Ultimate recycling

[myxpykalix]

These were one of the grandchildrens playskool skates that i used to make thin stock support for the indexer.

8505

8506

8507

[phil_o]

Brilliant!

[porscheman]

Jack,

Thanks for the continuing photos from your indexer work - you are certainly making progress on the sophistication and quality of the Bot turnings.

One question regarding the hollow spiral in the final photo in your sequence: Was that a hollow-center blank (with some kind of internal reinforcing) that was then pierced by the narrow cutter on the final pass? Is this turning a step in the direction of your "spiral within an spiral" gameplan?

Looking good....

John

[magic]

Can you sell me the other one?

[harryball]

LOL Way to go Jack! I actually have an old bucket full of broken and taken apart skates I keep in my junk racks. My wife makes fun of me but I've used the wheels for all sorts of things including a holddown fence guide on my table saw. It seems the grip they have is just right.

/RB

[myxpykalix]

John,
This was what i was going to do my spiral in a spiral but I screwed up!
What i did was cut the blank down the center then took a corebox bit and hollowed the center on both pieces and glued it back together. Now i have a square with a hollow center.
I took a 1/2" dowel rod to reinforce the lateral pressure because once you start cutting away it wants to collapse like a slinky (kind of).

I used a 3" rope spiraling bit (2nd picture).
Then i went back with a 1/2" endmill and cut into the valley of the rope spiral. I only took 1/16th of an inch cut per pass to keep the downward pressure low, even though i had my trusty "Vertical pressure compensation jig" (translation=SKATE) engaged.
The idea behind the spiral in a spiral is to make it a more than "one start" spiral so you can reveal more of the inner spiral. When i programmed this one i screwed up and only programmed it for one start. I may do something else with this one, not sure yet.

Harry,
I guess there is something good to be said about being a "packrat" huh?

Although in this town you can get a "big garbage pickup" from the city (big things you can't put in a garbage can like refrig's) for $25.00. My load was so big they made me buy 2 $25.00 decals. So there is a DOWNSIDE to being a packrat too.
But then again, I look at all the new empty space i have to put more STUFF there....hey!
(this is beginning to sound like a George Carlin routine...R.I.P.)

[dray]

Jack , make me one of those Helix!

[scottcox]

Awesome Jack! These are very inspiring. Keep it up.

[porscheman]

Hi again Jack,

Another question on your spiral turnings, especially given that we both have prior Legacy ornamental mill experience. Does your bot have a spindle or a router, and how is it dealing with the large diameter profile bits like your 3" rope bit? How would you compare the cutting quality and amount of bit-chatter compared to doing the same types of cuts on the Legacy?

Just curious about the comparisons....

John

[myxpykalix]

John,
My Legacy is a 900 so i can only do about a 48" turning. With the indexer i can do 8' long. I really never made thin stock support for the legacy due to the shorter length but i do recall that I tended to get more chatter on the legacy even with thicker stock.

I have a porter cable router on my bot (and on the legacy) and like them except when they SCREAM.
I don't seem to have a problem with the big bits my biggest being the 3" barley twist. It is 3" diameter and has a 1" depth profile. I program my cuts for usually no more than .25 at a time.

I tried a cut without using my "Vertical pressure compensation jig" (translation=SKATE) and the "lateral pressure compensation jig (translation=wooden dowel) and this was the result

8508

So the bottom line is you can use the big bits as long as you use BOTH support methods and take shallow cuts. I had no chatter on this unlike the chatter i had on my hollow spiral i made with no support.

8509