I'm looking for someone who can make precision cam gear moon cuts on my B16A valve cover. I intend to have fittings welded on the front, then have it powder coated, so it needs to look good. Please post here or PM me if you can do it, or know someone who can. Thanks!

 

No one here does this?

 

cut off wheel and a grinder

 

I just used a dremel, a die grinder, and alot of time measuring/layout, and it turned out perfect, I will post pics when my vc gest doen at the coater.

 

Thanks for the suggestions, but i don't want to hack it up myself. I'd rather pay someone who has the proper equipment.

 

I made a jig for my plasma

 

I don't think anyone really has a 'proper setup'. Its thin cast aluminum. With the time it'd take to zero the jig out on a machine, then zero the head out on the jig, you could have paid a less experienced but capible 25 yr old to do a rough cut with a jig saw, get it close with a die grinder, then nearly perfect with a cam gear-sized cutout and layout dye to file it out virtually spot-on.

Multi-axis lasers aren't cheap to buy or own. My school bought one recently for a crazy sum for a multi-axis CO2 laser (was 1 or 3 mil), had to knock down a wall, and wire in an extremely heavy duty dedicated circuit for it. When you can have 'Bob' do it all before you can even get the cover indicated, then you do. But by all means don't let this stop you from searching. I still have a number for a local 5-axis laser shop if you want it. They charge $150 per hour to program the machine, as well as $1500 for setting it up for the 1st run.

 

So, do you think the term "laser" cut is just something people call it, but not actually the way it was done? That's really expensive! I'm just looking for a clean cut. It really surprises me that no one has come forward to say they can do this, or at least give me the name of a shop who does this on a regular basis.

 

<-- Laser industry insider. Laser cutting is not a myth.

HiProfile is saying that to have a laser with the wattage (fluence for HiPRo ) power to cut that thickness of Al and the motion stages XY and maybe Z and U to make the cuts you describe will cost you big money.

If you are really set on it, you'll have to find a ND:YAG to cut Al. CO2 will only cut ferrous metals and will barely mark AL.

KISS. Use a air grinder and a carbide bit.

Most times it is better to do it the old way than using a method meant for high production and a tool capable of micron level precision.

 

I didn't say laser cutting was a myth. However, when someone says their valve cover was laser cut, it could be bs. I don't care how it's cut, as long as it doesn't looked hacked.

 

You could take it to a machine shop and have them cut it. There would be a setup + labor fee but it would be cut as precise as you could want.

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...ZWDVW

contact this seller...

i am no way affiliated or purchased anything from this guy, i just saw it on ebay...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by rkeith &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You could take it to a machine shop and have them cut it. There would be a setup + labor fee but it would be cut as precise as you could want. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Machine shops around here gouge you. It would be nice to support a local business, but not when they rip you off.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by crxgator &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...ZWDVW

contact this seller...

i am no way affiliated or purchased anything from this guy, i just saw it on ebay...</TD></TR></TABLE>

That's what I'm talking about! Exactly what I want. I even like the idea of the carbon fiber cover if it didn't cover up a portion of the valve cover. I'll contact him, thanks!

 

unless u really want moons, just cut it like this

 

Yep, that's what I might have to do. I want moons because I drive the thing every day and don't want a rock to get jammed in there. Bad things always happen to me!

By the way, gorgeous engine bay, nice paint color, and the best looking coating I've ever seen on a manifold. I hope it stays that color. What is it?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Sprockets &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> best looking coating I've ever seen on a manifold. I hope it stays that color. What is it?</TD></TR></TABLE>

full race manifold jet coated

 

I'd suggest 'hacking' it to w/in an 1/8", then finding a place that has a machine that's essentially a very accurate (sturdy) drill press. One shop I installed DNC software in had one that was used to put holes in the sides of tall, thick steel plates. The machine I saw was strudy enough to put in the chuck a fly cutter and go to town on that valve cover. All they'd have to do is secure it to a verticle plate, then feed the fly cutter down and make a very clean cut.

The main reason most shops charge so much is setup time. Production work is key to making money, so they discourage one-off's. The place I work has Sony digital displays that are accurate to .0002+-. If you tell the place you need just 1/64th accuracy, they'll just slap it on quick and you won't tell the difference.

Honestly, the only way you could make it look like a hack job is if you spent under 10 minutes doing it yourself. A good hour doing it would give you something very nice. Rough cut (hack/jig saw), rough grind (die grinder), rough sand (die grinder w/cart. rolls), then file it down. If you worry about the finish not being cnc-like, then just polish it some. You won't have people looking at the underside with a mirror in most cases.

 

never heard of a 'fly cutter'

got a pic of this device?

 

used in a mill/cnc machine. imagine a hole cutter but instead of multiple teeth, it uses a single fixed cutter that is most of the time adjustable to change the cutting area. used in most cases to plane a surface.

is there enough material in a DOHC cover to center drill for a hole cutter that size?

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by cua0 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">never heard of a 'fly cutter'

got a pic of this device?</TD></TR></TABLE>

 

We used them at school all the time. You can rough cut something and then take the last few passes with a fly cutter to make sure everything is true. Got this from Cater Tools:



Or the tool second in from the right in the back row (linked from Industrial Product Finder):



~SKY~

 

use the appropriate sized hole saw on a 90* hole hog. thats what i did. i did mine in the car too.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by postman &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">cut off wheel and a grinder</TD></TR></TABLE>