mattcc
off to a rocking start
Member since August 2022
Posts: 19
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Post by mattcc on Sept 11, 2022 11:35:59 GMT -5
Hi everyone! I am in the process of designing and building a cabbing machine. I am nearly there, however the shaft I designed is going to be a bit expensive to have machined. Am I correct to assume that I need to use some type of stainless steel so the shaft does not corrode? I've been pricing shafts made of 303 stainless. If there is some other suitable metal that is cheaper I would surely like to know. Any ideas? Is stainless even necessary? Can I just use carbon steel and grease the thing well? Any thoughts or advice will be much appreciated. Thanks!
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goldfinder
Cave Dweller 
Member since December 2020
Posts: 273
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Post by goldfinder on Sept 11, 2022 14:25:13 GMT -5
Hi everyone! I am in the process of designing and building a cabbing machine. I am nearly there, however the shaft I designed is going to be a bit expensive to have machined. Am I correct to assume that I need to use some type of stainless steel so the shaft does not corrode? I've been pricing shafts made of 303 stainless. If there is some other suitable metal that is cheaper I would surely like to know. Any ideas? Is stainless even necessary? Can I just use carbon steel and grease the thing well? Any thoughts or advice will be much appreciated. Thanks!
Hey Mattcc! Covington Engineering sells steel and stainless steel threaded cabbing arbors for a very reasonable price. I recently built a cabbing machine and went through a lot of trouble sourcing a suitable arbor and the one I got from a machinist had a slight bend and caused a lot of problems. The Covington one worked great and is very high quality, a few of us have gone that route on our cabbing builds. Stainless is slightly more expensive but should give you many more years of service over carbon steel. Hope that helps! |
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rockbrain
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2022
Posts: 3,120
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Post by rockbrain on Sept 11, 2022 17:08:38 GMT -5
I'll second what goldfinder said. I ended up not building but did a lot of research. Found the cheapest place for stock and a machinist that would do what I wanted. I was better off buying it ready made from Covington.
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mattcc
off to a rocking start
Member since August 2022
Posts: 19
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Post by mattcc on Oct 18, 2022 19:10:47 GMT -5
Thanks for the good information! After thoroughly researching sources myself I can agree that Covington is the way to go. I ordered the 36" long, 1" diameter shaft, and I had them custom drill and tap each end to accept 1/4"-20 threads. (Left-hand threads on the left side and right-hand on the right.) It was delivered the other day and I am very pleased with it so far. The cabbing machine build is not complete, but everything is fitting onto it just right so far. The company is also very responsive and easy to deal with.
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Post by Rockoonz on Oct 19, 2022 1:44:39 GMT -5
mattcc I also got the same shaft, but didn't get the ends drilled, might regret that. I have bearings I think I will be happy with, still working on the bearing and pulley housing. If the perfect end cut of 10" x 6 or 8" tube doesn't materialize soon I guess it's time to get bar stock and fabricate/weld it up.
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vance71975
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since September 2022
Posts: 760
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Post by vance71975 on Oct 20, 2022 3:02:32 GMT -5
I dont have an Engineering background, but I do make Knives, and from the perspective of a Knifemaker, I wouldnt use 303 stainless for anything. Honestly, If you can afford it and can find it in Round Bar Steel Aus 8 is much better and also Stainless. If you have to go with a numbered stainless I would go for HC 440 Stainless.
