Remachining Optics

Having turned-down a number using double-sided tape, I figured there had to be a better way. For those of you fortunate enough to have access to a lathe:

The double shielded ball bearings are 1/4ID, 1/2OD, 3/16W, McMaster cat# 57155K57. The thrust bearing is a Torrington #NTA-411, and the thrust washers are Torr. #TRA/TRB-411. The nose insert is a pressed-in Teflon piece, and I drilled it with a #4 center drill (60deg) which is close to the NX-05's 58deg. The "spud" for the lathe chuck/collet has a thin piece of silicone rubber crazy-glued to it for added "traction." I did 4 optics before I bothered to glue on the rubber, and it still worked. Reason it's so small is so I could do a couple .45" dia (N-cell /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif)

Larry

very nice! (i think some demonstration pics are in order /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif )

needless to say...i'm extremely excited! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Any finished small optics and beam shots? I'd be extremely interested in trying out one /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

Nice tooling Larry!

- Don

Considering the quality of the rest of this the shielded bearings are probably ABEC 7's *sigh*

Nice work!

I have been reducing a bunch of optics recently. I really hate it when the double-sided tape comes off on the optic /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif . Reducing optic's O.D. doesn't increase the photon thruput! Smaller aperatures= smaller flashlights but everything is a trade-off. At least this thing takes some of the sport out of it.

Roth- You'll get your chance /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

LmASAP- Your mods are incredible! What dia would you like- I can send you one to try. Smallest I've done one is .45"dia, and even after shortening it accordingly, it still makes a beam of sorts.

Don- Thanks- (Not much to it, though.)

Tomas- Just ABEC 5s

Larry

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Dan

what's funny is, that i (apparently) had a dream about this, because i "remember" you emailing me with a pic of this device, but it looked very different /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yellowlaugh.gif