfortunately. Even the one who thinks he is doesn't want to spend any time in the workshop.
Thanks for the methodical approach to the casting process…other TH-camrs create such a “muddle” either in their explanation ,or actual casting process , that I’m totally stressed out watching the performance. Well Done!
One of the most interesting videos Ive seen for ages. I'd love one of those Thread Express machines. Ive got a Bridgeport clone so should be ideal for me. Prefer to buy a finished machine rather than make one. Although making one is well withing my capacity I've just got too many other projects on the go.
Cliff and I have discussed all the different options for getting the Threadexpress to both the hobbyist market and also to commercial workshops. Getting a manufacturer to buy the IP is the best solution for Cliff but a finished, high quality build would probably be out of the question for most hobbyists, (like me). Regards, Mark
I guess it's a case of getting out of your comfort zone if you want to learn more. One of the things I want to try is lapping the thread on the main spindle. Regards, Mark
Hi Mark, around 28:20 you are showing the drawing for the main shaft which supports the chuck. On the drawing the end of the taper is shown as being coincident with the end of the undercut. This means the thinnest section of the shaft is in the undercut. I do not know the clamping load on the shaft but there will be quite a high repetitive cyclic load applied as the cutter moves across the work piece. Better design practice would be to move the end of the taper upwards (as seen in the video closer to you) so the end of it is in the metal contained in the bearing diameter. Been there got the tee shirt and some broken shafts etc. 🙂
The addition of the ER32 collet capability is a new feature that Cliff wanted to incorporate. The thing about this design is that the loads on the main spindle are very light. The mechanism only has to withstand the intermittent load of the fly cutter unlike a lathe being used to single point a thread. In the case of the lathe, the loading is continuous and towards the end of the cutting process, the chip can have a large surface contact. I guess it is going to get sorted out as I go along and I have the opportunity to amend the drawings and the design if it proves to be inadequate. Regards, Mark
isnt it? i'm always amazed at how easy it is theses days to just harness the 'power of the sun', figuratively speaking, in your own backyard and mainly, at VERY LOW COST and accessible to most anyone, even on a very low budget, as long as there is still some disposable income left after the needs are taken care of. I was thinking the same when i saw the furnace earlier in the video...
Good morning Mark, I came over after watching Cliff's video. The ThreadExpress is a very impressive machine. You certainly have a good start on building the machine. The casting process is very interesting and I think that it came out great. Thanks for sharing. Looking forward to the collaboration between you and Cliff on the machine. Have a good weekend. 👍
Hi Mark, I just started watching this series as the title brought me back 60 years or so to the annual trade fair in Salisbury, Rhodesia. There, I saw a presentation of "thread swirling," they called it. Basically, it was a rotating cutter head with the appropriate shaped tool that rotated around the work piece being held between centers on a lathe. As I remember, the culprit was a Myford SL7, property of the local tech college machine shop. The swirling head was powered separately but driven horizontally by the lathes leadscrew through the lathes selectable gearbox. The whole swirling frame was mounted on center height, on the cross slide whose tool post had been removed. This gave the ability to increase the depth of cut by either advancing the cross slide or for reverse cuts extracting it. The resulting thread quality was fantastic in comparison to a regular single point variety, and for things like acme threads, it was a game changer. I've never seen another one, but the idea has perculated longer than a bad cup of Java. Looking forward to the rest of this project. Regards from Canada's banana belt. 🤞🇨🇦🍌🥋🇺🇦🕊🇦🇺🐨🪃🏁👍
If I understand you correctly, that corresponds to what Sandvik calls thread "whirling". Consulting the infallible interwebs, it seems the difference between thread swirling / whirling, and thread milling, is whether the cutting teeth are on the inside or outside of the cutter. Thread milling can cut internal and external threads. I can't picture how a whirling cutter could cut internal threads.
Thread whirling is the system you describe....similar to thread milling but uses a circular body with profile inserts with the centre axis offset from the workpiece. Whirling is especially good at producing multi start threads. The swirling head system is used quite a lot on CNC spindle lathes these days.
The çore patterns could ɓe easily be made by hand turning on a wood lathe (of course, irregular core shapes are another matter entirely). The spindle is fairly straightforward & many people could 'dream one up', but it is the continuously variable mechanism, which is the puzzle! Enjoying watching this & the other videos.
Well, I can tell you that Cliff is going to reveal the entire mechanism very soon. It's actually less complex than I thought it would be. Regards, Mark
Thanks. I just hope I can pull it off. I have a tendency to tackle projects which are a bit above my pay grade. I think it is going to help Cliff get some traction with the TH-cam community though. Regards, Mark
Hi Mark I am very pleased that the ThreadExpress project is moving along . I would be interested in building one for myself once the drawings are available. Huge bonus for me was the link to your channel. I expect that each builder will make some alterations in their build to accommodate the bits and pieces we all seem to squirrel away in anticipation of some future build. Best of luck. Ken Parsons Halifax NS Canada.
Thanks. I am trying to follow Cliff's design as closely as I can and I suspect he gasped a little when I said I was going to incorporate some castings into my version. At the end of the day, everyone who builds their own will want to tweak the design but the geometry of the pitch mechanism is a really important part of the mechanism. Regards, Mark
I know the feeling. I have to store my diesel burner cart in a shipping container behind my garage and the rest of the gear is stored in all sorts of nooks and crannies around the workshop. Regards, Mark
Thanks for that. I am looking forward to the challenge but I was disappointed that I overlooked a few basic parameters straight out of the gate. More focus Mark!!! Regards, Preso
Hi Mark. What a great combo…. Cliff + Preso… 👏👏👏👏 I’ve been following Cliff for a coupla years now… and IMHO, the bloke is a BLOODY GENIUS. I’ve followed his frustrations over the ‘popularising’ of his great ‘Thread Express’, and I’ve tried to be supportive. I’m over the moon that he found a compatible collaborator. Once you two get this thing locked down ( drawn, recorded, and built), then it would be great to get some Mega-TH-camr like Adam Savage interested. Lots of world wide interest… bound to find a manufacturer who wants to sell these brilliant devices. Onya Mark + Cliff 👏👏👏👏 Robert
Thanks. Cliff has a TH-camr in the USA waiting to build one when I have the drawings finished and checked. We are hoping to get one of the bigger channels to promote it in some way. Regards, Mark
I will be following this project with great interest. I love the concept of the Thread Express. Thanks to Cliff for the design and you for the video and future videos. Dave.
