[time-nuts] Machining some aluminum help!

[Brent]

People's (mis)perception of machine shop costs always amazes me.  All too
often they equate the fact that they could do it themselves (inaccurately)
on an old drill press and then hand tap with what a real shop will do - all
while that real shop has a $100k - $500k investment in a single machine.

Yes it can be done cheaper, but not profitably.  Its why people end up with
25k pounds of machinery in their garage (nothing wrong with that).  Its
really no different than what you would expect if you took your rubidium
standard into a small, profitable RF shop and asked them to characterize it
- they would charge you going rate.  Which is why many of us end up with
1000's of sounds of test equipment in the basement or back bedroom - in
addition to the machine shop in the garage.

Brent


On Thu, May 18, 2017 at 1:27 PM, Todd Caldwell <tmcaldwell at pobox.com> wrote:

> Tap Magic for Aluminum will be your best friend for this operation.
>
> I've been using it on some extrusion for a 3D printer project. It makes an
> amazing amount of difference.
>
> Good luck with you project.
>
> Todd
>
>
>
> On 05/18/17 12:18, Pete Lancashire wrote:
>
>> Price sounds reasonable to me.
>>
>> Tapping 40 each 4-40's that deep in to a closed hole is the killer. If I
>> still had my old Bridgeport J and was NC'ed Your looking at say 1 hour to
>> program, 10 minutes to mount in a vice and get aligned, drill 40 each #44
>> or #43 holes would be easy, but then slow things down, cross fingers and
>> start tapping.
>>
>> Doing it by hand, at 1/2 deep those holes better be close to "perfectly"
>> aligned.
>>
>>
>> On Thu, May 18, 2017 at 9:54 AM, <cdelect at juno.com> wrote:
>>
>> Hi,
>>>
>>> I have a square aluminum tube 5" X 5" with a .25" wall it's 8 1/2" long.
>>>
>>> I need 20 holes in each end tapped for 4/40 and 1/2" deep.
>>>
>>> This is for a Rubidium project.
>>>
>>> The local machine shop want's $360.00!!!!
>>>
>>> Anyone have a machining setup that could do the work a bit cheaper?
>>>
>>> If not I'll give it a try myself.
>>>
>>> Please contact me off list.
>>>
>>> Thanks!
>>>
>>> Corby Dawson
>>>
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