dgfoster
Diamond
- Joined
- Jun 14, 2008
- Location
- Bellingham, WA
New Design 30 X 12" Featherweight Rectangular Cast Iron Square Design Available 55#
A while back a customer who owns a CNC tool manufacturing company asked if I could design a 30 X 12 x 4" rectangular cast iron square that would weigh under 60 pounds. He advised me there is no such square and never has been such an item available and wanted one for use in his shop and to take with him when traveling to his customers business's for calibration of their machines and for use in setting up their tooling.
I felt it could be done but realized molding and casting a square of those dimensions from cast iron would be a challenge. I am happy to report that I got the job done and he is pleased. He feels there will be other manufacturers of CNC and related equipment manufacturers who will want to buy such a device. I am announcing availability of the square here too in case someone here is interested.
As cast the square weighs 55 pounds and likely will end up weighing a shade under 50 pounds. It is cast in grey iron. It is quite rigid as I have subjected it to deflection testing and it has exceeded expectations and his specifications.
Here are a few pics of the pattern from which it was cast. I made it from baltic birch. As you can see it is a split pattern.
Here is the first casting (which I rejected) of the square.
My customer promises pictures of his machining and grinding of the square. I will check with him about using the pics when they are available. I am nearly certain he will have no objection.
He will be using this square in place of his very heavy large granite squares which he presently uses and the 12K ceramic square which an employee dropped---entropy had its way with the ceramic---and the granite is very inconvenient to move around in his shop let alone travel with it.
Here is a video of the pour. Note that the crucible is very full and I have just enough metal to fill the mold. I dare not spill any and that is especially challenging when pouring from a FULL crucible. Aiming the first few pounds of iron from a 3/4 full crucible is pretty easy. Not so much with a 90% full one.
This was a very challenging design/build task and very gratifying to have a useful unique product.
Denis
PS I have in stock my other SE's---the 8", 18', 36" and 48"
A while back a customer who owns a CNC tool manufacturing company asked if I could design a 30 X 12 x 4" rectangular cast iron square that would weigh under 60 pounds. He advised me there is no such square and never has been such an item available and wanted one for use in his shop and to take with him when traveling to his customers business's for calibration of their machines and for use in setting up their tooling.
I felt it could be done but realized molding and casting a square of those dimensions from cast iron would be a challenge. I am happy to report that I got the job done and he is pleased. He feels there will be other manufacturers of CNC and related equipment manufacturers who will want to buy such a device. I am announcing availability of the square here too in case someone here is interested.
As cast the square weighs 55 pounds and likely will end up weighing a shade under 50 pounds. It is cast in grey iron. It is quite rigid as I have subjected it to deflection testing and it has exceeded expectations and his specifications.
Here are a few pics of the pattern from which it was cast. I made it from baltic birch. As you can see it is a split pattern.
Here is the first casting (which I rejected) of the square.
My customer promises pictures of his machining and grinding of the square. I will check with him about using the pics when they are available. I am nearly certain he will have no objection.
He will be using this square in place of his very heavy large granite squares which he presently uses and the 12K ceramic square which an employee dropped---entropy had its way with the ceramic---and the granite is very inconvenient to move around in his shop let alone travel with it.
Here is a video of the pour. Note that the crucible is very full and I have just enough metal to fill the mold. I dare not spill any and that is especially challenging when pouring from a FULL crucible. Aiming the first few pounds of iron from a 3/4 full crucible is pretty easy. Not so much with a 90% full one.
This was a very challenging design/build task and very gratifying to have a useful unique product.
Denis
PS I have in stock my other SE's---the 8", 18', 36" and 48"