PowderKeg

[Double D]

Anybody heard from Powderkeg lately?  Wes you out there?

[Powder keg]

I'm still alive. Been terribly busy though. My big lathe is down again and I'm knee deep in gears again. Hoping to have it up in the next week or so. I've also built a carving machine to help with my patterns and cannon carriages. I'll post on that as soon as I get the bugs out of it.

Wes

[Cat Whisperer]

Wes -  good to hear from you.  I figured you were in the middle of SOMETHING - health or work or ....

I'm taking my first real time off since MAY.  Should be back into AutoCAD soon. 

Been to the range daily this week - culture shock.

[Double D]

Go slowly and carefully on the repairs for the big lathe, you won't need  it until next winter, for my project...but then I haven't told you what I have in mind yet.

I figured you were busy at work, snow season is coming and you make snow blowers don't you?

[Powder keg]

I didn't think I could get much slower. I keep running into troubles on my lathes gears. The hardest gear is a cluster gear that has four gears machined out of one piece. I need a 1/4" broach so It will stay put on the mandrel I've built. There is a small gear and it has an oddbal,l six tooth, spline in the center of it. I think I'm going to get a 5/32 broach and layout and cut 6 keyways in it, then file the sides so they fit the splined shaft.

I do help build snowblowers. The biggest blowers in the world, in fact. Our largest has 1100 horsepower going straight to the blowerhead. It has a seperate motor to power the wheels. The company I work for was also just bought out and there have been some changes. That has also been taking up some of my time.

Later, Wes

[Michael Az]

Wes, could you make a form tool and cut the splines on a shaper using a dividing head?
If not, most gear shops have vertical shapers for cutting splines and shouldn't charge too much to cut them for you. Or find a Bridgeport with a shaping attachment.
Michael

[Double D]

Actually, it was my wife who made me check on you, she wanted to know if you had responded to the email I sent you last week.

[Powder keg]

DD,

Resend it please. I've been missing some of my Emails here latley? My internet provider has been upgrading in my area and I think thats affecting things? I've missed several from my dad is how I know for sure.

Thanks, Wes