My little part of the gulf spill solution

[POLZIN]

As some of you know I own a small machine shop. As it happens one of my largest customers designs sub containment housings that I manufacture the tube sections for.

The tubes pictured are bound for the BP rig in the gulf and will hold some sort of electronics. I make these almost continuously in a huge variety of sizes from 4 to over 400lbs and for the most part its really boing and not worth mentioning but this being such a hot topic I thought I would share.

These are off to the anodizer.This is how they ship me the material and I ship the final product to anodizer and ultimatley the customer.

 

[ruffryder]

cool, nice pics.

You probably have a pretty big lathe to do that work??

 

[POLZIN]

Yes I do! Here is a pic of me standing in it. Im 6'5" 235# ! Having this machine is what got me the job in the first place. Those are fairly small parts for this machine 3300#s is the maximum workpiece weight for that brute but I thread 1/2' -13 Generator balance weights all the time!

 

[94fordguy]

wow! Thats some serious weight

 

[m8magicandmystery]

interesting stuff...looks like top notch craftmenship..!!!!

 

[bgreen776]

Thats nice work. Can you give us some details? I'm a geek and love the details.

Material? Heat Treat? Tolerances? Machined from billet or tubing? Software used? Favorite insert manufacturer? Pics of your boring bars?

 

[Burndown1]

I am also a machinist, Nice work. You do the big money work. Jealous.

 

[POLZIN]

Thats nice work. Can you give us some details? I'm a geek and love the details.

Material? Heat Treat? Tolerances? Machined from billet or tubing? Software used? Favorite insert manufacturer? Pics of your boring bars?

6061 tubing no special heat treating Just hardcoat anodizing
mastercam X2
Kennametal only
Machine is an Okuma LU 45M ( Twin turret/live tooling ) 63500#s We moveed this spring its a pain da azz to move!

the only tight tolerances are in the seal bore and face. Dimensions are +.002 -.000 32 rms or better finish . These are not super critical or very hard parts. These guys have me do some titanium end rings for thier ceramic tubes. those are some of the most difficult parts I make in some of the toughest most expensive material . I take a week making parts like that I can make 4-5 tubes like this per day if I have the orders.