You are correct that a cnc lathe would be the ideal tool. It is inherently going to produce parts that are more round (the technical term here is having less ‘run out’). However, the issue of flipping the part over and trying to machine the back is just as difficult. You have to position the part so that the center is the same (concentric) which is not an easy task. Keep in mind we are talking about keeping things within a couple thousands of an inch. (1/1000 or 0.001). If the centers are not perfect then one side will be thicker than the other and it will have vibration.
I do have access to a cnc lathe, but it is not really the best design. It is really a mini lathe mounted on the cnc mill and it uses the cnc mill to move the tool. That is the only cnc lathe that I will have access to in the machine shop I use. However, I am buying a house and in August that will be final. So I can start setting up my own shop. I have some plans to either by an old cnc lathe and modify it to upgrade the electronics, or build my own lathe from scratch. So I will keep you all posted on how that goes. If I can start earning a little bit of extra money from powder coating, laser etching, annodizing and machining yoyos. I can use that money to pay for the lathe.
Right now it takes me about 2 hours to machine a hub. That is far from optimized. I think once I get my process down I should be able to make a yoyo in about an hour and a half of machine time. That doesn’t count programming the machine, cutting the raw stock, setting it up or tumbling the parts after they are machined. I used up about half of the bar in tests, so I still have enough for a couple more yoyos. I don’t have to pay for the machine shop that I use. I have access to it through my work. Once I can consistently make good yoyos I will start offering my services for prototypes and one of a kind yoyos.
People asked for pictures of the Buster Sword, so here they are. This was the first machining project I really did. The whole thing is made of metal. Sorry for not mean in the photos, I can’t smile on command and if I try it always looks weird.
And here’s the video of the Summit being machined, it should help you understand what I was saying:
The catch zone and the cup are machined in a single step. You can also see that they add the bearing seat and the response groove on another machine later.
I am not sure what the sword weighs off the top of my head. It was pretty heavy, but lighter then expected. I think it is in the ball park of around 25 pounds. The big issue is the center of gravity is pretty far forward and that makes it awkward to handle. Obviously this sword was never realistic so these things were not a problem. If you are serious about me making you one PM and we can talk. But it is gonna cost $200 in the the raw materials, and then add my time on top. But if you want one I can make it happen.
That video of the Summit being machined is great. I wish I had a cnc lathe like that, but I just don’t have one. They also have a special expanding chuck to hold it when it is flipped over to machine the bearing seat. I will never be able to compete with a machine shop for production runs. If you want 100 yoyos then I am not the guy to talk to. Unless you want me to help you with production drawings, specing out tolerances, etc. However, if you want one or two of a design to test out before you order higher quantities then I might be able to do that. Also, if you want something else machined like that I could help.
That was just to show you how they’re made by the actual companies, no one expects you to compete with full time, full sized machine shops, we’re just very happy that you’re able to make your own yoyos and getting every documented report of your findings. Keep it up, this is great.
I wasn’t trying to implying that anyone expects me to compete. I just was pointing out the it wouldn’t be realistic and in no way would it be profitable. I have had a few people message me about making production runs and it just isn’t gonna happen anytime soon. If the shop I use ever get a true cnc lathe, then maybe. I do have plans on building my own cnc lathe though and I will document that when it happens. That might be my winter project. If I can get to the point where I am making a small amount of money machining things for the community it would make that happen sooner. I just don’t have any free money for buying parts for the lathe right now. After I get settled in my new house in August I might have some spare money to buy parts for the lathe.
I suppose I could do a spin top. Like everything else I would need to see what exactly you wanted machined before I tell you for sure.
The plan was to bore the slots out to hold materia. But we waited because we wanted to make the holes match whatever we found for materia. The guy I made it for was looking for some and never got any. It would be really simple to program it up and machine the holes. But unless I know exactly what was gonna go inside them, it would be hard to make it fit perfectly.
I emailed you back Josh! Really glad that your documenting all your stuff and letting the public in on your updates. Hope your a member who stays around for a while.
I have some plans to either by an old cnc lathe and modify it to upgrade the electronics, or build my own lathe from scratch. So I will keep you all posted on how that goes. If I can start earning a little bit of extra money from powder coating, laser etching, annodizing and machining yoyos. I can use that money to pay for the lathe.