Machines & Fixtures

These are some of the machines used to produce the scope.  Also included but not pictured are a Bridgeport Milling machine and a Hardinge lathe. The first two are a grinding machine I fabricated out of two 1/6 hp DC motors and some machined parts, the grinder can be adjusted for any speed or stroke combination.  Also included in the fabrication process are the following; Craftsman 10" Table Saw, Bosch 3 1/2 hp  Router, 14" Drill Press, 9"Southbend Lathe and a Bench Grinder.

 

 

 

Shown here are some of the fixtures used to cut the aluminum. On the left is a panel cutter for making perfect 90 degree cuts, on the right is a 45 degree cutter, it worked great and with the attachment of a stop to cut all the bottom cage pieces of the scope. The bottom left was a fixture to drill the  holes in the ends of the aluminum angle for the base section, to the right is the original fixture for cutting the circles for the top ring, mirror cell and gear blanks the router was attached to the wood which had holes drilled in the appropriate places.