dgfoster
Diamond
- Joined
- Jun 14, 2008
- Location
- Bellingham, WA
About two months ago I started talking about making a new straight edge/prism of about 24" length. One of many good suggestions I got here was to make it just a little longer---26" That seemed like a very good idea. So that is what was done. This straight edge is very similar to my 18 (which has been very popular) except it is a little taller and wider as well as 8" longer. It will accommodate a precision level vial in either of the center two "bays" just like the 18 does.
As cast it weighs right at 20 pounds (and about 15 pounds or less machined). It is 26 3/8" long. The sole is 3" wide and it is 2 1/2" tall. It can be shipped for about 40 dollars anywhere in the US and PR. the faces intersect at about 45 degrees, but can easily be machined to much steeper angles if needed.
Here are a few pics.
Just coming out of the sand
Seams ground and gates trimmed off
I am pleasantly surprised at how straight it is right out of the mold. A straight edge laid on the faces shows no more than a 1/16th gap. The faces are cast at about 45 degress included angle. But there is plenty of meat to machine the faces fully to 55 degrees. And, if an even steeper angle is needed for some reason, the faces could be milled to an even steeper angle with the top face being about 2 to 2.5 inches (should be a great plenty for almost all applications) wide.
A couple more views.
I will be properly thermally stress relieveing every one. I sell none with any rail or prism face defects larger than normal casting pock marks which could be as large as 1/16" or so and would be expected to machine out as at least 1/8" is intended to be machined off each face. Incidentally machining it should bring its weight to 15 pounds or so. In the 18 this design has proven to be very rigid and stable.
I have now cast this pattern 3 times all with good results so I think I can say the bugs in casting (actually it worked from the first casting which I never expect!) are worked out. I will be pricing it at 275 plus shipping. A few folks signed up early on when I suggested the price would be "about 250" and I intend to honor that price for them. Their encouragement helped me push this through to completion.
Denis
As cast it weighs right at 20 pounds (and about 15 pounds or less machined). It is 26 3/8" long. The sole is 3" wide and it is 2 1/2" tall. It can be shipped for about 40 dollars anywhere in the US and PR. the faces intersect at about 45 degrees, but can easily be machined to much steeper angles if needed.
Here are a few pics.
Just coming out of the sand
Seams ground and gates trimmed off
I am pleasantly surprised at how straight it is right out of the mold. A straight edge laid on the faces shows no more than a 1/16th gap. The faces are cast at about 45 degress included angle. But there is plenty of meat to machine the faces fully to 55 degrees. And, if an even steeper angle is needed for some reason, the faces could be milled to an even steeper angle with the top face being about 2 to 2.5 inches (should be a great plenty for almost all applications) wide.
A couple more views.
I will be properly thermally stress relieveing every one. I sell none with any rail or prism face defects larger than normal casting pock marks which could be as large as 1/16" or so and would be expected to machine out as at least 1/8" is intended to be machined off each face. Incidentally machining it should bring its weight to 15 pounds or so. In the 18 this design has proven to be very rigid and stable.
I have now cast this pattern 3 times all with good results so I think I can say the bugs in casting (actually it worked from the first casting which I never expect!) are worked out. I will be pricing it at 275 plus shipping. A few folks signed up early on when I suggested the price would be "about 250" and I intend to honor that price for them. Their encouragement helped me push this through to completion.
Denis