GearHeads Forum

Hi Kirk:

  The next module is making a gear ( or cam) from a formula you enter. SO a 3d printed cam isnt far away...

Art

2.5D or 3D printed cams that don't require a 4th axis or grinder would be nice, too, if cams ever make it to the top of the list.

CAM was an unfortunate choice of acronym, makes googling (or binging :) ) for cam creation a lot harder.

Kirk

Hi Mike:

  Desire noted. :)

Art

[quote="ArtF"]
. Any out there also interested
in cam grinding as an output?

Art


[/quote]

I sure am.
Long wanted to do model engines, had the machines but not the time. Now that is reversed, have the time but no machines except for a small router and a bigger much stiffer one half constructed. Found Gearotic in my search for pulley solutions so bought it to make my own, thanks Art.
Next on the list is a small  cnc lathe, 500mm BC, with a special focus on grinding , looking for an old mill  table for a base, about 1 meter, to take the 35mm Hiwns.
Cams and cranks have always been the stumbling block for me and a cnc lathe with a focus on grinding should make that a lot less of a pain in the butt. Software for it is a stumbling block though, i have seen the online gcode generator one but don't like being tied to something that could go off line at a moments notice.

I hope this idea is still floating around in your mind somewhere, poised to surface about the time the lathe is finished  ;D

As someone else noted, don't need a special machine. Its easy to adapt to a lathe or mill if only some decent software existed. Is it a case of build it and they will come or am I the only loon on the planet :D

Mike

(;-) They make a LOT of assumptions in that program(;-)

Hi
There is a nice cam grinding program here that is worth a look http://gcam.lucasemail.org/

GCam Forum
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/GCam_CNC/info

Paul

>>(OT) Really like the celtic knot laser plugin.  Any plans to make a routable version?  Expand it into a CNC Rose Engine

  Actually, I intend to add an engraving module to the CNC grouping, so I first needed
an engravable object and celtic knots sounded good to me for that. The knots will appear
shortly..

Art

Cam grinding SEEMS simple same with Crank Grinding , BUT IT AINT.  When grinding a lobe on a rotary axis the point of contact of the WHEEL changes with the profile of the lobe as it rotates.  There is a formula or three to correct the Z(grinder infeed) so that it translates correctly as the A (rotary) rotates.

Other wise the lobe you think you ground is NOT correct to the original profile. ]

ALSO as the wheel wears it must be compensated as well. That was the reason for cross over grinding a lobe pair( or as many as you select, you can do the entire camshaft at one time if you wanted . It just takes TIME to GRIND.

Just a thought, (;-) TP

2.5D cam gcode could be handy for Kinetic and Rube Goldberg type devices, although that to-do list may already span too many volumes to fit on your (virtual) bookshelf.  Isn't a grinding wheel basically a really big cutting tool, so the output would essentially be the same?

While I don't remember the reference, and google fell short, I read some time back in one those old out-of-copyright books that if gear making hadn't become "easy" that cams would have had a lot more prominent part of machine design.

Kirk

(OT) Really like the celtic knot laser plugin.  Any plans to make a routable version?  Expand it into a CNC Rose Engine?

Thats clever....

Art