Eyeball Engineering

[fr8cture]

Not sure if I missed it or not but are you selling these yet?

[Duuuuuuuude]

Originally Posted by rockhugger

on average, how many times would say you're changing tools on any given wheel?

I'm not sure if this is the most challenging wheel you've done, but it looks like it as the spokes are not symmetric, or across from one another.

really impressive

Tool changes vary depending on the shape I want to give it and the process I go through. I really don't count. Sometimes changing is quicker and easier than not.

This current wheel is actually pretty easy and less time consuming than I thought it would be. Wheels have kind of become an obsession and I'm constantly looking at full size examples trying to sort out how they were cut. Once you break a design down to its basic or bulk elements, everything else becomes minor details. Look closely at the design I'm doing now and you'll see its nothing more than a fat 5 spoke with the centers cut out.

Originally Posted by C*H*U*D

I write almost everything on my hand. I probably should be dead from ink poisoning...I think my BAC somehow helps with that.

I used to do that quite a bit too. My buddy used to give me a hard time because he always carried a little note pad. I finally asked him how many times he'd misplaced it, then pointed out that I've never lost a hand.

[Duuuuuuuude]

Originally Posted by fr8cture

Not sure if I missed it or not but are you selling these yet?

Yes and no. I was wanting to do an official vendors thread with pricing and designs and whatnot, but my current daytime workload is becoming too great to start up another facet of DCW, so I'm staying on the DL until I get more free time. I'm making one-offs that interest me, but I'm open to requests as long as you aren't in a hurry. If you want something, shoot me a pm and we'll discuss.

[Duuuuuuuude]

No more machining tonight, but here's a rundown of the process thus far. I will lay it out for one wheel (unless indicated), so keep in mind that every operation will be performed 4 times.


Step 1: cut 4 oversized blanks with a bandsaw. Use a fly cutter to smooth out and square up one side (move the part into the cutter, then spin it with the rotary table), flip it over, set the Z axis depth stop, then cut the other side down to desired width.



Step 2: Bring the table near the center, zero the indicators, then center the rotary table and lathe chuck.

Step 3: Change to a 1/8" bit, move the table, drill a hole every 60* for the hub bolts. Change to a 3/16 endmill, reset the depth stop, counter bore each hole.

Step 4: Change to a 3/8" endmill, reset the depth stop, move the table, and cut the center of the wheel.



Step 5: Change to a #50 bit, reset the depth stop, move the table, and drill a beadlock bolt hole every 30*. Flip, repeat.



Step 6: Change to a ball nose endmill, reset the depth stop, move the table, and cut the outer radius of the wheel face while spinning the part. To bring the remainder of the face down level with the bottom of the radius, you can either change to another endmill or make small progressions inwards (.020 +/- towards the center with each pass) with the ball nose while spinning the table. I chose the latter this time. The rings around the face are high spots between cuts. Smaller steps inwards = a smoother surface but more time spent cutting.

Step 7: Change to a corner rounding endmill, reset the depth stop, move the table, and cut a radius around the center while spinning the part. This is done in multiple steps.





Tomorrow I will cover cutting the design into the face, and if I get that far, hogging out the backside and cutting the bead slots.


Some preemptive question answering:

1. No, I do not spin everything by hand. For the cuts that require the part to be moving, I use a cordless drill (set in low gear and utilizing careful throttle control) & socket to spin the table.

2. No, I do not draw things out beforehand, either on paper or on the computer. I could, I just prefer not to. My process is to study and think about a design for a few days, then work it out on the fly when I cut the first wheel. I record all measurements and movements and use them when I cut the remainder of the set.

3. The white lines are for orientation (there is a corresponding mark on one of the lathe chuck jaws) as the parts go in and out of the chuck to keep whatever runout there is all on the same side of the wheel to prevent either the entire wheel or just the bead area from wobbling when its on the rig. I made an alignment tool that gets me in the neighborhood of .002-.005" of being dead on. Unless you put these on something really, really fast, you'll never notice it.

After fly cutting, I mark each wheel before drilling the hub and ring holes. Whenever the parts come out and go back in I line up the marks and I'm within just a tick of 0*.

[TEDROCKZ]

May not seem like much to some but I find the process info and pictures entertaining. Probably more than the end products, which are great btw. Thanks for the time and effort

Still wish you would do some videos though

[Duuuuuuuude]

Originally Posted by TEDROCKZ

May not seem like much to some but I find the process info and pictures entertaining. Probably more than the end products, which are great btw. Thanks for the time and effort

Still wish you would do some videos though

I agree, the process is always entertaining. I could watch people do stuff on youtube for hours and not really give a damn about what they were actually making.

I'll put the gopro on the charger tonight and see if I have the patience to upload and edit something this weekend.

[TEDROCKZ]

Originally Posted by Duuuuuuuude

I agree, the process is always entertaining. I could watch people do stuff on youtube for hours and not really give a damn about what they were actually making.

Same here. I feel like I know Keith Fenner, oxtoolco, Abom79 and a few others personally.

