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The Offcial Machinist Thread: Revised 01/04/2014

Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2011 5:54 am
by jrrdw
This is where members who need help getting machining done to their spudgun parts. There will be some guide lines and they are as follows:
  • Machinist guide lines
    1.Own your own equipment.
    2. Agree to work for a fair price.
    3. To keep shipping down be country oriented.
    4. Work quality agreement.
    5. Reliable turn around time.
    6. Percentage goes to Spudfiles for running/sponsoring the thread (10% is fair, use the "Donation" button to pay).
  • Request Guide lines
    1. Know exactly what you want done.
    2. Have a blue print with accurate measurments of the part/s you need made and what you want the part/s made from.
    3. If you already have the meterial for the parts say so.
Using the above information up front will indeed speed up the process of production.

Members currently machining parts:
jrrdw
CS
Jackssmirkingrevenge

If you wish to be added or removed to the list cantact me via PM.

Work quality agreement. Treat your customers good! If you make a mistake you are responsible to fix or replace said mistake.

Keep your turn around time low, 3 to 5 days. This is going to be pilot program and will be re-valuated a few months from now.

Administration and or moderators may be updating this at any time so if you post here pay attention to whats going on here.

Any questions or idea's please post them.

Have fun!

Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2011 6:32 am
by LovableAirGuns
I would love to do this since my friend lent me his lathe until he got a new shed but i dont have many tools for the lathe and im not very good with shipping stuff out and everything

Edit: and a mill but i have no collets so i cant do milling operations but im a bit of a beginner. I know the lathe very well and i can do simple tasks.
So if anyone offers me i might be able to do it im located in Adelaide Australia. :)
PS only for people in Adelaide maybe

Re: The Offical Machinist Thread

Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2011 8:43 am
by Willdebeers
jrrdw wrote:This is where members who need help getting machining done to their spudgun parts. There will be some guide lines and they are as follows:
  • Machinist guide lines
    1.Own your own equipment.
    2. Agree to work for a fair price.
    3. To keep shipping down be country oriented.
    4. Work quality agreement.
    5. Reliable turn around time.
    6. Percentage goes to Spudfiles for running/sponsoring the thread (10% is fair, use the "Donation" button to pay).
If you wist to be a "machinist" for the Spudfiles Forums post your prices so members have a choice. Keep all work and payments posted for transparency, members need to know exactly what's going on.

Work quality agreement. Treat your customers good! If you make a mistake you are responsible to fix or replace said mistake.

Keep your turn around time low, 3 to 5 days. This is going to be pilot program and will be re-valuated a few months from now.

Administration and or moderators may be updating this at any time so if you post here pay attention to whats going on here.

Any questions or idea's please post them.

Have fun!
Hmmm. I wonder how well this will work.

I may as well post my prices here.

If you need a small (1/4" - 3/4") piston or something done, I can probably do it free of charge. They are very easy and quick to make.

Something larger like a 1.5" piston probably be around £10, and a 2" piston would be around £20.

Bear in mind that every piston will be check valved and o-ring'd.

Seeing as every job is different, it is very hard to put a set price on things, which is why I am being vague. I wouldn't like to charge someone too much just because my price list said so.

I am based in the UK, and will ship to England, Scotland and Ireland.

As said by jrrdw, any other countries will have to be done by other people.

Well anyway, i'm just posting here to say that i'm open and ready to take requests.

Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2011 9:34 am
by inonickname
I'll join up... Perth, Australia

Lathe, mill, grinding gear, forge etc. Work costs on a quote by quote basis but will be reasonable... Australian spudders only. Will not manufacture spudguns in a high stage of completion or suspicious parts.

Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2011 9:39 am
by velocity3x
I noticed the "Machinist Guide Lines" but, I see no such guides lines for the customer.

I think, for the protection of the customer AND the machinist, customers should be responsibility for doing their own designing and engineering. The customer should also provide the machinist with a detailed drawing(s) showing all dimensions and specs for the part they wish to have machined. Without clearly defined specifications to machine a part, it could become a job without end for the machinist. One or both parties to the deal could become unhappy.

Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2011 9:42 am
by inonickname
Yep velocity...well I can do designing and engineering easy, but I need the specifications the buyer needs.

