Topic: The 21st Century Box (Read 74377 times)

Chris Ryall · « **Reply #180 on:** April 25, 2015, 11:22:40 AM »

Quote from: IanD on April 25, 2015, 11:06:58 AM

Unfortunately it all seems to have gone quiet as far as progress on the milled-ali-reed-pan box I was discussing is concerned... :-(

Needs someone with both the skill and inclination I guess. I try to keep this tread going, albeit slowly and have also copied what seemed useful (however wacky) ideas in from elsewhere. Read the whole lot through this morning - it's actually become a resource?

But many of the strokes of genius still await physical incarnation, yes.

Would 3D-printed blocks work?

IanD · « **Reply #181 on:** April 25, 2015, 12:52:17 PM »

Quote from: Chris Ryall on April 25, 2015, 11:22:40 AM

Quote from: IanD on April 25, 2015, 11:06:58 AM
Unfortunately it all seems to have gone quiet as far as progress on the milled-ali-reed-pan box I was discussing is concerned... :-(

Needs someone with both the skill and inclination I guess. I try to keep this tread going, albeit slowly and have also copied what seemed useful (however wacky) ideas in from elsewhere. Read the whole lot through this morning - it's actually become a resource?

But many of the strokes of genius still await physical incarnation, yes.

Would 3D-printed blocks work?

Consumer-grade plastic 3D printing is slow, weak and expensive for anything that isn't very small. I looked at this earlier this year for something about half the size of a reed block and the cheapest cost was about £40.

To get anything more rigid than wood -- which is the whole point -- you'd have to go to one of the sintered-metal (laser-fusion) 3D printers, and the cost for this is at least an order of magnitude bigger, a set of reed blocks would cost at least £2000.

It's way cheaper to CNC-mill them (or it, if the reeds are flat-mounted) out of a block of aluminium, the issues are doing the design and then finding someone to do one-off manufacture cheaply because these techniques are normally used to build expensive stuff...

ChrisLDD · « **Reply #182 on:** April 25, 2015, 02:44:56 PM »

Quote from: Chris Ryall on April 25, 2015, 08:28:10 AM

Deeply interested. Alu blocks was an early idea in this "nothing barred" thread, though it didn't seem to come together until Ian's post last june. Great to see a practical manifestation! Were they computer control milled?

But these are - sort of modular sub-blocks? How do you fix them in without vibration and those "wolf" notes referred to earlier? Otherwise you are perhaps just moving the "fix" issue along a bit to a different component.

This looks really interesting …

Yes, CNC made. Spent last 6 months learning all about CNC, plus the CAD and CAM packages - now finally in a position to start making stuff!
These were just test pieces. Currently working on full reed-blocks for 12 bass.

IanD · « **Reply #183 on:** April 27, 2015, 06:15:16 PM »

Quote from: ChrisLDD on April 25, 2015, 02:44:56 PM

Quote from: Chris Ryall on April 25, 2015, 08:28:10 AM
Deeply interested. Alu blocks was an early idea in this "nothing barred" thread, though it didn't seem to come together until Ian's post last june. Great to see a practical manifestation! Were they computer control milled?

But these are - sort of modular sub-blocks? How do you fix them in without vibration and those "wolf" notes referred to earlier? Otherwise you are perhaps just moving the "fix" issue along a bit to a different component.

This looks really interesting …

Yes, CNC made. Spent last 6 months learning all about CNC, plus the CAD and CAM packages - now finally in a position to start making stuff!
These were just test pieces. Currently working on full reed-blocks for 12 bass.

I assume you're getting the actual milling done by an engineering shop?

ChrisLDD · « **Reply #184 on:** April 27, 2015, 07:40:18 PM »

Quote from: IanD on April 27, 2015, 06:15:16 PM

I assume you're getting the actual milling done by an engineering shop?

I'm actually doing it all myself ... that's why it's taken so long.
3-axis CNC mill using a 2.5D milling strategy (no fancy 5-axis milling I'm afraid.)
Had a few issues with feeds and speeds and broke a few carbide cutters on the way, but seem to have this under control now.
Work-holding/clamping is the current headache!

IanD · « **Reply #185 on:** April 28, 2015, 05:30:51 PM »

Quote from: ChrisLDD on April 27, 2015, 07:40:18 PM

Quote from: IanD on April 27, 2015, 06:15:16 PM
I assume you're getting the actual milling done by an engineering shop?

