Machinist Question

[Ivan]

Ok, thanks everyone for your replies. I know the correct way to go is to have an expert do the work. Gonna look into that tomorrow. My original plan was to leave the holes alone at 15mm and just go to a 15X47X14 wheel bearing. The problem is that this bearing exists, but is very hard to track down. I decided to enlarge the holes to 17mm because those bearings are readily available, the same as the XS. I could have some spacers made to reduce the inner dimension down to 15mm, but that would be a spacer only 1mm thick. There is a 20X47X14 bearing that is easy to get, and that spacer(s) might be a better route. Any thoughts on this approach?

Noe thats thinkin with yer dipstick Jimmy! Sounds like the easy button is a piece of stainless (so your axle doesn't rust in place) tubing with a 15 ID and a 17 OD. Then cut to length. Simple and easy, no machinist needed. Maybe one just to complicate things so you get a feeling of accomplishment, when you make him look overly complex.

[jmnjrpa]

Hey Ivan,

I am one of those programmers that started out with a pencil and did 3D Ballnose work programs on paper. Well met!
Oh, BTW, I am quite capable of doing the solid model myself, thank you.

But seriously, like you said this is at most an hour job on a universal mill (think Bridgeport) for both forks. I too. would be happy to do it but the shipping would be high. Not to mention I procrastinate so it might take a few weeks.

[Ivan]

I am one of those programmers that started out with a pencil and did 3D Ballnose work programs on paper. Well met!
Oh, BTW, I am quite capable of doing the solid model myself, thank you.

But seriously, like you said this is at most an hour job on a universal mill (think Bridgeport) for both forks. I too. would be happy to do it but the shipping would be high. Not to mention I procrastinate so it might take a few weeks.

I have done the programming, but am not absolutely proficient. I am always looking for a job doing it, and every time I ask, I guarantee the employer that I will be on par with, if not the best they have. They think it is arrogance, but I learn from doing, and not from a book. Unfortunately, my programming classes were not much hands on, so I downloaded the eval copy of FeatureCam and started "doing". Since the programs can't be saved, I have to take screen shots and print them out. Next time I have $10k laying around I will snag a copy of MasterCam or Catia.

While I haven't done 3D BN work on paper, I have done quite a bit of hand programming, and know exactly how much work that would take. Brain melt, all the way. As for the solid model, our company does most of their work for Boeing, and Boeing doesn't have paper prints, they email you a solid model and that is what you get to work with. As a machinist, its a pain not even getting a print out of the part or any dimensioning until I have to bug the snot out of inspection to get me dimensions.

Did I mention how much I like machining?

[jmnjrpa]

Thread theft

Most of our work is on the P3 so I am often modeling from 50 year old prints. We employ 3 full time programmers and 1 parttime. I have the dubious distiction of being the tool grinder and tooling machinist along with full time programming and modeling.

[bikerphil]

Sounds like the easy button is a piece of stainless (so your axle doesn't rust in place) tubing with a 15 ID and a 17 OD. Then cut to length. Simple and easy, no machinist needed.

Hey Ivan, thanks for your offer of machining those fork legs for me. Not sure which route to take now. As for the spacer approach, I'll have to do some searching to see if this 15mm ID, 17MM OD tubing even exists. I would figure this would have to be custom made. I've only seen spacers like this in common non-metric sizes. My other concern is going down in size on the axle. The 15mm was fine for the FJ bike but on the heavy XS with it's heavy wheel, it makes me a bit leary.