I cant get enough of watching you do your sand casting. You make it look so easy. This sounds like an interesting machine. I'm looking forward to the next videos in the series.
Trust me when I say that sand casting is never easy. Sometimes you get a win but it's never a sure thing. The best thing is that you can make stuff that would be very difficult done any other way. I need to make a crank handle for my metal shaper and I have considered fabricating it and also machining it from solid stock but at the end of the day, a cast handle is going to do the job and it will look original. However, one day we will all have 3D metal printers.....😁 Regards, Mark
Thanks Mark, I’m really looking forward to following your new project. I always enjoy the casting side, and its techniques. Something I’m not able to do. Nice peaceful wildlife scene as well. Keep well and safe. Cheers Nobby
Thanks Nobby. Yes, casting parts is a real game changer. I never thought I would be able to do it in a home workshop. It's great when it works out but oh so painful when you open up a mould and find that it hadn't filled properly. Next step is to see if I can pour iron! Regards, Mark
Hello Preso - I dare say the Thread Express will benefit from the orderliness of presentation you so reliably build into your videos. I look forward to the project. 👍
I am looking forward to documenting the build. I am afraid it would run to 40 episodes if I try to film everything but I want to focus on some of the more interesting aspects like lapping the thread for the spindle. That's something I have never attempted before so I reckon it's worth an episode in it's own right. Regards, Mark
Very ambitious project mate! To me, the best part is watching your machining and casting techniques. I ALWAYS learn something from your videos! Thanks!
Great video Mark, no bull, no bumph just no nonsense explanation and example, warts and all. I like the way that you give credit to the inventor Other U tube "guru's" could learn from this.
Thanks. Get to the point, I reckon. Having said that, I often get accused of talking too much but finding the right balance is important. Regards, Mark
I'm not a machinist by any means but I love to learn new things. Your subject matter is always very interesting. I've been curious about thread milling, what it is exactly and how it's done. I am really looking forward to the rest of this series! Thanks for sharing!
I recall reading an article about thread milling in the old Model Engineer magazine. The writer called it "death by a thousand cuts". It's a good analogy since the cutting process makes zillions of tiny chips. Regards, Mark
@@Preso58 By the way, is the Titan .60 still on display at the Craftsmanship Museum? I plan to visit my son soon. I think I told you he lives just 1.5 miles from the museum. Last time I was there, my camera (me) malfunctioned and I didn't get clear photos of the engine. I'll do better next time!
Very interesting project will be following along intensely. If there is a way to contrive a guess the mechanism contest without spilling the proprietary beans, i’d be in. The few marbles I still have left in my brain. Have been working overtime to figure this one out. Should be a great project 👍 Cheers…..
I love the way you can run out a thread against a shoulder and not have to worry about crashing the tool into the work. I always freak out when I have to do that on the lathe. Regards, Mark
G'day Preso, looking forward to seeing this unfold mate, stickers came btw, thanks again for the shout out, have a great one 👍 and thanks for sharing 🎉
Thanks Ralfy. Stand by for a lot of angst and hand wringing. Possibly some rending of garments as well. This is going to be a long and complex build with plenty of potential for disaster. Regards, Mark
Thanks. I like metal casting. It was something that I though was way too complex for a home workshop but it turned out that the very first casting I made worked perfectly. "This is easy", I thought. The followed a string of failed and comically misshapen castings that were too embarrassing to show on video. Luckily, my success rate has improved. Regards, Mark
Interesting Mark! I'm curious about the rest of the build. I do have a few questions about the tempering (not annealing, that's at 700-900C). You stated that the bevel gears are induction hardened. Wasn't that just at the teeth? If not, what's the point of induction (=local) hardening in this case? Furthermore, you temper the steel for three quarters of an hour at 250 degrees Celsius, why so short and at such a low temperature? The Hollomon-Jaffe parameter is very unfavorable then I think. That steel becomes, if any, no more than 2 or 3 points softer on the Rockwell (C) scale. Was this also the intention?
I do need to machine the outer diameter of the larger gear and at that point it was harder than my tooling would be able to cut. The boss and the internal bore also need machining but they are already soft and easy to machine. My understanding is that you can fully harden a piece of carbon steel by heating it to the point of recalescence (where it becomes non magnetic) and quenching it in water or oil. At that point it is pretty much un-machinable with regular tooling. To proceed you would need to temper it to a dark straw or blue state at which point it is going to be hard but still machinable. Annealing is a process of taking the piece of carbon steel back to a fully softened state. Having said all that, I have fairly limited experience with heat treatment of metals. I did run a file over the outer edge of the gear teeth and it was cutting so I am guessing I will be able to machine it back in diameter with high speed tools. Regards, Mark
@@Preso58 Thank you Mark for this extensive answer. Indeed, annealing is done at 700-900C and tempering at much lower temperatures, usually in the range of 230 to 300 degrees C (yellow to dark blue for unalloyed carbon steel). But tempering is not just a matter of temperature, the duration also plays a role. A formula has been developed for this, the Holloman-Jaffe parameter P: P=T⋅(log(t)+C). T is in Kelvin (so add 273 to degrees C), t in hours and C is a metal constant, for carbon cast steel about 19.5 to 20. The higher P, the softer the steel becomes. The formula also shows that you can exchange the tempering temperature and duration (to a limited extent) and get the same resulting hardness. For 0.75 hours at 250 degrees I get a P of about 10,400 and that is low. At this temperature and duration, count on about 2 to 4 HRC points of loss of hardness. Approximately the same P, so hardness is achieved after a few seconds at 300 degrees C. Good carbide tools should have little trouble cutting this steel, since the hardness of carbon cast steel for machine structural use does not exceed 55 to 60 HRC.
We are working on how to distribute the drawings. I really need to make all the parts myself just to ensure that I haven't overlooked something. Regards, Mark
That butcherbird has quite a repertoire. I've got the grey catbird in my neck of the woods (Northeast USA) that has a great song catalogue as well, supposedly 88 different songs. Looking forward to their return in the spring.
