On Sat, 18 Jul 2015 22:20:04 -0400, Ed Huntress
wrote:

On Sat, 18 Jul 2015 19:13:00 -0700, wrote:

SNIP

This project happens after I sit down and figure out ratios so we can
turn a triple sheave drive pulley. He doesn't have a shaper, but I'm
pretty sure he has a set of broaches for cutting the keyway. Tubal
Cain has a good video on it. http://tinyurl.com/qxblhz4 Last year, I
found a $12.50 electronic tacho for fine tuning. Glenn has a little
forge set up, so we can actually cast this beastie in aluminum.
_BILLET_, BABY! g
I have always thought that billet meant forged or rolled material. as
oipposed to a chunk of cast material. So a chunk of cast material
could be machined into a part but the part could not be said to have
been machined from billet unless that cast chunk had first been forged
or rolled into a billet. Certainly a person can tell if the chunk
being machined is in the as cast form or in the rolled ("billet") or
forged ("billet") form.
Eric

A billet of steel is a rolled section that is thick for its width; a
square or fat rectangle. It's typically 6 in. to 18 in. on the long
side.

A billet of aluminum is a cast log, up to 30 in. diameter or even
larger, but more typically 18 in. diameter, that is generally useless
until it's cold-rolled to refine the grain.

The term has been abused by marketers for several decades. They have
no idea what they're talking about most of the time.
Apparently neither do I as I thought all billet material was worked
after casting, that in the as cast condition could not be considered
billet. But apparently cast aluminum logs are also billet.
Thanks,
Eric