Curved Spoke Flywheel (lots of pictures)

[Powder keg]

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While I'm going to school, I'm trying to take advantage of what is there. They have the full blown version of Mastercam and some neat machines. I've always admired those gorgeous flywheels with unique spokes. I decided to design and machine my own. This flywheel is 5.125" in diameter. I'm going to try and make one that is 3.0625 next week with the same drawing.

Here is the flywheel appearing out of the wood.

I'm a little deeper now. The spokes are starting to appear. This is still in rough cutting mode. I am taking .125" deep X .125" wide cuts with a .250" Dia. ball end mill.

Here the finish passes are started. There are many back and forth movements! I think only .025" was left overall for cleanup.

Here is an overall view.

After this was done I mirrored the image and made the reverse so I would have a 2 part pattern. It took 3 hours to machine the 2 half's. I'll post some more pictures soon.

I would be interested in seeing any pictures of unique flywheels.

Later, Wes

 

[1Kenny]

Thanks for showing that Wes,

I will be lurking as you go.

Can you show us images during the pour?

Kenny

 

[Cedge]

Wes...
You get this those things perfected and I'll be one of the first guys interested in maybe purchasing some of them. 5.5 and 3.5 inch are good sizes and cast iron would be a huge plus, although cast aluminum or brass would certainly still excite a few of us.

Steve

 

[Powder keg]

I started sanding the toolmarks out of this pattern today. I'll drill it for some alignment pins then finish sanding and sealing.

Would 3.5" be better than 3"? At school all I have to do is rescale the drawing. I'm planing on trying this next week. The hard part will be getting it off the double sided tape:O)

I'd be glad to go through the process I go through to cast stuff. I can't wait to see what this looks like in brass.

 

[Cedge]

Wes the sizes you've chosen will work fine. Just give enough leeway for machining them.

Steve

 

[Powder keg]

I have all the sanding done and I'm putting polyurethane on it tonight. I'll try and cast a couple up on Wednesday evening? I'll also post some more pictures. Are you wanting just the poring or the whole molding process?

Wes

 

[1Kenny]

Heck, I like seeing as much as you can show us. It is interesting.

Are you doing this at CSI?

Kenny

 

[Powder keg]

The college coarse to learn how to run CNC's is through CSI at the Twin falls High School. I do the casting here at home. I've built my whole foundry from the ground up. I made a muller to prepare the sand. I built an awsome molding bench. The furnace was built by, U guessed it, ME:O) I also built the propane burner that gets everything so hot. I'll post pictures

Later, Wes

 

[1Kenny]

That would be great Wes.

I spent a night (slept in my car) in Burley when I was 20. Was stationed at the air base in Mountain Home.

Kenny

 

[Powder keg]

Been Busy. Last night at school I machined the small pattern. Half of it needs to be re-made. One of the little spokes broke.

To make a casting I lay the first half of the pattern face down and place the flask over it.

I then place a screen over the flask and screen the sand next to the pattern to be sure there are no blemishes on the surface from a clump.

I'll pack that down tight. Flip it over and you end up with this.

I'll place the other half of the pattern on the side stuck in the sand.

Here the top half of the flask is placed over the bottom. You can see my guide, lines that I scribbled into the sand. The white powder is parting dust. It keeps the sand from sticking to things and itself.

Here are the two halfs. The sprue is cut. The runners and gates are cut. I've blown out everything so it's all clean.

A close up of the bottom half.

Here I am in the dark, with little safety gear, getting ready to pore. ( Don't do this! Danger!)

Poring.

I'll post the results later. They turned out fairly well though. I did have a small gas bubble in a couple of them though. nothing to make them not usable. Hope this helps.

 

[1Kenny]

This is great Wes,

You should get an A+ in your class.

Kenny

 

[compound driver]

Hi Wes
Very nice work! Just a word to the wise make your spokes a bit thicker on the outside of the disk.
When I cast mine i go 50% over on the spokes to allow fetteling and to give a little more pudden should the wheel hit a sudden stop.

Cheers kevin

 

[rake60]

Very nicely illustrated tutorial Wes.

Pattern to casting to finished item is a real treat!
Not many of us will ever be able to do that.

We will be watching for more progress Pics.

Rick

 

[Powder keg]

Here are the Aluminum flywheels that I cast. They came out pretty good. There are a couple of small pits near the center. But they should work OK.

Here is what happens when you run out of Propane and you can't get your bronze hot enough. They are going to be re melted today.

I love how the brass looks and feels.

I'm not familiar with the word Fetteling? I presume it has to do with the cleaning up of the castings?

Wes

 

[Bogstandard]

It is in fact Fettling - as described when googled - To knock or rub excess material off the edges of (a casting or piece of pottery).
In the UK, at the foundry, it means cleaning up of a metal casting.
Where I come from, very close to the Staffordshire potteries, it means cleaning up the edges of the blank pottery and getting everything smooth before painting or glazing.
In other words, making it look presentable.

John

 

[Powder keg]

Thanks John.

I went out and got some more Propane and I'm trying those bronze ones again. I'll post some pictures.

Wes

 

[DICKEYBIRD]

Hoo-ahh Wes, awesome thread! I have a large folder of favorites saved with many of the websites that show how to build the freon jug furnaces and how to do casting, etc but haven't had the cujones to actually do it...yet. I have access to a lot of scrap aluminum castings & forgings at work and it kills me to see it hauled off to the scrapyard for a few $$. Sigh, one of these days!

I did machine myself a hammer mold last weekend and casted (is casted the past tense of cast?) myself a 1 lb. collet-knocking hammer ala the official Bogstandard approved method. I bought a Harbor Freight propane weed burner on sale to melt the lead and got my 1st taste of (low temperature) casting. I loved it!

One thing though, those night shots of yours really show how bloody hot the stuff is. It gives me the willies looking at your bare arms and face. I think I'd hafta put a clear lense in an old welding helmet to protect the face (and beard )and wear at least a long-sleeve leather welding jacket or sumthin'. You may not be a klutz and accident-prone like me though. :roll:

Milton

 

[cfellows]

How much hotter do you need to get bronze (brass) for pouring? Aside from the heat, what else is different from casting aluminum?

Chuck

 

[Bogstandard]

Dickey,
How did your hammer turn out?

John

 

[Powder keg]

Aluminum is Easy!!! You shouldn't be afraid to try it Milton. What's the worst that could happen? You might mess up a part? I do it all the time. These Flywheels are kicking my butt. I can't seem to get a bronze one to turn out.

See What I mean?

I'm pretty sure I'm just not hot enough. I finished my pyrometer and I'll be able to tell for sure how hot I'm getting. One good thing though is they don't have any voids in them. I cut them apart for remelting and they looked good on the inside.

Aluminum pores at around 1100 degrees and Bronze pores at around 2200 degrees.
Keep your fingers crossed....