@@Preso58 Our catbirds change to the cat like "mew" call after finding a mate. It saddens me when their sweet singing stops. They're quite friendly and they will eat cherries from my hand. Good luck, Eric
I am sure my involvement will pay off in the long run. I made it clear to Cliff that I was just an enthusiastic supporter of the project. Regards, Mark
Hi Mark , I maybe mistaken , but I remember seen a similar system about 30 years ago fitted to a standard column mill drill , making the inserts tor the twist top beer bottles molds...
I read an article in the old Model Engineer magazine about the same time which described a method for thread milling on a lathe. I think that thread milling isn't new but the real genius of Cliff's design is the pitch generating mechanism. Regards, Mark
Great video! I’m not sure I understand the epoxy mixed with sand. Seam it would be a rock, yet yours appears to be almost fragile. Might like some more explanation of that. Thanks!
The epoxy sand mix does set quite hard which is what I like about the cores made this way. They are very strong and even thin cores stand up to a lot of handling without damage. It is almost counterintuitive but after they are exposed to the heat of the casing process, they become quite friable and break up easily. Thermosetting resins like epoxy and polyester don't soften like thermoplastics (PVC and acrylic) but they can burn and decompose in the presence of heat. I have never had a failure with cores made with epoxy. You can vary the ratio of sand to epoxy down to around 1.5% but I prefer to use between 6 and 8%. Regards, Mark
I use 2.5 degrees for most work. The big cavity on the back of the mounting block had about 10 degrees because I was worried that the protrusion would break off. Regards, Mark.
Dear Mark, first, your videos are exceptional and i learn a ton from everyone. Did you 3d print all the patterns as well? What finishing did you do? Finally, will the plans for the castings/molds be included so others, like myself that have aluminum foundry capabilities can follow in your footsteps? Thank you as always. Respectfully Term
I do 3D print all my patterns. I use PETG filament and a layer height of 0.2mm. I give them a bit of a sand to remove any spikey bits and then give them several coats of spray putty. You can buy it in spray cans from the auto accessory store. It fills the layer lines and it's easy to sand back. The final coat is automotive lacquer, also from a spray can. I will be making the STL files available if anyone wants to cast those parts. Regards, Mark
A couple of tips for sodium silicate cores: Vinegar and bicarb soda is an excellent CO2 generator for curing the cores - just place the core in a plastic bag with a cup of vinegar, add some bicarb soda to the cup and seal the bag. No need for CO2 cylinders. Add carbon to your core sand mix. The carbon burns away during the pour and makes the core easier to break up and remove. Good sources of carbon include glucose powder, sugar, wheat flour, starch, molasses, or ground charcoal. Just make sure your core is well vented so that you don't get bubbles from core blows.
I have made sodium silicate cores before. The biggest advantage is how quick they are to cure. However, the epoxy sand mix is strong and durable and as long as you plan ahead, the core will be ready to go when you make the mould. Regards, Mark
Wow. Neat! Personally, I think it is like a Zero-Max variator. Like 2 linked crankshafts, where one has an adjustable stroke, thus achieving speed differential. I have thought before about fitting a Zero-Max variator to a lathe, to be able to cut inch and metric threads. The experiment is to see how settable and repeatable the Zero-Max would be. ----Doozer
Sadly, I cannot comment since it is really up to Cliff to decide how he wants to protect the mechanical design. We have agreed that it will eventually be made public depending on the interest level. Regards, Mark
It's only a few clicks of the mouse to include dual metric/imperial dimensions and that is how the plans will be made available but the parts are all metric so the imperial dimensions are going to be odd units. Regards, Mark
Interesting bit of kit, but I suspect it will be all too big to fit on my little mill or in the lathe, ie I don't think I could turn a spindle that long. 👍
That is one of the limitations with Threadexpress. Cliff has looked into adaptation for mini mills and desktop mills and you need a certain amount of depth below the table for the mechanism and also the Z height above the table to accommodate the workpiece and the chuck. Regards, Mark
@@Preso58 I have been wondering if I would actually be able to fit one up to my mill, it would be nice to not have to use Taps and Die nuts all the time.
I have a Cincinnati Horizontal mill with a vertical head. It has a good sized clearance of at least 12". Unless I can mount the device on the machine table under the spindle, it can't work for me. If there was a way to mount the device on its bottom rather than its side, it could work in many more mills like mine. A thru-bore feature is far less important than being able to cut threads over as much vertical range as the design permits. If it's possible to accommodate this modification, you might reach an even larger audience. This thing bolts to the side of a Bridgeport mill bed and the user has to swing the head over to this device. There should be a way to position the device under a vertical head that does not swing. It needs a bottom mount option.
I cannot be sure but I would think that it would be possible to mount the Threadexpress directly to the top of the mill table and use the horizontal spindle to cut a thread. The only issue would be that it could be problematic to set the spindle of Threadexpress to the correct helix angle of the thread that you want to cut. You might need to design some sort of angle plate mount as the angle is only small for most threads. Cliff did investigate if it was possible to bottom mount the device but it takes up a lot of Z height, especially on smaller mills. However, once the mechanism is revealed I am guessing that some clever clogs will come up with a more compact version. Regards, Mark
@@Ideasite I mentioned the adaptability of Threadexpress on a horizontal mill with Cliff today and he said he has used it on such a machine and it works fine. You just need to position the flycutter directly above the Threadexpress arbor and you can then pivot the Threadexpress over to the correct helix angle. When I thought about it initially, I was thinking that the flycutter would be positioned in the same horizontal plane as the mill arbor. I will probably talk about this in future videos. Regards, Mark
I think you would need to be able to swing the milling head around to clear the column of the machine. I don't have a lot of experience with the RF clones. I do know that aligning the mill spindle with the column can be a problem so maybe it can be done. Regards, Mark
@@kenwheeler2449 I have tried to work out dimensions. (Scaling stuff to the machine) I also have an RF. I "thinks" it will work. BUUUUT, if not, it will work on the Lathe.!
Interesting idea, can I ask, why not just use a thread mill with a motor of some kind on a lathe? I've seen that a few times online. Stefan G. Does that. Thanks for always providing great content!
Cliff does explore the idea of CNC thread milling in some of his videos but with a three axis CNC machine you cannot account for the thread helix angle. The Threadexpress can be tilted over to align the flycutter with the correct thread helix angle which is about 1.1 degrees for an M12 thread. This ensures that the correct profile is cut into the stock regardless of the thread profile. Regards, Mark
Thread milling in the lathe? I remember seen that done when I was first year apprentice , we used to make threaded bearing cups , threading to a shoulder with a thread about 1mm pitch .. old times ,.....
