ThreadExpress 2. 2 - Pros and Cons
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- Опубликовано: 29 сен 2024
- This video ThreadExpress 2.2 Thread Extending, Pro and Cons.
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Where can I purchase one ? I’m ready! I’ll sign a NDA, whatever penalties you want to put in there. It’s only going to my one man garage/ shop.
I have watched every single video, I’ve been waiting for this to go to market. I just can’t believe it’s not generating massive interest ? What an incredible tooling accessory!! 🍻
I know, it mystifies me also. Glad some of you folk can see the potential. Maybe it just needs more time out there. So far the demand is too small to justify the input. Cheers, Cliff
Cliff, I have a Bridgeport, so mounting a Threadexpress is no problem. I'm keen to have one, just for the novelty and the advantages that you have outlined. It's difficult to assess the best way to go about it without knowing how the pitch generator operates. If it's a simple mechanism, then I'd be willing to purchase drawings, but I understand how you would quickly lose control over your intellectual property that way. It's a conundrum!
Regards, Preso
I think I have it figured out. Its probably just a leadscrew moving a nut, acting on a lever with a variable ratio to achieve the various pitches, or similar
As I recall you were going to reveal you thread milling accessories design, maybe even sell drawings. It seems now you are still looking for a way for the device to be an accessory you can market. I am disappointed but wish you well. Regards, Will
@@darrenfloen2693 Thanks for your thoughts! Cheers, Cliff
@@bid6413 Hi Will. Yes, that was my intention. Since then, I have had a few messages warning me that if I disclose the IP, I will lose all control. So now I don't know what to do! At some stage I may return to my original plan and disclose the design. Thanks for your good wishes. Cliff
Hi Presco. Thanks for your thoughts. You have got me thinking...drop me an email if you want to discuss this. Cheers, Cliff
Thank you for this thought provoking series of videos. I have never done thread milling of any kind and I appreciate your explanations of the technique's many advantages. Unfortunately, like many amateurs, I don't think I will ever do enough threading to justify building or buying such a device even if it were commercially available. That said, it seems to me that a lathe could be easily converted for thread milling if a reasonably robust milling spindle were attached to the cross slide, set to the proper helix angle and fitted with a thread milling cutter. The work piece would be held by an appropriate chuck, faceplate, etc and the thread lead would be set up normally via the lathes leadscrew. The work would be rotated at an appropriate speed by attaching a hand crank or one of the many other usual speed reduction methods. If indexing were required, it could be readily accomplished at the same setup by one of the many lathe indexing designs available on RUclips.
Thanks for your thoughts and feedback! Cheers, Cliff
Hi Cliff. I would like to see it in action using the horizontal spindle.
Does your machine accept a 90-degree attachment on the horizontal spindle? If it does, the unit could be aligned along the X-axis. If it does not, maybe a D-bit type cutter will cut the thread with the unit still aligned along the X-axis.
Have you considered a complete stand-alone unit with a simple single-phase cutting spindle? For me, it would be far more saleable, especially to those without a larger machine or even if they have no mill. It could be purchased as a second op machine for a regular job.
I hope these thoughts help you.
Hi. Thanks for your thoughts. OK note to self, a video with the horizontal spindle. Yes, my Kondia head does accept a right-angle attachment, but I do not have one. I have tried D bit thread cutting, but it is not very efficient. My original design back in 2009 was stand alone. There is an old video of it in my ThreadExpress playlist. Cheers, Cliff
Thread cutting is a process that I find very interesting so I find this series intriguing. I'm looking forward to seeing how this machine works. If you published the plans, I would be interested. Can it be set to cut left-hand threads? I hate to recommend a Chinese manufacturer, but have you checked with Sinobi Mould? The company I used to work for used them a lot. They do really good work and the prices are very low. If you do use them, I'd send only a part or two at a time so they never see the whole assembly. Maybe you could keep some of the proprietary parts for yourself. If you go with a 5C collet spindle, there are small 3 and 4 jaw chucks that mount into them.
Hi there. Thanks for your thoughts and feedback. This current design can only cut right hand. Cheers, Cliff
This would be an opportunity to leverage the technology of CAD and 3D printing to produce component parts. Another way to maintain proprietary ownership would be to have a vendor mfg. %90 of the device while you supply several of key components, patents can and will be broken, copywriting would probably be more effective along with licensing. in the end its a relatively small market of machine geeks and nerds like me that want one. Much respect for the design simplicity of analog technology.
Thanks for your thoughts! Cheers, Cliff
I think that you've developed an interesting tool with an extremely limited market potential. As you noted, thread milling can be easily accomplished on a lathe with a tool post grinder. So anyone with a lathe is likely not a viable customer for your product, but they need a relatively large mill to use it. That is a very small market and I wouldn't waste much time pursuing it.
I appreciate your thoughts/appraisal. As you can probably see I have been mulling a lot over this subject. I used to thread mill on my lathe for many years, I had made two different attachments. But now I choose ThreadExpress over those because it is quicker to set up and doesn't tie the lathe up when attached to the same extent. Also, it is easier to set the ratios and easier to rotate the chuck at the right speed etc. Also, because I can do index milling at the same time if it is required. All the same, those are subtle points that are difficult to convince others of. Cheers, Cliff
Pretty cool. For the mini mills to avoid the stack height of the mechanism you would have to go to an electronically synchronized system. Basically a rotatary table and chuck on its on Z axis with steppers synchronized by a basic control box for dialling in speed and pitch and a start stop button.
Thanks for your thoughts. Cheers, Cliff
Keep Punching Cliff 👍
An invention like this WILL find a manufacturer.
I’d be punting on India to find someone with the capabilities, the skills, and probable ( domestic) markets.
Lots of quality stuff starting to come out of India ( ditto for Turkey).
Avoid the design-stealing Chicoms at all costs IMHO.
Regards
Robert
🇦🇺
Thanks for the encouragement, Robert! I needed that! Cheers, Cliff
@@Threadexpress
Cliff,
From my limited experience, bringing a ‘machine’ to market is a long hard road.
Keep at it…. the Threadexpress WILL have a market.
Probably not in the USA, or Western Europe, but certainly in developing countries IMHO.
Robert
OK, nice on a manual mill.
But any half decent CNC can do that too, nowadays ;-)
Yes, I do thread milling on my CNC also. But for some work I prefer ThreadExpress. Cheers, Cliff
Curious what the two DRO’s on your mill are for?
Ahh...very observant! Well back in the day DRO's were very pricy so I only bought a 2 axis Hiedenhain DRO. But as they became more affordable, and I had more $, I decided to add a Z DRO, but as the HH was decades old I thought I would buy a 3 axis display for the Z, so if the HH scales die, I can just replace those and utilize the newer X and Y display. Cheers, Cliff
I want one of those so bad ! Amazing tool !!!
Thanks for your feedback. Cheers, Cliff
Pretty cool invention!
Cheers! Cliff
I always appreciate when you explain your thought process. Thanks!
Thanks for that feedback! Cheers, Cliff
Very interesting. That attachment is great, on another level. Good work sir
Thank you, appreciated. Cliff
interesting stuff
Cheers! Cliff