I can see where a working man would be hard pressed for time to do work, film it, edit it and upload it and still get things accomplished. Then you would have to see comments from people who never seen a mill tell you how wrong you're doing things

[rockhugger]

Thanks for taking to time to do whatever documentation you do... also enjoying the process here as well. Thanks for sharing.

I like to take videos on my smart phone so I can capture a screen shot of something that may have been missed trying to get a moving photo, for instance out MTB'ing with friends. I suggest that as maybe it will simplify the video picture process.

[CREEPERBOB]

I find this guys You Tube channel entertaining;
https://www.youtube.com/user/mrpete222
it's mrpete222 , also known as Tubal Cain.
Very interesting 'ol fella.

Originally Posted by Duuuuuuuude

I agree, the process is always entertaining. I could watch people do stuff on youtube for hours and not really give a damn about what they were actually making.

I'll put the gopro on the charger tonight and see if I have the patience to upload and edit something this weekend.

[BigSki]

Just curious- in step #5, could you just through drill the #50 hole to save the time of flipping and repeating the other side?

Great work, you've gained a lot of experience in a relatively short time.

[Duuuuuuuude]

Originally Posted by BigSki

Just curious- in step #5, could you just through drill the #50 hole to save the time of flipping and repeating the other side?

Great work, you've gained a lot of experience in a relatively short time.

The further you go with such a tiny bit, the greater the chances that it will drift off course. Also, its not long enough.

I don't dare think about how many hours I've spent on this machine in the past two years...still got a long way to go but I think I'm progressing nicely. There's also my fellow machinists here at RCC to thank for tips and tricks and suggestions.

[Duuuuuuuude]

Steps #8 and #9 were captured on video. As soon as my editing software quits being a dickass I will get it uploaded. Probably be tomorrow evening before that happens. Here's the results...



On to #10: chuck up the wheel on its face, change to a 3/8" endmill, reset the depth stop and table stop, cut out the backside starting in the center, spinning the part and working your way towards the outside. This is done in three steps.

Step #11: change to a 1/2" ball endmill, reset the depth stop, move and lock down the table, cut a radius on the backside of the spokes.



Tomorrow night I'll cut the bead channels, do a final de-fuzzing, and call them done.

[Crawling Calvin]

Looking good! You may want to consider using a little fine grit sand paper with some water to smooth the bumps out from machining if you had a bead blaster you can get some sweet effects but be careful of having it in one spot to long or you can melt the plastic!

[Trubble]

Originally Posted by Duuuuuuuude

I agree, the process is always entertaining. I could watch people do stuff on youtube for hours and not really give a damn about what they were actually making.

This vid's only a couple minutes, but could touch off a couple hour detour. Watch at your own risk......



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Originally Posted by TEDROCKZ

Then you would have to see comments from people who never seen a mill tell you how wrong you're doing things

Pretty sure comments are disabled on every video I put up. I'm well aware of how lame my videos are, last thing I need is some spack-tard reaffirming what I already know.

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Originally Posted by Duuuuuuuude

Hey! On that Sketchup drawing I sent you, if you wanna do 7 holes through instead of sinking a single face, go for it, whichever's easier for you. One big pocket, or six pockets, don't matter to me, really, whichever you think will work better for what you're doing.
I just drew out what I thought would be easiest. Whatever changes you hafta make, go for it, just keep the screw heads behind the faces. And I don't have to care about track widths or anything, so if you wanna make the backs the same as the fronts, (or even skip the pocketing on the backs), that'll work, too.
Or make them 'as drawn', whichever.

[Duuuuuuuude]

Step #8



Step #9

[TEDROCKZ]

Now just tell everyone that is 1:1 footage of your new CNC running @1/4 speed

[Duuuuuuuude]

Step 10: Change to a 1/8 endmill, reset depth stop, move table, spin the part and cut the bead groove. Fip, repeat. The first side is done in 2 steps, the second side is done in 4. After the first groove is cut, you are left with a flexible edge on the wheel and cannot clamp very hard without breaking/disforming it. Either way is bad, so the second cut must be made in smaller increments to avoid having the part lifted out of the chuck. Refer to pic #2 for evidence of what happens when it does.






All that is left is a little light deburring and some shopping for rings.

[CREEPERBOB]

Nice work man, would it be possible to hold the wheel through the center hole for the second side bead groove cut?
Maybe make a jig with a hex that can be held in the chuck ?
Anyhow, great looking wheels, though I do like the kidney bean style, (showing my age ).

[Duuuuuuuude]

Originally Posted by CREEPERBOB

Nice work man, would it be possible to hold the wheel through the center hole for the second side bead groove cut?
Maybe make a jig with a hex that can be held in the chuck ?
Anyhow, great looking wheels, though I do like the kidney bean style, (showing my age ).

I'm sure it is, and its something I've been contemplating. I want to cut some material out along the outside diameter to drop some weight and help hold the foam...its reasonable to assume that I won't be able to hold it well enough to do that once the bead groove is cut. It'll need to be bolted down to something. Should be easy enough to do.

The kidney beans look killer, I agree. Its a simple design but works really well on a trail rig, especially here in hillbilly country.

[rob_b]

Make a disk similar to a bead lock ring only smaller to give the clamped area some support. Then get your grip on.