The English Model Engineer magazine had an article on thread milling in the lathe many years ago. However, Threadexpress is equally at home cutting internal threads and the range of pitches can be set with just one adjustment. Regards, Mark
I think the prints will become available on a donation basis, unless, some manufacturer gets on board and wants to buy the IP directly from Cliff. Regards, Mark
It occurred to me that the gears from an old Stanley chest drill might be suitable cheap replacements. I have a couple I paid about £2 ($2.60) for. I'm not sure what the ratio required is but maybe adjustments could be made to utilise these cheap parts.
The ratio is not really that important. It just makes it easier to control the cutting process when you get up close to a shoulder if there is some reduction in the drive of the hand crank. Regards, Mark
Naive question: If I did not have the ability to cast, could those parts be machined instead? I am assuming yes, but I have never done anything with casting...
Yes, in fact, that is what Cliff wanted me to do. He suggested that all the parts should be machined from billet stock but I cheaped out and made castings for the bigger parts simply because I was finding it hard to buy what I needed in offcut stock. For me, castings are cheaper. Regards, Mark
@@Preso58 Thanks for the response. I wish I had the ability to cast, but it would definitely save some money if done right. Looking forward to the updates.
It's a bit mind bending when you start to drill down into the mechanism. I got about 20% of the way there when I caved in and asked Cliff for the design sketches. Regards, Mark
Thank you Preso, for your commitment to this project, bringing ThreadExpress V3TT (trans Tasman), to the world. Cheers, Cliff
I have enjoyed lurking your content over time. Always interesting topics and ideas 👍
Thanks to both of you for sharing. This may become the best build series ever on the internet. 👍👍😎👍👍
Cliff, I subscribed to your channel after seeing this. I probably wouldn't have heard about it except that I've been a subscriber to Mark's channel for some time now, so I'm thankful that Mark has collaborated with you on this.
I hope Preso is getting royalties for his hard work!
Cliff, I think the project will get some traction out of the combined release of both videos. I am thinking we have both gained a few new subscribers. Onwards and upwards!
Regards,
Mark
Superb project. Also loved your pattern puller!
Gday Preso, I’m keen to see more of this, unfortunately I didn’t know about Cliffs channel but do now and heading over there next, definitely a very interesting project to take on, looking forward to the next instalment mate, great work so far, cheers
Thanks Matty. Cliff has some interesting videos. Toolmakers seem to have a very different skill set and there is always something to learn.
Regards,
Mark
I've used your epoxy/sand cores in some pretty complex castings, and they really are great! The surface finish is very nice, and they break out easily. Great tip!
I wish it was my invention but I learned it from @luckygen1001. I have made cores using sodium silicate before but the epoxy sand technique is more predictable for me. It just takes a bit longer.
Regards,
Mark
I like you alot Mark, the utopia of a father i never had. As skilled as my father was, he never took time for me, explaining and such. I've 'outgrown' that sentiment - not enough so that i guess i still talk about it, some could say - and just wanted to make a point that you seemed to be a great man, would have enjoyed your tutoring classes, or even just as the class 'handyman', or the right arm to the 'proper' teacher. Take care! From Qc, Canada!
I think I know what you mean. I lost my dad at fourteen.
Well, thanks for that. I must say, my own son seemed to resent me for wanting to tutor him in workshop technique and we often had unresolved conflict regarding how he treated my workshop. He is now almost 30 and a successful engineer working for a company making quick release couplings for earthmoving equipment. He recently acknowledged the contribution I made to his career. It was gratifying to know that he has accepted that my influence has paid off. As a teacher, I can tell you that mentoring and tutoring is an indefinable art. We often don't get to know and cannot measure how that influence works. I am sure that your father did have some influence on how you have developed. Sometimes it is hard to quantify if it was positive or negative. At the end of the day, you don't get a second run at it. Don't be too hard on your Dad. I made mistakes as a father but I did the best that I could or knew how to do. Now I am getting all maudlin. It is something that I feel strongly about. I once had a student call me "Dad". He was mightily embarrassed when it happened and I felt sorry for him. He as a good kid and it turned out that he was caught up in a family breakdown and I got the feeling that there was some conflict between he and his father. It made me realise that, as teachers, we don't get to understand the complex nature of adolescence and how it play out with development.
Regards,
Mark
@@Preso58 True that brother, thanks for the time and honest reply!
My old man was a diesel fitter, fitter & turner, and mechanical engineer / draftsman. But by the time I was born he was over trying to teach his kids anything. I started machining at 40, he saw a few parts I made but didn't seem to understand why I'd want to do this for fun. There was so much he could have taught me but to him it was just a job. I have his machinery's handbook, a micrometer, and a few other tools but I wish I'd been able to show him some of the stuff I've made. None of my kids are interested, unfortunately. Even the one who thinks he is doesn't want to spend any time in the workshop.
Thanks for the methodical approach to the casting process…other TH-camrs create such a “muddle” either in their explanation ,or actual casting process , that I’m totally stressed out watching the performance. Well Done!
Thanks. It's only taken me 10 years to get comfortable with metal casting 😁. It's definitely one of the "black arts".
Regards,
Mark
One of the most interesting videos Ive seen for ages. I'd love one of those Thread Express machines. Ive got a Bridgeport clone so should be ideal for me. Prefer to buy a finished machine rather than make one. Although making one is well withing my capacity I've just got too many other projects on the go.
Cliff and I have discussed all the different options for getting the Threadexpress to both the hobbyist market and also to commercial workshops. Getting a manufacturer to buy the IP is the best solution for Cliff but a finished, high quality build would probably be out of the question for most hobbyists, (like me).
Regards,
Mark
The thing about being a hobby machinist/builder, there's always another notch (or three) 😁.
Cool project, Mark!
I guess it's a case of getting out of your comfort zone if you want to learn more. One of the things I want to try is lapping the thread on the main spindle.
