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How it's Made - Metal Spinning

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LAN_403

cbfull

Sat May 06 2006, 08:33PM

Registered Member #187 Joined: Thu Feb 16 2006, 02:54PM
Location: Central Ohio
Posts: 140

Anyone catch this episode? It has an excellent section on professional metal spinning. I think there are quite a few of us curious HV'rs who have been wanting to see aluminum being spun. Doesn't look like it's nearly as simple as I thought. It was so amazing to watch these machines work the metal into a beatiful shape.

Thingmaker3

Sun May 07 2006, 02:57AM

Registered Member #124 Joined: Fri Feb 10 2006, 01:30PM
Location: Portland Oregon
Posts: 35

I don't watch TV, but one may buy metal spinning "how-to" guides from Lindsay Publications.

Maz

Sun May 07 2006, 03:12AM

Registered Member #111 Joined: Fri Feb 10 2006, 01:04AM
Location: Menasha,Wisconsin
Posts: 65

just incase some people had missed it (like i had) there is always the . T O R R E N T option. though you might have to download the series...

HV Enthusiast

Sun May 07 2006, 12:56PM

Registered Member #15 Joined: Thu Feb 02 2006, 01:11PM
Location:
Posts: 3068

John Freau, one of the amateur toroid masters, has a few cool pics of his home toroid spinning apparatus. Pretty cool stuff and his toroids are top notch. He sells three different sizes.

http://hometown.aol.com/futuret/page1.html

Avalanche

Sun May 07 2006, 02:44PM

Registered Member #103 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 08:16PM
Location: Derby, UK
Posts: 845

I've always wondered about spinning. I was going to have a go at spinning some small toroids because I have access to a lathe, but it's just one of those things where I've always thought "no, this'll just end in disaster" so I haven't bothered.

Roughly how thick is the aluminium sheet used? I can't see what stops it springing off the former slightly as you're spinning it, or how you get the edges so accurate

Cesiumsponge

Sun May 07 2006, 04:03PM

Registered Member #397 Joined: Wed Apr 19 2006, 12:56AM
Location: Western Washington
Posts: 125

Hello,

I have one of Freau's 6x1.75" toroids I bought years ago and it's great. I'm glad to still see he makes them and I might have to snag one more in the future. It's a shame spinning isn't more widespread. When you spin a toroid, it's a two part process per toroid-half. I'm terrible at explaining, but first you spin the inside profile on the first form so it resembles a splayed cup:

(top end towards lathe chuck)
\_/

That first op gives you a smooth, sharp line on the inside of the toroid. It wouldn't be possible to do it any other way. Then you flip the sheet metal around, pop on another form that creates the minor diameter, and spin that to fold the lip of the cup back over:

(
| (this end facing lathe chuck)
(

Then form your lip seams and use a partoff tool to get the edge you want. Then you can do finishing operations such as brushing or polishing. Thickness depends on how strong you are and how much leverage you can apply in a hobbyshop environment. It doesn't spring off the former because you're always applying pressure from your burnishing/spinning tool against the workpiece, against the mold or form. Aluminum isn't terribly springy anyhow. Freau uses one of those brass eyelet things to keep the toroid halves together and it works wonders. T

Basically spinning metal is a puzzle. You'll have to figure out if your spun form needs a mold that can break down or you have to do it in multiple steps. If you don't plan right, you'll get a spun shape that's stuck to your mold and not removable.

Part Scavenger

Tue May 09 2006, 02:18AM

Registered Member #79 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 11:35AM
Location: Arkansas
Posts: 673

Metal spinning depends heavily on the right kind of metal. Make sure you get the right stuff if you're going to buy it. If you liked that episode (pretty cool huh? I loved the machine doing the pot) look for DIY's "Woodturning Techniques" the "metal bowl" episode. It comes on from time to time and IIRC is pretty informative although the project is pretty basic.

You may be able to find it on DIY's site too.

Here's a good tutorial

And just to back up the 'sponge, that is how you do it.

I've actually tried spinning with various degrees of success and talked to pewtersmiths that do it. I haven't had the time to actually go after it. It is something I'm quite interested in, however.

FastMHz

Tue May 09 2006, 06:53PM

Registered Member #179 Joined: Thu Feb 16 2006, 02:08AM
Location: Hagerstown, Maryland - Close to Prime Outlets
Posts: 287

I season passed "How it's made" in my Tivo so I saw that one and all the others. I was amazed at how spinning was done, I've always wondered how simple yet seemingly complex things like pots and pans were made. Too bad that series ended a while back...

Mike

Wed May 10 2006, 01:40AM

Registered Member #58 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 05:40AM
Location: Tri-Cities, Washington, US
Posts: 317

FastMHz, Any chance you might be able to cut the section on spinning out and host it on some video site like youtube.com However I am not sure about the legality of this, so mods go ahead and delete/edit this post if its against rules/law.

Thanks,
Mike

FastMHz

Wed May 10 2006, 05:30PM

Registered Member #179 Joined: Thu Feb 16 2006, 02:08AM
Location: Hagerstown, Maryland - Close to Prime Outlets
Posts: 287

Sorry, even if it was legal I deleted it after I watched it...Science Channel does re-run the episodes over and over again though.

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