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Metalworking (rec.crafts.metalworking) Discuss various aspects of working with metal, such as machining, welding, metal joining, screwing, casting, hardening/tempering, blacksmithing/forging, spinning and hammer work, sheet metal work. |
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Question, any help would be appreciated : )
Hi all, I want pay someone to produce multiple copies of a piece of
metal in a certain shape. This piece of metal will be small (about 1 cm x 1 cm x 1.5 millimeters.) It will have a small slit in it, which is meant to fit snugly over another piece of metal, so the specified dimensions of the metal piece being produced must be reproduced with a very high amount of precision and accuracy. I am pretty new and clueless to the world of metalworking, but I have a background in the physical sciences and math, and am a fast learner. Can anyone suggest a production method for this piece of metal that I'm talking about? Perhaps die casting? If anyone has any introduction to metalworking websites/documents that they think would be helpful, I would greatly appreaciate any suggestions here as well |
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#3
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I understand the concept of tolerances, but I'm not sure what tolerance
would result in "no perceptible play," which is what I'm trying to achieve. This metal piece that I'm trying to manufacture is intended to be used to extend the length of a knob on a musical instrument. The metal piece will be moved a lot in the course of the use of the instrument, and will need to remain snugly in place over the metal tab which it fit over, with no perceptible play. There won't be a lot of force in the direction that would pull the tab off, but there will be a small amount. Ideally, I would like to consult with someone who could manufacture the part for me, who could also help me work all of the minutia that need to be worked out to get the part to function as I would like it to. However, if this isn't available or is prohibitively costly, I can learn how to work out the minutia myself. In this case, I would need to either: a) measure the magnitude and direction of the forces that are typically applied to this part of the musical instrument, and use those combined with information about the materials being used to calculate how snug the metal piece will need to be. or b) produce a few prototypes and simply test them to see how well they function. This would be much easier than option (a), but I don't know if it will be exceedingly costly. I don't have anything more precise and accurate than a ruler to measure with, but I know that the metal piece that I'm trying to produce will need to be manufactured with a tolerance for fluctuation from the desired dimensions of less than a millimeter. Any ideas? Thanks very much again -Max |
#4
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In article .com,
wrote: I understand the concept of tolerances, but I'm not sure what tolerance would result in "no perceptible play," which is what I'm trying to achieve. "No perceptible play" needs to also take into account the variation in dimensions of the piece to which it will be fitted. Unless you are able to control the dimensions of the part on all of the instruments to which your part would be applied, yours would need to be adjustable to make up for that. I would consider "no perceptible play" to be in the vicinity of a light interference fit, and without knowledge of and control of the dimensions of the piece to which it fits, I don't think that you can get away without the ability to adjust. It sort of sounds like an extension of something like a flute key, to enable a smaller hand to reach it. And I'm pretty sure that flute keys (even within the same maker) are not that consistent in thickness. [ ... ] I don't have anything more precise and accurate than a ruler to measure with, but I know that the metal piece that I'm trying to produce will need to be manufactured with a tolerance for fluctuation from the desired dimensions of less than a millimeter. Significantly less -- and perhaps as tight as +/- 0.01mm (which is close to 0.0005 inch). You seriously need to improve your measuring instruments. And if you are fitting something like a flute key, you probably can't use the typical micrometer to do it, because the surface curves. Any ideas? Thanks very much again Not while you are being so close mouthed about the details. You might want to start processing on a patent first, if you are so worried about that. Good Luck, DoN. -- Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564 (too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html --- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero --- |
#6
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I don't have anything more precise and accurate than a ruler to measure
with, but I know that the metal piece that I'm trying to produce will need to be manufactured with a tolerance for fluctuation from the desired dimensions of less than a millimeter. At first, I would like to manufacture as small a number as possible to make sure that they function as I'm hoping they'll function. Once I know that they function as I want them to function, I really only need a small number of them... maybe around 100. If other people find them helpful, I may want to manufacture more later. Also, the number that I would like to manufacture all depends on the cost... if manufacturing 100 costs practically the same as manufacturing 1000, I'll go for manufacturing 100. But if manufacturing 1000 is much more costly than manufacturing 100, I'll have 100 made for now, and make more later if they're needed. As far as material to construct the part out of, I am really needing in guidance... perhaps if I describe the purpose of the part that I'm trying to create it will help. This metal piece that I'm trying to manufacture is intended to be used to extend the length of a knob on a musical instrument. This metal piece will be moved a lot in the course of the use of the instrument, and will need to remain snugly in place over the metal tab which it fit over, with no perceptible play. There won't be a lot of force in the direction that would pull the tab off, but there will be a small amount. Ideally, I would like to consult with someone who could manufacture the part for me, who could also help me work all of the minutia that need to be worked out to get the part to function as I would like it to. However, if this isn't available or is prohibitively costly, I can learn how to work out the minutia myself. In this case, I would need to either: a) measure the magnitude and direction of the forces that are typically applied to this part of the musical instrument, and use those combined with information about the materials being used to calculate how snug the metal piece will need to be. or b) produce a few prototypes and simply test them to see how well they function. This would be much easier than option (a), but I don't know if it will be exceedingly costly. Any ideas? Thanks very much again -Max |
#7
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I forgot to add that since the part will be used in a musical
instrument, it will be moved and banged on a lot (only by the range of forces exerted in the use of the musical instrument) and should not get bent out of shape from these forces. I'm sure that material is the key factor in this, so that is something that I need to factor in as well. |
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#9
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I've researched into the applicable patent law, and the metal piece
that I'm trying to manufacture is too obvious to patent. I agree that the relationship that you're describing would be ideal. I would like to find someone like that to work with. In my experience with business however, I've only ever encountered people that want to screw you from every possible angle before you have the chance to know what hit you. I am by nature a person that wants to only engage in non-zero sum exchanges (transactions from which all parties benefit). However, I've learned from experience that if you don't protect yourself, you'll get ripped off in a second, and that even the most seemingly fair and kind person will probably switch personalities at the prospect of profit. At the same time, there are some genuinely honest and fair people out there, but they make up a much smaller percentage of the population than most people would think. In my present situation, the only way to protect myself would be to either: a) work with someone who is legit (if you can recommend anyone, I live in the Chicagoland area. Like I said, I am only interested in engaging in relationships in which everybody benefits, so the person to which I'm referred to would benefit as well) or b) legally pin down the person who I work with such that they can't take the idea, manufacture the part themself and start selling it (not that they would probably know the target market anyway) Of course, option A is much more preferable. However, if option A doesn't pan out, do you know how an unconnected person finds a metalworker that could do what I'm trying to have done? |
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