Regards,
Mark
Hi Mark, around 28:20 you are showing the drawing for the main shaft which supports the chuck. On the drawing the end of the taper is shown as being coincident with the end of the undercut. This means the thinnest section of the shaft is in the undercut. I do not know the clamping load on the shaft but there will be quite a high repetitive cyclic load applied as the cutter moves across the work piece. Better design practice would be to move the end of the taper upwards (as seen in the video closer to you) so the end of it is in the metal contained in the bearing diameter. Been there got the tee shirt and some broken shafts etc. 🙂
The addition of the ER32 collet capability is a new feature that Cliff wanted to incorporate. The thing about this design is that the loads on the main spindle are very light. The mechanism only has to withstand the intermittent load of the fly cutter unlike a lathe being used to single point a thread. In the case of the lathe, the loading is continuous and towards the end of the cutting process, the chip can have a large surface contact.
I guess it is going to get sorted out as I go along and I have the opportunity to amend the drawings and the design if it proves to be inadequate.
Regards,
Mark
I find the casting process fascinating.
isnt it? i'm always amazed at how easy it is theses days to just harness the 'power of the sun', figuratively speaking, in your own backyard and mainly, at VERY LOW COST and accessible to most anyone, even on a very low budget, as long as there is still some disposable income left after the needs are taken care of. I was thinking the same when i saw the furnace earlier in the video...
Good morning Mark, I came over after watching Cliff's video.
The ThreadExpress is a very impressive machine.
You certainly have a good start on building the machine.
The casting process is very interesting and I think that it came out great.
Thanks for sharing.
Looking forward to the collaboration between you and Cliff on the machine.
Have a good weekend. 👍
Thanks for that. I do like making castings and for me, it was cheaper than buying big chunks of plate stock.
Regards,
Mark
Hi Mark, I just started watching this series as the title brought me back 60 years or so to the annual trade fair in Salisbury, Rhodesia. There, I saw a presentation of "thread swirling," they called it. Basically, it was a rotating cutter head with the appropriate shaped tool that rotated around the work piece being held between centers on a lathe. As I remember, the culprit was a Myford SL7, property of the local tech college machine shop. The swirling head was powered separately but driven horizontally by the lathes leadscrew through the lathes selectable gearbox. The whole swirling frame was mounted on center height, on the cross slide whose tool post had been removed. This gave the ability to increase the depth of cut by either advancing the cross slide or for reverse cuts extracting it. The resulting thread quality was fantastic in comparison to a regular single point variety, and for things like acme threads, it was a game changer. I've never seen another one, but the idea has perculated longer than a bad cup of Java.
Looking forward to the rest of this project. Regards from Canada's banana belt.
🤞🇨🇦🍌🥋🇺🇦🕊🇦🇺🐨🪃🏁👍
If I understand you correctly, that corresponds to what Sandvik calls thread "whirling". Consulting the infallible interwebs, it seems the difference between thread swirling / whirling, and thread milling, is whether the cutting teeth are on the inside or outside of the cutter.
Thread milling can cut internal and external threads. I can't picture how a whirling cutter could cut internal threads.
remember to not vote for the Liberals Ron! :)
Thread whirling is the system you describe....similar to thread milling but uses a circular body with profile inserts with the centre axis offset from the workpiece. Whirling is especially good at producing multi start threads.
The swirling head system is used quite a lot on CNC spindle lathes these days.
@@somebodyelse6673 Yes, that is pretty much the difference between swirling and milling threads.
The çore patterns could ɓe easily be made by hand turning on a wood lathe (of course, irregular core shapes are another matter entirely).
The spindle is fairly straightforward & many people could 'dream one up', but it is the continuously variable mechanism, which is the puzzle!
Enjoying watching this & the other videos.
Well, I can tell you that Cliff is going to reveal the entire mechanism very soon. It's actually less complex than I thought it would be.
Regards,
Mark
@Preso58 Yes, well, I have expressed my suspicions to Cliff on how it might work, being continuously variable.🙂
This looks like a wonderful project. Thank you for allowing us to watch your journey.
Always stimulating! You never fail to enrich my mental data bank with additional, addictive content. Thank you 😊
Nice. Looks like a very interesting challenge with a lot of different operations. Go for it, Mark.
This would be ideal for the Deckel! BTW, the Douglas shaper is all in bits but it's due for paint and reassembly shortly.
Regards,
Mark
I'm looking forward to this, Mark! I've been following Cliff for a while and ThreadExpress has my interest. Can't wait to learn more about it.
Thanks. I think it's going to be a fun trans Tasman project.
Regards,
Mark
This is very cool. I have done a electronic lead screw on my lathe. made cutting threads a breeze. But I would be interested in this for sure.
I've been watching the Thread Express videos & am delighted that you've taken this project on. Really looking forward to this series. Thanks, Presser!
Thanks. I just hope I can pull it off. I have a tendency to tackle projects which are a bit above my pay grade. I think it is going to help Cliff get some traction with the TH-cam community though.
Regards,
Mark
Watching with interest. I don't need one but I want to watch you build one :)
I probably don't need one either but it's about the journey, not the destination!
Regards,
Mark
I have been following him as well and have always be interested in his design.
Hi Mark I am very pleased that the ThreadExpress project is moving along . I would be interested in building one for myself once the drawings are available. Huge bonus for me was the link to your channel. I expect that each builder will make some alterations in their build to accommodate the bits and pieces we all seem to squirrel away in anticipation of some future build.
Best of luck. Ken Parsons Halifax NS Canada.
Thanks. I am trying to follow Cliff's design as closely as I can and I suspect he gasped a little when I said I was going to incorporate some castings into my version. At the end of the day, everyone who builds their own will want to tweak the design but the geometry of the pitch mechanism is a really important part of the mechanism.
Regards,
Mark
i have been waiting for one as soon as i saw the first video he did so knock it out of the park! we all want one!
Same here! One of the attractions is that you can cut a thread right up to a shoulder and you get that lovely thread runout at the end.
Regards,
Mark
Beautiful work. I love your casting bits. I have wanted to do some casting for a long time, but don't have the room for the gear.
I know the feeling. I have to store my diesel burner cart in a shipping container behind my garage and the rest of the gear is stored in all sorts of nooks and crannies around the workshop.
Regards,
Mark
HI Mark, what a project will be following and gaining more knowledge. You are good at explaining and presenting your projects.
Thanks for that. I am looking forward to the challenge but I was disappointed that I overlooked a few basic parameters straight out of the gate. More focus Mark!!!
