26 Aug
1998
26 Aug
'98
4:31 p.m.
Curious. Same goes for people who aren't in a large company and
invent various other things. How did he 'invent' a gun without
owning the necessary tools (at least I doubt a magazine writer would
own this stuff) to process metal? Also, how did Woz make a case for
the Apple ][, etc? Are there companies that take single orders
like this?
Elmer Keith was a well known gunsmith and magazine writer (was it Guns
&
Ammo?). Among other things he's credited with
inventing the .44 magnum
pistol round (IIRC) in 1955.
Jack Peacock
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26 Aug
26 Aug
4:46 p.m.
Curious. Same goes for people who aren't in a
large company and
invent various other things. How did he 'invent' a gun without
owning the necessary tools (at least I doubt a magazine writer would
own this stuff) to process metal? Also, how did Woz make a case for
Why not? It can certainly be bought, both new and at auctions.
I knew a gunsmith who had a mill and a lathe, and that's the main
two pieces of heavy machinery you need to make pretty much anything.
(Besides the little stuff like welding equipment, saws, etc.)
the Apple ][, etc? Are there companies that take
single orders
like this?
Yeah but it tends to be expensive because you have to make molds for the
plastic. So you can spend tens of thousands to get the first prototype
made but it gets really cheap to do production quantities once you have
done that.
--
_______ KB7PWD @ KC7Y.AZ.US.NOAM ecloud(a)goodnet.com
(_ | |_) Shawn T. Rutledge on the web: http://www.goodnet.com/~ecloud
__) | | \__________________________________________________________________
* artificial intelligence * electronics * quantize the universe * VRML *
5:17 p.m.
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10:02 p.m.
At 11:17 PM 8/26/98 +0100, you wrote:
[Metalwork at home]
FOr the record, I have absolutely no interest in firearms...
Probably just as well since you're in the UK!
Metal casting is also possible at home. You can make the pattern on the
lathe, make a mould using foundry sand and melt the metal either in a
coke furnace, or preferably an electricly heated one. Not trivial to do,
but not beyond what some people will try. In fact I must have a go one day.
Look for the series of books written by Dave Gingerly. He has an entire
series that explains how to build a charcoal fueled furnace and then use it
to build a lathe and mill and all kinds of accessories like rotary tables.
Joe
27 Aug
27 Aug
6:12 p.m.
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28 Aug
28 Aug
9:47 a.m.
At 12:12 AM 8/28/98 +0100, Tony Duell wrote:
Things like 'The boy mechanic'
One of my favorites from childhood, I only have the first two editions,
though. Like old computers, these tricks, techniques and interesting
experiments still work, but they're lost in the sands of time. Do you
have a URL for Camden? www.camden.co.uk is taken by a domain hoarder.
I don't think this is too far off-topic - methods for reconstruction
of old parts should be quite relevant.
Late last night while flipping through the channels, I happened on
a very cheesily produced infomercial about a product Alumaloy.
I found a web site at <http://www.alumaloy.net/>. It's rods
of what looks like solder, except it melts with a propane torch
at 728 F, I think, and what caught my eye and made me watch was
the way it easily *wet* against aluminum without flux, spanned
gaps even across holes in thin metal, and apparently hardened
into machinable metal. Freaky. $45 a pound.
I've also day-dreamed about micro-machining. With the ultra-cheap
Roland CNC mills and 3D scanners, <http://www.rolanddga.com/>
under Products / PC Toolbox, I've wondered if there aren't
even less expensive (but let's say, slower or less precise)
ways of prototyping or reproducing parts.
I have example pieces from the Z-Corp stereolithography machine,
<http://www.zcorp.com/> which can turn 3D models into a starch-based
solid. Think of laying down thin layers of starch powder, wetted by
an ink jet head spraying water. The medium can be impregnated with wax
or resin, and it burns away for lost-wax casting.
- John
4:25 p.m.
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26 Aug
26 Aug
4:48 p.m.
*snip*
How did he 'invent' a gun without
owning the necessary tools (at least I doubt a magazine writer would
*snip*
I think he invented the ammunition. From what I've read, if you come up with
a really impressive round in a one-off custom gun and it generates interest,
often a manufacturer will manufacture a gun to shoot it. From what I've read
on web searches on Mr. Keith (curiosity got the better of me) the .44
magnum started life as the .44 special. Since the round always seems to be
associated with Smith and Wesson (courtesy of Dirty Harry, no doubt) I'd
hazard a guess and say maybe they were the first ones to build a gun to
shoot it?
Not all "wildcat" or user developed rounds survive, obviously. Some make
it to one company's production, don't sell well, and vanish. Others
do better. An example of a less popular type would be the .50 action express.
Introduced for the Desert Eagle handgun, I think one other manufacturer has
since picked it up. One hesitates to think how much a box of those must cost.
I should mention that my interest in firearms comes from studying them for
role playing games, rather than actually owning and shooting regularly. I
reserve the right to be completely and totally full of poo on my facts.
As far as owning a gun, I don't feel the need personally, but if others do I
don't have a problem with that.
(and I have to say the saturday afternoon recently spent blasting at bowling
pins with a semi-auto AK47 was LOTS of fun. :)
--
Jim Strickland
jim(a)calico.litterbox.com
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4:52 p.m.
On Wed, 26 Aug 1998, Max Eskin wrote:
Curious. Same goes for people who aren't in a
large company and
invent various other things. How did he 'invent' a gun without
owning the necessary tools (at least I doubt a magazine writer would
own this stuff) to process metal? Also, how did Woz make a case for
the Apple ][, etc? Are there companies that take single orders
like this?
Financing, my boy. Venture capital.
Sam Alternate e-mail: dastar(a)siconic.com
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