Author Topic: Making a flywheel from scratch - revisited  (Read 7060 times)

Offline NickG

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Re: Making a flywheel from scratch - revisited
« Reply #15 on: May 11, 2014, 02:52:47 PM »
Looks great that, often see the weights in tesco and wonder whether it's doable - now I know it is! Thanks.

Offline BaronJ

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Re: Making a flywheel from scratch - revisited
« Reply #16 on: May 11, 2014, 08:20:12 PM »
Thanks to everyone for your kind words.

Another hint I have discovered for anyone wanting to try this - some of these weights, probably the larger ones, are not cast iron but plastic coated concrete!!! Now I am no expert, but I doubt that any of you could do this with one of those.  :hellno:

Ian.

Hi Ian,

You need to carry a magnet when you go to buy one !

I used a 10" diameter weight for my tapping stand base.

Best Regards:  Baron.

I don’t regret the things I’ve done, I regret the things I didn’t do when I had the chance.

Offline gunna

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Re: Making a flywheel from scratch - revisited
« Reply #17 on: May 12, 2014, 09:50:52 AM »
I may be wrong in this, and someone will correct me if so, but I think the trick to machining cast iron is to make the initial cut as deep as the lathe will permit (within limits of course) and go right in under the hard skin in one pass. It sounds brutal but I think that is the way. Maybe grinding a little from an edge to give somewhere for the tool to enter first.

Ian.

ps Nice stand, Baron.

Offline steamer

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Re: Making a flywheel from scratch - revisited
« Reply #18 on: May 12, 2014, 10:55:28 AM »
Wot gunna said!....

I still like carbide for stuff like that though....but I hate cheap iron....with hard spots.... >:( it's dirty enough as it is without being a PITA to cut also!


Dave
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Damned ijjit!

Offline NickG

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Re: Making a flywheel from scratch - revisited
« Reply #19 on: May 12, 2014, 01:01:35 PM »
Dave you make a good point - it would be easier to machine this from a nice piece of free cutting mild steel that is round to start with and probably not much more expensive (if at all) to get a blank that width.

Offline Ian S C

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Re: Making a flywheel from scratch - revisited
« Reply #20 on: May 12, 2014, 02:15:22 PM »
Some of the weights that I'v seen appear to be slices off a bar of hot rolled mild steel.
                                              Ian S C

Offline BaronJ

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Re: Making a flywheel from scratch - revisited
« Reply #21 on: May 14, 2014, 05:39:40 PM »
I may be wrong in this, and someone will correct me if so, but I think the trick to machining cast iron is to make the initial cut as deep as the lathe will permit (within limits of course) and go right in under the hard skin in one pass. It sounds brutal but I think that is the way. Maybe grinding a little from an edge to give somewhere for the tool to enter first.

Ian.

ps Nice stand, Baron.

Thanks Gunna,
You beat me to it !  I was going to say exactly what you said.

Quite a few years ago I was mentored by a very experienced turner.  He let me into the secret of turning castings.  Actually he was very scathing when I said that I was going to buy a Myford lathe.  He said something to the effect that I should get a lathe that you could put a real cut on.  At that time he was using a Ward 7A to turn V belt pulleys from castings.  He often made the point by taking an initial 1/4" cut on a 12 or 14" pulley.  At 60 rpm or so material would come flying off like a red hot shower.  I've seen him drill 2.5" diameter holes in one go for taper lock bushes.

Best Regards:  Baron.

I don’t regret the things I’ve done, I regret the things I didn’t do when I had the chance.

Offline gunna

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Re: Making a flywheel from scratch - revisited
« Reply #22 on: May 15, 2014, 10:04:06 AM »
Yes, I had a similar teacher at tech school, He was ex GM car manufacturing and seemed to think that any lathe under about 24 inch swing was just a toy. A bit hard to make some of our little parts in a 20 inch 4-jaw though.

Ian.

 

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