Regards,
Preso
Hi Mark.
What a great combo…. Cliff + Preso…
👏👏👏👏
I’ve been following Cliff for a coupla years now… and IMHO, the bloke is a BLOODY GENIUS.
I’ve followed his frustrations over the ‘popularising’ of his great ‘Thread Express’, and I’ve tried to be supportive.
I’m over the moon that he found a compatible collaborator.
Once you two get this thing locked down ( drawn, recorded, and built), then it would be great to get some Mega-TH-camr like Adam Savage interested.
Lots of world wide interest… bound to find a manufacturer who wants to sell these brilliant devices.
Onya Mark + Cliff
👏👏👏👏
Robert
Thanks. Cliff has a TH-camr in the USA waiting to build one when I have the drawings finished and checked. We are hoping to get one of the bigger channels to promote it in some way.
Regards,
Mark
@
👏👏👏
I will be following this project with great interest. I love the concept of the Thread Express. Thanks to Cliff for the design and you for the video and future videos.
Dave.
I cant get enough of watching you do your sand casting. You make it look so easy. This sounds like an interesting machine. I'm looking forward to the next videos in the series.
Trust me when I say that sand casting is never easy. Sometimes you get a win but it's never a sure thing. The best thing is that you can make stuff that would be very difficult done any other way. I need to make a crank handle for my metal shaper and I have considered fabricating it and also machining it from solid stock but at the end of the day, a cast handle is going to do the job and it will look original. However, one day we will all have 3D metal printers.....😁
Regards,
Mark
Hello Mark. You sure get involved is intricate jobs. Good work and well done. Regards BC.
I know! I stick my hand up to run with these projects and then have a crisis of confidence later. So far, so good though.
Regards,
Mark
Good Show Mate: As per normal. I love to watch you prepare the castings. It's a hoot. Anxious to see the rest of this project. Be well.
Metal casting is always an adventure. It's super satisfying when it works but success is never guaranteed!
Regards,
Mark
Thanks Mark, I’m really looking forward to following your new project. I always enjoy the casting side, and its techniques. Something I’m not able to do. Nice peaceful wildlife scene as well. Keep well and safe. Cheers Nobby
Thanks Nobby. Yes, casting parts is a real game changer. I never thought I would be able to do it in a home workshop. It's great when it works out but oh so painful when you open up a mould and find that it hadn't filled properly. Next step is to see if I can pour iron!
Regards,
Mark
Good morning Mark. This is going to be a great project. It’s always great to see a new project on the bench. Thanks for sharing.
Enjoyed….great discussion/builds
Hello Preso - I dare say the Thread Express will benefit from the orderliness of presentation you so reliably build into your videos. I look forward to the project. 👍
I am looking forward to documenting the build. I am afraid it would run to 40 episodes if I try to film everything but I want to focus on some of the more interesting aspects like lapping the thread for the spindle. That's something I have never attempted before so I reckon it's worth an episode in it's own right.
Regards,
Mark
Very ambitious project mate! To me, the best part is watching your machining and casting techniques. I ALWAYS learn something from your videos! Thanks!
I always seem to take on projects that make me question my sanity sometimes. This one is going to be a "challenge".
Regards,
Mark
Great video Mark, no bull, no bumph just no nonsense explanation and example, warts and all. I like the way that you give credit to the inventor Other U tube "guru's" could learn from this.
Thanks. Get to the point, I reckon. Having said that, I often get accused of talking too much but finding the right balance is important.
Regards,
Mark
I'm not a machinist by any means but I love to learn new things. Your subject matter is always very interesting. I've been curious about thread milling, what it is exactly and how it's done. I am really looking forward to the rest of this series! Thanks for sharing!
I recall reading an article about thread milling in the old Model Engineer magazine. The writer called it "death by a thousand cuts". It's a good analogy since the cutting process makes zillions of tiny chips.
Regards,
Mark
@@Preso58 I can only imagine!
@@Preso58 By the way, is the Titan .60 still on display at the Craftsmanship Museum? I plan to visit my son soon. I think I told you he lives just 1.5 miles from the museum. Last time I was there, my camera (me) malfunctioned and I didn't get clear photos of the engine. I'll do better next time!
That place is incredible and I encourage every person to visit if they can! I spent almost the whole day there.
This is a interesting video. Thanks. Nice work mister Mark
looking forward to this build. thanks CLiff & Mark!
Very interesting project will be following along intensely.
If there is a way to contrive a guess the mechanism contest without spilling the proprietary beans, i’d be in.
The few marbles I still have left in my brain. Have been working overtime to figure this one out.
Should be a great project 👍
Cheers…..
Thanks Dean. I too tried to guess how it worked but I was way off the mark. Think levers and movable pivots.
Regards, Mark
@@Preso58 That's the path I ended up on. Lol
That sounds a great idea, an accessory for manual thread milling. I'm looking forward to following your build.
I love the way you can run out a thread against a shoulder and not have to worry about crashing the tool into the work. I always freak out when I have to do that on the lathe.
Regards,
Mark
Such a great collaboration! I'm very excited for this build!
G'day Preso, looking forward to seeing this unfold mate, stickers came btw, thanks again for the shout out, have a great one 👍 and thanks for sharing 🎉
Thanks Ralfy. Stand by for a lot of angst and hand wringing. Possibly some rending of garments as well. This is going to be a long and complex build with plenty of potential for disaster.
Regards,
Mark
Very unique project, can’t wait to see the rest of the series, thanks a lot.
Love this project! Going to go the gamut,from casting to final finish... to a tool used for making other stuff. Humans are tool-making animals!
Fun project. I’m excited to watch this build ! Cheers 😊
Very nice. Every time I watch a casting video I want to do it again but... It is fun to do and maybe I'll do some again but it's been a long time.
Thanks. I like metal casting. It was something that I though was way too complex for a home workshop but it turned out that the very first casting I made worked perfectly. "This is easy", I thought. The followed a string of failed and comically misshapen castings that were too embarrassing to show on video. Luckily, my success rate has improved.
Regards,
Mark
Your doing fine and looking forward to this series.