Machinists shouldn't sent until confirmed payment is received also.

Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2011 11:16 am
by jrrdw
Just keep it all in the open here in this thread so there is no mistake on who or what is being done, transparence. Try a price list like this:

O-ring groove - $x.xx
Cylinder boring - $x.xx
Piston sizing - $x.xx

For what ever services that you can provide, make sure you have experience in doing what service you advertise.

Don't expect this to be a booming business but just to help your fellow Spudfilier and have fun. If you can make a buck or two, no harm done, everybody is happy.

Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2011 11:17 am
by jackssmirkingrevenge
I'll leave myself out of this until I get a bit more experience and reasonably priced raw materials. Good idea though, makes good use of the forum - those with idle lathes and mills can give them a spin, those with a head full of ideas and an empty garage get a chance to flesh out their dreams :)

Edit: might also be a good idea to specify no illegal items, something like a silencer in the US can get you in big trouble, and add insult to injury!

(Interesting to note that the above conviction was overturned but still, be careful!)

Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2011 3:38 pm
by pipeboyswe
I would need a 10mm bullet mold (3 cavity) made in aluminium, something like the one in gippetos tutorial http://www.spudfiles.com/forums/easy-sp ... 17366.html no handels just a simpel cheap one :D what would it cost in round numbers? :wink: and i live in Sweden.

Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2011 10:12 pm
by ramses
I have a lathe. Anything over 3" dia costs extra, and anything over 4" dia needs to be short and have some spindle mounting provisions

I also have a big mill with rotary table.


Cost is (reasonable) material+postage+custom tooling+nominal labor fee

Lets call it (with tolerance of +-0.005 dia and length/width and +-.01 true position) this:

o-ring groove - $3
boring a cylinder (under 2" long)-$ 5
boring a cylinder (over 2" long - $7 ( and lead time for me to buy tooling)
turning piston - $4

Exotic materials and tighter tolerances are extra. I should be able to hold +-.001 on the lathe, and +-.003 on the mill. Tens of millionths at work, but I don't have access to them :( .




pipeboyswe wrote:I would need a 10mm bullet mold (3 cavity) made in aluminium, something like the one in gippetos tutorial http://www.spudfiles.com/forums/easy-sp ... 17366.html no handels just a simpel cheap one :D what would it cost in round numbers? :wink: and i live in Sweden.
Actually, that would be quite expensive. It needs custom tooling or CNC for the nose (unless the standard ~118* point is fine). Is one spout for each bullet okay?

Figure 8" total of aluminum bar (all I have is 1x1.25, with no ability to rip cut) - $4
2" 1/2" aluminum for locating pins - $1 (if that)
spade bit - $4 (not sure)
grinding- tolerance dependent; I think I have a radius gauge, but no CMM or optical comparator, maybe $3

drilling/pressing: $5 maybe (5 total holes)

cleaning the basement to the point where I can access the machines again and setting up the grinder: priceless :D :D

so like $17 plus shipping from NE ohio

Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2011 1:53 am
by velocity3x
ramses wrote: Tens of millionths at work, but I don't have access to them
10 millionths (0.000010") = 0.254 microns or about 1/300 of a human hair diameter. That's the kind of machine I want. :lol:

Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2011 1:54 am
by LovableAirGuns
Ok so i probably wont be able to make anything for people because i have no material left but once i get some material ill be happy to make things for people in the Adelaide region and once i get sorted with posting and stuff, then ill start taking orders from people around Australia as longs as they give me dimensions.

If i do start doing this i will probably try and make pistons for air guns and once i feel more confident doing other things it will probably be recivers for bbs and air rifle pellets :)

Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2011 1:59 am
by MrCrowley
0.254 microns
I can't even focus on something 10x that large on my 1600x microscope :shock:

Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2011 2:06 am
by Technician1002
We currently are shipping stuff with parts that measuer in the 32 nm size. That's 0.032 microns. And it does take an electron microscope to measure and see it. Optical in the visable spectrum can't resolve it.

You should see the tools we use to make it. :D
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-10221737-64.html

Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2011 2:20 am
by jackssmirkingrevenge
Clucking bell Tech, how come we don't see spudgun miniatures from you :D