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Re: how to spin metal



Approved: tesla-at-stic-dot-net

From: 	Antonio Carlos M. de Queiroz[SMTP:acmq-at-compuland-dot-com.br]
Sent: 	Tuesday, December 02, 1997 11:36 PM
To: 	Tesla List
Subject: 	Re: how to spin metal

Alfred A. Skrocki wrote:

> Basicaly so far so good except you don't screw the aluminum onto the form
> but hold it there with a wooden ball screwed into the lathe's tailstock.

Why a ball? A flat block would hold the metal plate better. Not?

> You would now move the aluminum to another wood form that is internally
> sectional and it allows you to roll the semi-donut almost back on itself
> then you would move to a wooden former that only held the center disk of
> the toroid and completely roll the donut into itself thus forming a
> pressure tight seam. You'll surelly screw up the first three or four before
> you get the hang of it.

It is not clear to me what is "internally sectional". I imagine another block
with a section as below, where I would mount the half-toroids with the inner
surface in contact with the block. A depression at the maximum radius would allow
the metal to be bent inwards. To cut two precisely matching blocks would
be -some- problem... I would prefer to trim the borders using a cutting tool
in the lathe and maybe solder the borders of two half-toroids together.
 _     _
/ \_|_/ \
|___|___|  
    |

> I learned to either use a beefed up faceplate lathe or make my own lathe.
> The tools are all bulbous in shape and are used with a manual tool post
> holder that has verticle steel pins to lever against when shaping the
> metal. The lubrican isn't as much of a problem as you might think, the
> tallow is of a consistancy of thick grease and if you use soap you just
> hold the edge of a bar of soap aqainst the metal. BTW if you use soap use
> an olive oil based soap it has the best lubricating characteristics.

Ok. I will try to make something. Probably some small spheres to experiment
with the process.

In other post you mentioned a method to make a spun toroid out of a single
metal sheet. Can you give details?

Antonio Carlos M. de Queiroz
mailto:acmq-at-compuland-dot-com.br
http://www.coe.ufrj.br/~acmq