I'm actually doing it all myself ... that's why it's taken so long.
3-axis CNC mill using a 2.5D milling strategy (no fancy 5-axis milling I'm afraid.)
Had a few issues with feeds and speeds and broke a few carbide cutters on the way, but seem to have this under control now.
Work-holding/clamping is the current headache!

What's your maximum working area?

Ian

ChrisLDD · « **Reply #186 on:** April 28, 2015, 06:57:07 PM »

300mm x 250mm ... just about big enough.

Owen Woods · « **Reply #187 on:** April 30, 2015, 10:30:21 PM »

Lovely work Chris, looking forward to seeing how it develops.

Chris Ryall · « **Reply #188 on:** June 23, 2015, 10:35:53 AM »

The blues box has been promised for the autumn - fingers crossed. Meanwhile here is a nice developing board conversation on reed fixation, wax, pins, substitutes and … even cylinder head gaskets!

http://forum.melodeon.net/index.php/topic,17083.0.html

[ed] … appalling typos corrected!

Chris Ryall · « **Reply #189 on:** June 26, 2015, 11:39:59 PM »

Quote from: GPS on June 26, 2015, 02:43:19 PM

One of the nice little touches on this box is a gravity-operated internal bellows lock. Turn it upside down and the internal latch engages. Turn it into playing orientation and it drops open. Simple, but a neat trick! Graham

Now that's a good idea?

Owen Woods · « **Reply #190 on:** June 29, 2015, 02:29:29 PM »

A common system on the Schweizerorgeli: http://melodeonmusic.com/2012/05/30/inside-and-out-part-3-schwyzerorgeli/

Chris Ryall · « **Reply #191 on:** September 09, 2015, 12:18:27 PM »

Link to agonised choices being made in the design and construction of an experimental 2-row kniri 'Blues' melodeon

http://forum.melodeon.net/index.php/topic,16334.msg214889.html#msg214889

robotmay · « **Reply #192 on:** September 09, 2015, 01:41:37 PM »

Not sure if it was mentioned back in a previous post, but has anyone considered laser cutting reedblocks from plywood (or indeed, aluminium)? I've been wondering if it would be possible to build up a reedblock in laser-cut layers, and whether it would have improved stability over normal wooden blocks. Unfortunately I don't have any ability to try it for myself for now, but it might be worth exploring as an alternative to milling them.

Owen Woods · « **Reply #193 on:** September 09, 2015, 09:11:32 PM »

Been there, done that. The surface finish isn't very good so I rejected it. You also want to graduate depth which is more tricky. The way to do it is to mill the blocks with a CNC mill rather than laser cutting it.

IanD · « **Reply #194 on:** September 10, 2015, 04:54:44 PM »

Isn't that what Bergflodt does? I'm sure I saw a video of the layers being laser-cut...

robotmay · « **Reply #195 on:** September 10, 2015, 04:58:39 PM »

Ah ha, I thought I couldn't have just invented the idea; you are quite right Ian: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qAaNlVZHnw

Owen Woods · « **Reply #196 on:** September 11, 2015, 07:36:26 PM »

Olav's laser is better than mine! I do think that using a CNC mill is a better way of doing it though.

diatonix · « **Reply #197 on:** September 17, 2015, 08:07:26 PM »

I only use this method when making reed chambers that are glued straight on to the face board. They are made in a matter of minutes. I prefer making all the other reed blocks in a more traditional fashion.

Dave Sawdon · « **Reply #198 on:** September 18, 2015, 12:12:57 PM »

I'd be interested in hearing more about the lasers that people are using. I picked-up a CNC mill (Denford Starmill + Mach3) a while ago but haven't really used it yet; I was thinking of looking around for a laser to attach to the head as an experiment.

Dave

Rob2Hook · « **Reply #199 on:** February 13, 2016, 05:03:05 PM »

Quote from: Steve_freereeder on June 21, 2014, 12:45:07 AM

Also, aluminium kerf can be collected and recycled, so it's not really wasted. However, wood waste/kerf is much less practicable to re-use.

True on the scale of box making, but I bet many of our kitchen units are made from it!

Rob.

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Author Topic: The 21st Century Box (Read 74377 times)