Interesting Mark! I'm curious about the rest of the build. I do have a few questions about the tempering (not annealing, that's at 700-900C). You stated that the bevel gears are induction hardened. Wasn't that just at the teeth? If not, what's the point of induction (=local) hardening in this case? Furthermore, you temper the steel for three quarters of an hour at 250 degrees Celsius, why so short and at such a low temperature? The Hollomon-Jaffe parameter is very unfavorable then I think. That steel becomes, if any, no more than 2 or 3 points softer on the Rockwell (C) scale. Was this also the intention?
I do need to machine the outer diameter of the larger gear and at that point it was harder than my tooling would be able to cut. The boss and the internal bore also need machining but they are already soft and easy to machine. My understanding is that you can fully harden a piece of carbon steel by heating it to the point of recalescence (where it becomes non magnetic) and quenching it in water or oil. At that point it is pretty much un-machinable with regular tooling. To proceed you would need to temper it to a dark straw or blue state at which point it is going to be hard but still machinable.
Annealing is a process of taking the piece of carbon steel back to a fully softened state. Having said all that, I have fairly limited experience with heat treatment of metals. I did run a file over the outer edge of the gear teeth and it was cutting so I am guessing I will be able to machine it back in diameter with high speed tools.
Regards,
Mark
@@Preso58 Thank you Mark for this extensive answer.
Indeed, annealing is done at 700-900C and tempering at much lower temperatures, usually in the range of 230 to 300 degrees C (yellow to dark blue for unalloyed carbon steel). But tempering is not just a matter of temperature, the duration also plays a role. A formula has been developed for this, the Holloman-Jaffe parameter P:
P=T⋅(log(t)+C). T is in Kelvin (so add 273 to degrees C), t in hours and C is a metal constant, for carbon cast steel about 19.5 to 20.
The higher P, the softer the steel becomes. The formula also shows that you can exchange the tempering temperature and duration (to a limited extent) and get the same resulting hardness. For 0.75 hours at 250 degrees I get a P of about 10,400 and that is low. At this temperature and duration, count on about 2 to 4 HRC points of loss of hardness. Approximately the same P, so hardness is achieved after a few seconds at 300 degrees C. Good carbide tools should have little trouble cutting this steel, since the hardness of carbon cast steel for machine structural use does not exceed 55 to 60 HRC.
Another great video Mark. Thankyou
Great work - I also would be Intrested in plans for self build. 👍
We are working on how to distribute the drawings. I really need to make all the parts myself just to ensure that I haven't overlooked something.
Regards,
Mark
That butcherbird has quite a repertoire. I've got the grey catbird in my neck of the woods (Northeast USA) that has a great song catalogue as well, supposedly 88 different songs. Looking forward to their return in the spring.
Thanks. The butcher bird has a beautiful clear ringing song. We have catbirds here as well but they actually sound like cats!
Regards,
Mark
@@Preso58 Our catbirds change to the cat like "mew" call after finding a mate. It saddens me when their sweet singing stops. They're quite friendly and they will eat cherries from my hand. Good luck, Eric
This is gonna be fascinating! Thanks! 👍
I hope you're getting some royalties for your efforts.
I am sure my involvement will pay off in the long run. I made it clear to Cliff that I was just an enthusiastic supporter of the project.
Regards,
Mark
Love that" girly draw out the pattern bar"😮.,@18:30. Brilliant idea.😊 Do you mind if this girl copies your idea.
Check out this video th-cam.com/video/G5WQF6LdvYc/w-d-xo.html
Feel free to copy the design. It works great.
Regards,
Mark
Hi Mark , I maybe mistaken , but I remember seen a similar system about 30 years ago fitted to a standard column mill drill , making the inserts tor the twist top beer bottles molds...
I read an article in the old Model Engineer magazine about the same time which described a method for thread milling on a lathe. I think that thread milling isn't new but the real genius of Cliff's design is the pitch generating mechanism.
Regards,
Mark
Great video! I’m not sure I understand the epoxy mixed with sand. Seam it would be a rock, yet yours appears to be almost fragile. Might like some more explanation of that. Thanks!
The epoxy sand mix does set quite hard which is what I like about the cores made this way. They are very strong and even thin cores stand up to a lot of handling without damage. It is almost counterintuitive but after they are exposed to the heat of the casing process, they become quite friable and break up easily. Thermosetting resins like epoxy and polyester don't soften like thermoplastics (PVC and acrylic) but they can burn and decompose in the presence of heat.
I have never had a failure with cores made with epoxy. You can vary the ratio of sand to epoxy down to around 1.5% but I prefer to use between 6 and 8%.
Regards,
Mark
I love your casting work! What degree of draft angles do you use?
I use 2.5 degrees for most work. The big cavity on the back of the mounting block had about 10 degrees because I was worried that the protrusion would break off.
Regards,
Mark.
Thank you, sir!
Dear Mark, first, your videos are exceptional and i learn a ton from everyone. Did you 3d print all the patterns as well? What finishing did you do? Finally, will the plans for the castings/molds be included so others, like myself that have aluminum foundry capabilities can follow in your footsteps? Thank you as always.
Respectfully
Term
I use the "Cheapest I can Get". It needs to be able to "Cook".
I do 3D print all my patterns. I use PETG filament and a layer height of 0.2mm. I give them a bit of a sand to remove any spikey bits and then give them several coats of spray putty. You can buy it in spray cans from the auto accessory store. It fills the layer lines and it's easy to sand back. The final coat is automotive lacquer, also from a spray can.
I will be making the STL files available if anyone wants to cast those parts.
Regards,
Mark
@@Preso58 Brilliant, thank you Mark. You are exceptional!
A couple of tips for sodium silicate cores:
Vinegar and bicarb soda is an excellent CO2 generator for curing the cores - just place the core in a plastic bag with a cup of vinegar, add some bicarb soda to the cup and seal the bag. No need for CO2 cylinders.
Add carbon to your core sand mix. The carbon burns away during the pour and makes the core easier to break up and remove. Good sources of carbon include glucose powder, sugar, wheat flour, starch, molasses, or ground charcoal. Just make sure your core is well vented so that you don't get bubbles from core blows.
I have made sodium silicate cores before. The biggest advantage is how quick they are to cure. However, the epoxy sand mix is strong and durable and as long as you plan ahead, the core will be ready to go when you make the mould.
