Machining Work

vascon2196 · Oct 3, 2012

Hello everyone,

I have been looking for a shop to help out my students with a project we are working on to machine an 18" diameter flywheel. The flywheel is for Henry Ford's Quadricycle.

Would anyone here be interested in this? Do you know anyone in the Massachusetts/Rhode Island area that could help?

There are about 125 parts to this car and this is the only one we cannot do ourselves.

Thanks!

kvom · Oct 3, 2012

What about a smaller diameter and making it thicker/heavier for the same inertia?

Jasonb · Oct 3, 2012

Do you have a decent size mill? Either mount the flywheel on an arbour so it can be slowly rotated in the horizontal plane and fit a toolpost to the table.

Or something like this

http://www.blackcountrysteam.co.uk/images/steve_ws/SW586.jpg

kvom · Oct 3, 2012

How about mounting to a rotab on a milling table?

vascon2196 · Oct 3, 2012

kvom said:
What about a smaller diameter and making it thicker/heavier for the same inertia?

I thought of that but making it heavier would required us to make it wider...we have limited space where the flywheel is mounted.

Thank you though.

vascon2196 · Oct 3, 2012

kvom said:
How about mounting to a rotab on a milling table?

Another great idea but we do not have a rotary table. If I can find one large enough the department may purchase one if the price is right.

vascon2196 · Oct 3, 2012

Jasonb said:
Do you have a decent size mill? Either mount the flywheel on an arbour so it can be slowly rotated in the horizontal plane and fit a toolpost to the table.

Or something like this

http://www.blackcountrysteam.co.uk/images/steve_ws/SW586.jpg

Now that is something! This looks way out of my machining expertise though.

Rex · Oct 3, 2012

You don't need a rotary table as big as your part. A 10" would probably do nicely. You can buy those new for $300. for that matter, you may be able to borrow one from a local shop, since it's for an educational purpose.
Then you could cut it on a milling machine.

Sshire · Oct 3, 2012

I just did a brass flywheel in 4 quadrants with milled half lap joints. It was silver brazed.

Stan

vascon2196 · Oct 3, 2012

All great ideas...thank you folks. I need to decide which way to go...without that part this project will fizzle out to nothing.

Herbiev · Oct 3, 2012

I have 36" wheels on my bandsaw and when they need trueing up I take them to Master Butchers Ltd. They have facilities for machining meat bandsaw wheels and charge under $100.

Jon · Oct 3, 2012

Talk to Keith at Turnwright Machine in Cape Cod. I stumbled onto his Youtube channel a few weeks ago. He gets a lot of interesting jobs in his shop. I'll post links to his website and youtube channel below.

http://www.youtube.com/user/kef791?feature=results_main
http://turnwrightmachineworks.com/

Jon

vascon2196 · Oct 4, 2012

Good stuff!

Thank you!

Tin Falcon · Oct 4, 2012

Chris a couple of thoughts. this place http://www.generalpolygon.com/index.htm
I worked at about 9 years ago at that time they had IIRC a 24 " lathe and I IIRC a 36" as well at the time good experienced people.

If I was in your shoes I would be thinking about a college or a museum with large capacity machines. I think they would help if possible. the USS New Jersey Has a couple of machines that could do the work. And museums often have people that can and do run the machines when needed.

55867d1343450985-uss-new-jersey-bb-62-machine-shop-lathe.jpg

55869d1343450996-uss-new-jersey-bb-62-machine-shop-vtl.jpg

A museum may expect a donation but likely cheaper than a commercial shop.

Do you have an friends that teach that have large machines in there labs.

Tin

Tin Falcon · Oct 4, 2012

Can you get yourself set up as a volunteer on the Battleship USS Massachusetts. they might let you have some machine shop time.
Battleship Cove Fall River.
Tin

f350ca · Oct 4, 2012

Chris, as said the rotary table need not be near the size of the flywheel. Here I'm cutting down the OD of a 24 inch sheave with an 8 inch rotary table. Cobbled up a dc gear motor to turn the handle on the long cut.

Greg

vascon2196 · Oct 5, 2012

Tin Falcon said:
Chris a couple of thoughts. this place http://www.generalpolygon.com/index.htm
I worked at about 9 years ago at that time they had IIRC a 24 " lathe and I IIRC a 36" as well at the time good experienced people.

If I was in your shoes I would be thinking about a college or a museum with large capacity machines. I think they would help if possible. the USS New Jersey Has a couple of machines that could do the work. And museums often have people that can and do run the machines when needed.

A museum may expect a donation but likely cheaper than a commercial shop.

Do you have an friends that teach that have large machines in there labs.

Tin

Thank you Tin! I am attending the New England Steam Museum this Saturday in Rhode Island and was going to take a peek inside their shop...and also ask around. I tried a couple of vocational high schools but have had no responses yet. I never thought to tey battleship cove though....that is a great idea.

Thanks again Tin.

vascon2196 · Oct 5, 2012

f350ca said:
Chris, as said the rotary table need not be near the size of the flywheel. Here I'm cutting down the OD of a 24 inch sheave with an 8 inch rotary table. Cobbled up a dc gear motor to turn the handle on the long cut.

Greg

Thank you Greg!

Tonnetto · Oct 27, 2012

The shop I work for is in Ipswich MA. we have large turning capacities, I run an Integrex e-410H II that will swing 24" dia., we also have an Integrex e-1060 that'll do up to 46" dia. I think.

Little Enterprises, 33 Locust Rd.
The Boss's name is Scott Little

goldstar31 · Oct 27, 2012

As stated, swing the part in a rotary table or a simple arbour on the table of your milling machine.

If you think about it, old carpenters didn't have either a big lathe or a mill. They thought using a simple pivot and they invented-- roll of drums, sounds of trumpets-- THE WHEEL!

OK fellas but really and truly, the mind boggles.

If you have bought, sold or gained information from our Classifieds, please donate to HomeModelEngineMachinist and give back.

Machining Work

Help Support Home Model Engine Machinist Forum:

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Project of the Month Winner!!!

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Junior Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Member

Well-Known Member

Similar threads

Join the conversation!

Join today and get all the highlights of this community direct to your inbox. It's FREE!