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Post by Rockoonz on Oct 20, 2022 8:27:26 GMT -5
I dont have an Engineering background, but I do make Knives, and from the perspective of a Knifemaker, I wouldnt use 303 stainless for anything. Honestly, If you can afford it and can find it in Round Bar Steel Aus 8 is much better and also Stainless. If you have to go with a numbered stainless I would go for HC 440 Stainless. I don't make knives, only purchase bare blades to add my own scales to. Also not formally trained in engineering as it applies to metals. I have, however, been trained as a tool and die maker and know my way around a machine shop. Do you make your knives from blanks or do you forge them? I watch youtube videos on damascus and mokume gane and I have bricks to build a small forge in my spare time if I ever have any LOL. The properties you're looking for in steel for knives is considerably different from machined shafting, since a 1" diameter shaft for a grinder is huge overkill as long as the bearings are properly spaced, the only important consideration is oxidization resistance and that it is straight without tensions that could cause it to lose that straightness later, something virtually any 300 series stainless can handle. I'm sure Covington didn't use 303, 330 is much more likely just because it machines easier in my experience. 440HC cannot be purchased in shafting, pretty much only used as welding wire for 440C, which is to my knowledge only available as sheet and plate. 400 series is magnetic, I believe, and less resistant to rust. I thought about getting all the elements needed to build the pans and shields for my cabber in stainless, but have decided the cost and learning curve to get aluminum, a TIG unit, and teach myself TIG again makes more sense for me. All that said, pans and spray shields are most likely to end up being acrylic immediately, a TIG and plasma unit like I want will require a lot more paychecks... |
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vance71975
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since September 2022
Posts: 760
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Post by vance71975 on Oct 20, 2022 11:16:05 GMT -5
I dont have an Engineering background, but I do make Knives, and from the perspective of a Knifemaker, I wouldnt use 303 stainless for anything. Honestly, If you can afford it and can find it in Round Bar Steel Aus 8 is much better and also Stainless. If you have to go with a numbered stainless I would go for HC 440 Stainless. I don't make knives, only purchase bare blades to add my own scales to. Also not formally trained in engineering as it applies to metals. I have, however, been trained as a tool and die maker and know my way around a machine shop. Do you make your knives from blanks or do you forge them? I watch youtube videos on damascus and mokume gane and I have bricks to build a small forge in my spare time if I ever have any LOL. The properties you're looking for in steel for knives is considerably different from machined shafting, since a 1" diameter shaft for a grinder is huge overkill as long as the bearings are properly spaced, the only important consideration is oxidization resistance and that it is straight without tensions that could cause it to lose that straightness later, something virtually any 300 series stainless can handle. I'm sure Covington didn't use 303, 330 is much more likely just because it machines easier in my experience. 440HC cannot be purchased in shafting, pretty much only used as welding wire for 440C, which is to my knowledge only available as sheet and plate. 400 series is magnetic, I believe, and less resistant to rust. I thought about getting all the elements needed to build the pans and shields for my cabber in stainless, but have decided the cost and learning curve to get aluminum, a TIG unit, and teach myself TIG again makes more sense for me. All that said, pans and spray shields are most likely to end up being acrylic immediately, a TIG and plasma unit like I want will require a lot more paychecks... I didnt Forge but I didnt use precut blanks either. I took 1/2-1in thick annealed sheet steel knifemaker strips, cut to shape with an angle grinder, then did the shaping on a belt sander and did the heat treat in a coffee can forge I made that was heated by a Propane torch. I also worked mostly with carbon steel and some Semi-stainless like D2. I will defer to your knowldge in Machining since I have none I was just going based on the durablity of the steels i listed and they are known to be tough steels. EDIT for my horrible memory. It wasnt 440HC I was talking about it was 420HC, the steel used by Buck Knives. It was just 440C not 440HC. Sorry about that My memory sucks these days |
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nik
spending too much on rocks
Member since May 2019
Posts: 315
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Post by nik on Oct 21, 2022 3:53:30 GMT -5
Assuming that you are planning to do something that is not commercially available from Covington or an equivalent, I would go with turned, ground, and polished (TGP) 1144 stressproof shafting stock, It is reasonably priced and machines exceptionally well. It will rust, but nothing that a bit of grease or oil and anti seize won't solve. I used it for my monster of a grinder and have had no problems, even leaving the grinder outside on a tropical island.  IMG_20210222_121122 by nik1924, on Flickr |
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Post by Rockoonz on Oct 21, 2022 10:23:48 GMT -5
nik how long is that shaft? Your pan and spray shields look nice, acrylic? I think that's the type of material I'll use since the only tool investment I'll need is a plastics friendly table saw blade. I might also make a forming buck and see what I can melt with a heat gun to attempt a radius somewhere for strength since I want to make mine removable for cleaning.
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nik
spending too much on rocks
Member since May 2019
Posts: 315
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Post by nik on Oct 21, 2022 16:48:38 GMT -5
nik how long is that shaft? Your pan and spray shields look nice, acrylic? I think that's the type of material I'll use since the only tool investment I'll need is a plastics friendly table saw blade. I might also make a forming buck and see what I can melt with a heat gun to attempt a radius somewhere for strength since I want to make mine removable for cleaning. The shaft length is 42", and the drip pan and shell are made from .25" HDPE sheet joined with aluminum angles and pop rivets. The plastic does not have the strength that I needed to support the bearings, so there is a 5 x 1.75 aluminum channel acting as a spine on the bottom side. |
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zarguy
fully equipped rock polisher
Cedar City, Utah - rockhound heaven!
Member since December 2005
Posts: 1,791
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Post by zarguy on Oct 21, 2022 18:59:56 GMT -5
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Post by Rockoonz on Oct 22, 2022 7:39:12 GMT -5
zarguy Lynn your cabber build was a bug in my ear to build one from the time I originally read it. The surprise deal on the DP Genie put it back a few years, but having a 2nd 6 wheeler so both of us can cab has been a plan for awhile.
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