What you give a foundry is typically the part you want, a pattern. They can advise on the limits of what they can do. For example there is a minimum and maxim thickness and overall size.
They can also tell you how much the iron will shrink so you can adjust the pattern Then for you own good you would want to make the pattern so as to minimize the amount of machine work. This also saves you money as you pay the foundry by the pound. So make the parrn have all the curves and shape you need. Wrapping is another issue. if you make it too thin or thick the result will not match the pattern. Tranditionally, patterns where made of wood or maybe wood with bondo over it and sanded and finished sooth. But today you would 3D print the pattern and give them a plastic copy of the part you want. They pack it in sand and make a mold from your pattern. Some can do a process that is like "lost wax" so then you print using a kind of plastic that the melted metal burns up But this is for a "*mini*-mill" you do NOT need cast iron parts. The cutting force is very small. Why not make your adaptor out of plastic? Platic seems like the wrong material because "real mills" are made of steel. I have a CNC converted Mini mill and the conversion parts are printed plastic. It you design, knowing the strength of that material you can do well. I can not measure flex with a dial indcator Plastic is like designing a part with glass. It is very strong and rigid until it shatters. But look at the size of the spindle motor and drive gears on a mini mill. You would shear the teeth off the drive gears before generating enough force to break a plastic adaptor shim. In any case, then after AFTER you know the plastic part works, then you give the foundry the known-to-work part to use as a pattern and they make you one in metal. I've dealt with some manufacturers and while you used to have to ship a pattern, now days you can email them the design file and they can print the pattern and do the design check that looks for violation of thier min and max thickness. There are also places that can do a 3D print in metals like aluminum of even stainless steel. But this is not yet cheap. On Sat, Jan 22, 2022 at 6:26 PM fxkl47BF--- via Emc-users < emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net> wrote: > > Yes, if you are near Windy Hill, then I understand that they do a lot > > of one-offs for vehicle restorers etc. > > > > It's certainly worth considering. > > OK > So from the photos in the ad what would I want to have made? > A big rectangle? > The only "true" surfaces on the back are the dovetails. > I think that's a bit of a wimpy mount. > If I disassemble it I can tell if the unfinished surfaces beside the > dovetails are thick enough to drill for additional supports. > Or is that a lot of overkill. > Just attach to the dovetails and be done with it. > I have a 3D printer. > This is go'n to to be fun :) > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Emc-users mailing list > Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users > -- Chris Albertson Redondo Beach, California _______________________________________________ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
