Quote:
Originally Posted by OK-944
Scott...the tolerances I'd mentioned were from the prototype files. The production files are buried and I won't be able to get to these anytime soon...but I do remember that some of the tolerances were changed for production - some tighter, some looser. Wanted to post this here and not just go back to edit because you might have otherwise missed this.
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Thanks for that info. I've worked with the line-to-line fit of +1/0/-1 tolerances before. Mostly making parts my brother designed while at TRW. And yes, when working with black hard anodize you have to work backwards in order to get the fit you want. Very early in my career as a machinist I was given the task of making a coining machine my brother had come up with on one of his projects. The original machine was made from steel, but the users had 'acid' hands and it was deteriorating quickly, so they had me make another one. I convinced them to change the material to aluminum so it wouldn't 'rust'. Hard anodizing was the answer to how do we make it last long enough to finish the project. Machining micrometer threads for the anvil drive was challenging since I hadn't been a machinist for that long at the time. When I finished the project I considered it one of my most satisfying accomplishments. The only drawing I'd been given was a full assembly drawing that was the size of my mill when put up on the wall. I look back now and think they were really trying to scare me out of becoming a machinist. This was all done on a manual Tree mill, no CNC involved as they were just getting into that kind of technology in the model shops where I was working.
A lot of times the 'production' tolerances were the same as the 'prototype' tolerances. That's just how it is in the satellite business.
Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. This is a really cool project you have here.