The most beautiful pieces of machinery ever

[fizzy]

I came across this on Ebay

Rare Kampf A3 Supra Geometric Lathe - The Ultimate in Mechanical Engineering | eBay

Model: A111 Supra (A3 Supra). I won't go into what this machine can do, suffice to say that if you are looking, then you are interested. Made in Bad Homburg, Germany. The original cost of these machines in the 1960's was approaching £300,000.

www.ebay.co.uk

Which got me looking into a whole new World of wonderment.
Apparently even Queen Victoria used lathes

This led me on to the Rose Engine. Stunning - words not enough!

Who needs CNC or resin printing. This was made in the 1600s!

Guilloché is one of the processes used. That is how plates for bank notes are made etc.

There are loads of videos of people making replicas on Youtube etc.
What a rabbit hole I have just found

Here is one from the Science museum.

 

[badabec]

R W Smith, George Daniels only apprentice, uses a Rose machine for making his watch dials

Roger W Smith

Home of The Watchmaker - Roger W Smith

www.rwsmithwatches.com

 

[fizzy]

R W Smith, George Daniels only apprentice, uses a Rose machine for making his watch dials

Roger W Smith

Home of The Watchmaker - Roger W Smith

www.rwsmithwatches.com

And people with their Rolex or Patek Phillipe think their watches are expensive

 

[northwest]

The guy would take a Sub as part chop. That would be the watch and £2.5k then. Like hens teeth at reasonable cost/

 

[Aff]

The Antikythera Mechanism is pretty unbelievable considering it designed and made over 2000 years ago

LINK

 

[fizzy]

The Antikythera Mechanism is pretty unbelievable considering it designed and made over 2000 years ago

LINK

Yes I have posted several things about it. I love Clickspring 's work.

 

[optima21]

think that machinery used to be more decorative that the functional appearance of todays machinery, they are sculptural.......one thing that I've wondered about is why do some cast iron spoked wheels have double curves spokes and others are straight? the do an identical things but I think the curved ones will be for looks even though Im thinking that the patterns will cost more to make.

 

[bigegg]

think that machinery used to be more decorative that the functional appearance of todays machinery, they are sculptural.......one thing that I've wondered about is why do some cast iron spoked wheels have double curves spokes and others are straight? the do an identical things but I think the curved ones will be for looks even though Im thinking that the patterns will cost more to make.

The double curved ones effectively have a larger radial cross-section at the centre point, which makes them less likely to break? [1]

And I wouldn't have thought they'd be THAT much more to make? You only have to make one, then casting a load of copies takes no more time either way?
They'd use more materials, I suppose (a double curve could be up to PI/2 times as much material?) - but cast iron is cheap.

[1] edit: I wonder if the double curve was invented by attaching a rim to a driven axle with something like rubber, then watching how the spokes deformed under load: the rubber would deform into an "S" curve before the power was transmitted to the rim? That would imply the S curve is the better shape for transmitting power?

 

[JMS1972]

Clickspring has a new toy.

 

[optima21]

yeah I know the cost of casting would be roughly the same once you get into production but the pattern would cost more to make as there is more work involved in producing it.

 

[bigegg]

yeah I know the cost of casting would be roughly the same once you get into production but the pattern would cost more to make as there is more work involved in producing it.

labour is/was cheap? - and the pattern would only ever need to produced once, for each spoke length, so not a huge cost when spilt across hundreds, or even thousands of castings.


I added more to my post to suggest a possible reason why it would be worth the cost?

 

[Maker]

Here's one in use.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

I came across this on Ebay

Did you look at the Seller's other items. He has steel-top benches [1/2" thick] for £275 - could you buy the material for that, never heed time & consumables?

 

[DAPPH]

think that machinery used to be more decorative that the functional appearance of todays machinery, they are sculptural.......one thing that I've wondered about is why do some cast iron spoked wheels have double curves spokes and others are straight? the do an identical things but I think the curved ones will be for looks even though Im thinking that the patterns will cost more to make.

Curved spokes being longer give a bigger flywheel lever & better rolling motion .... thus move better ?

 

[DAPPH]

labour is/was cheap? - and the pattern would only ever need to produced once, for each spoke length, so not a huge cost when spilt across hundreds, or even thousands of castings.


I added more to my post to suggest a possible reason why it would be worth the cost?

You'd only need to make one wooden or wax form for a spoke . Then once cast off use the new brass form to make numerous new casts in brass , then use these castings to make up the complete form . Once a full wheel is cast ... fettle & polish it then use that as the form for future casting ..all you need to do is use a brass casting ruler and make the caste to it so you get down to the the final desired result .

 

[bigegg]

You'd only need to make one wooden or wax form for a spoke . Then once cast off use the new brass form to make numerous new casts in brass , then use these castings to make up the complete form . Once a full wheel is cast ... fettle & polish it then use that as the form for future casting ..all you need to do is use a brass casting ruler and make the caste to it so you get down to the the final desired result .

That's sort of what I meant: one *master* pattern (for each spoke), which is then reproduced.
I didn't realise brass was used, though: I assumed it would just be cast iron since using brass would mean a separate dedicated furnace?

unless: are we talking about brass (rather than cast iron) wheels?

 

[badabec]

And people with their Rolex or Patek Phillipe think their watches are expensive

To quote Jeremy Clarkson 'the only thing worse than a fake Rolex is a real Rolex'.

 

[nickk]

I’ve forwarded it to a mate who builds steam cars,he only lives in the next village. Thanks.

 

[Maker]

Curved spokes being longer give a bigger flywheel lever & better rolling motion .... thus move better ?

Solid wheels, or just a thicker rim would have the same effect.

 

[Ross365]

Let's get real....https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturn_V#/media/File:Apollo_11_Launch_-_GPN-2000-000630.jpg