Regards,
Mark
Wow. Neat! Personally, I think it is like a Zero-Max variator. Like 2 linked crankshafts, where one has an adjustable stroke, thus achieving speed differential. I have thought before about fitting a Zero-Max variator to a lathe, to be able to cut inch and metric threads. The experiment is to see how settable and repeatable the Zero-Max would be. ----Doozer
Sadly, I cannot comment since it is really up to Cliff to decide how he wants to protect the mechanical design. We have agreed that it will eventually be made public depending on the interest level.
Regards,
Mark
@@Preso58 Noo problem. I can't wait to see if I am correct. Kind of a challenge, what is in the box. LoL. ---Doozer
Thank you
Very interesting device. I realize this may be too much work, but, is it possible to produce the drawings in both metric and imperial versions?
It's only a few clicks of the mouse to include dual metric/imperial dimensions and that is how the plans will be made available but the parts are all metric so the imperial dimensions are going to be odd units.
Regards,
Mark
@@Preso58Klingon...???
Interesting bit of kit, but I suspect it will be all too big to fit on my little mill or in the lathe, ie I don't think I could turn a spindle that long. 👍
That is one of the limitations with Threadexpress. Cliff has looked into adaptation for mini mills and desktop mills and you need a certain amount of depth below the table for the mechanism and also the Z height above the table to accommodate the workpiece and the chuck.
Regards,
Mark
@@Preso58 I have been wondering if I would actually be able to fit one up to my mill, it would be nice to not have to use Taps and Die nuts all the time.
Right on 👍🏻
I have a Cincinnati Horizontal mill with a vertical head. It has a good sized clearance of at least 12". Unless I can mount the device on the machine table under the spindle, it can't work for me. If there was a way to mount the device on its bottom rather than its side, it could work in many more mills like mine. A thru-bore feature is far less important than being able to cut threads over as much vertical range as the design permits. If it's possible to accommodate this modification, you might reach an even larger audience.
This thing bolts to the side of a Bridgeport mill bed and the user has to swing the head over to this device. There should be a way to position the device under a vertical head that does not swing. It needs a bottom mount option.
I cannot be sure but I would think that it would be possible to mount the Threadexpress directly to the top of the mill table and use the horizontal spindle to cut a thread. The only issue would be that it could be problematic to set the spindle of Threadexpress to the correct helix angle of the thread that you want to cut. You might need to design some sort of angle plate mount as the angle is only small for most threads. Cliff did investigate if it was possible to bottom mount the device but it takes up a lot of Z height, especially on smaller mills. However, once the mechanism is revealed I am guessing that some clever clogs will come up with a more compact version.
Regards,
Mark
@@Preso58 It would still need to pivot to the thread angle. Too bad the chuck can't stick out the side of the block instead of the end.
@@Ideasite I mentioned the adaptability of Threadexpress on a horizontal mill with Cliff today and he said he has used it on such a machine and it works fine. You just need to position the flycutter directly above the Threadexpress arbor and you can then pivot the Threadexpress over to the correct helix angle. When I thought about it initially, I was thinking that the flycutter would be positioned in the same horizontal plane as the mill arbor. I will probably talk about this in future videos.
Regards,
Mark
@@Preso58 Great! I'll be watching. Thanks!
G'day and thanks Mark. Will the threadexpress operate on a RF 45 (clone) mill rather than a Bridgeport sized mill? Ken
I think you would need to be able to swing the milling head around to clear the column of the machine. I don't have a lot of experience with the RF clones. I do know that aligning the mill spindle with the column can be a problem so maybe it can be done.
Regards,
Mark
Many thanks Mark. I'll wait until you're further into the build and then decide whether to give it a go. Ken
@@kenwheeler2449 I have tried to work out dimensions. (Scaling stuff to the machine) I also have an RF. I "thinks" it will work. BUUUUT, if not, it will work on the Lathe.!
Mark, How long does it take to preheat your forge and melt aluminum?
Approximately 12 to 15 minutes using the diesel burner but my old propane burner would take about 30 minutes.
Regards,
Mark
Interesting idea, can I ask, why not just use a thread mill with a motor of some kind on a lathe? I've seen that a few times online. Stefan G. Does that.
Thanks for always providing great content!
Cliff does explore the idea of CNC thread milling in some of his videos but with a three axis CNC machine you cannot account for the thread helix angle. The Threadexpress can be tilted over to align the flycutter with the correct thread helix angle which is about 1.1 degrees for an M12 thread. This ensures that the correct profile is cut into the stock regardless of the thread profile.
Regards,
Mark
@@Preso58thank you for explaining!
Thread milling in the lathe? I remember seen that done when I was first year apprentice , we used to make threaded bearing cups , threading to a shoulder with a thread about 1mm pitch .. old times ,.....
The English Model Engineer magazine had an article on thread milling in the lathe many years ago. However, Threadexpress is equally at home cutting internal threads and the range of pitches can be set with just one adjustment.
Regards,
Mark
Very interesting. If I can purchase prints for a reasonable price, I would be interested. If nothing else, it will be interesting to watch.
I think the prints will become available on a donation basis, unless, some manufacturer gets on board and wants to buy the IP directly from Cliff.
Regards,
Mark
Variable pitch.? Lever moving pivot?!?😊?? Driving me crazy.😊
I understand but it will all become clear in due course.
Regards,
Mark
It occurred to me that the gears from an old Stanley chest drill might be suitable cheap replacements. I have a couple I paid about £2 ($2.60) for. I'm not sure what the ratio required is but maybe adjustments could be made to utilise these cheap parts.
The ratio is not really that important. It just makes it easier to control the cutting process when you get up close to a shoulder if there is some reduction in the drive of the hand crank.
Regards,
Mark
Naive question: If I did not have the ability to cast, could those parts be machined instead? I am assuming yes, but I have never done anything with casting...
Yes, in fact, that is what Cliff wanted me to do. He suggested that all the parts should be machined from billet stock but I cheaped out and made castings for the bigger parts simply because I was finding it hard to buy what I needed in offcut stock. For me, castings are cheaper.
Regards,
Mark
@@Preso58 Thanks for the response. I wish I had the ability to cast, but it would definitely save some money if done right.
Looking forward to the updates.
Even if the inner workingss were fully explained, I wouldn't understand so I'll be in the just watching crowd 🤣
It's a bit mind bending when you start to drill down into the mechanism. I got about 20% of the way there when I caved in and asked Cliff for the design sketches.
Regards,
Mark
👍👍👍👍👍