Jump to content
When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
  • Current Donation Goals

How hard would it be.....


HEWLIO

Recommended Posts

That's all you need, and a print! Oh, you'll probably need to do some filing and griding as well. Take plenty of pics and write a tutorial so I can make one too!! 8)

One of these days I'm gonna build me a miniature CNC mill...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would say that the small finishing touches would be the hard work, i am sure that a good CNC mill could cut the 3D case spot on but you try to finish it to the same standard by hand with out the experience of doing it day in day out!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lathes and Mills are a lot harder to operate than they look. Especially for complex 3d curved shapes like watch cases.

No offense... but it sounds like you're miles out of your depth if you don't even know how to use the machines.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don’t know your skill, but I can speak for myself, being a metal model maker for 8+ years.

You would never be able to cut the case contour on a vertical mill as there is too much complex shape to it requiring your to drive multiple axis’s at once. To even get the rough shape would require a rotary table, vertical offset rotary fixture, internal/external groove cutter with boring bar attachment. A couple of sine bars or plates would be needed as well along with a ton of manual trig work for setup.

For a lathe, you would need one capable of cutting threads (case threads) and has a powered cross slide.

Throw the drill press out, you have a mill so all you would need is a wiggler to dial in your hole locations.

Watch cases are forged, then CNC machines out. For CNC you would require a CAD model (easy enough to get, white light scan a gen, create a point cloud and surface), CAM paths and post processing. I nice high speed CNC with 45K rpm head speed and 30-35K mm/min feed rate would reduce cutter marks however, you still would require a lot of hand benching.

A plunge cut EDM would work wonders too! :thumbsupsmileyanim: Wonder if any Gen manufactures use them.

:drinks:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

And when and if you do, please do not boast 1:1. We've all heard that before. :)

Why would i do that? i know its not ganna be perfect and its probably not even ganna happen. Any of these "project" ideas i get never get any further than the drawing board.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Was actually thinking last night; why don't you just mill an 'homage' watch? There are 7750 chrono <'kits'> on Ofrei and similar.

The asymmetrical pusher arrangement of the vintage Rolex chronographs would present a lot of problems in both the milling and adaptation to the 7750 . You could go the route of say 'Tudor'post-16923-125588636208_thumb.jpg get a nice piece in the endeavor and probably go down in RWG history. There are a lot of 'Frankens' floating around here, but I don't think anyone has yet built a watch from stock.

Hey, I know, produce a run of say 100pcs., get a contact in Guangzhou to run you off "RWG" dials and you could offer them to the membership and.................ummmmm, naaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.

Good luck!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...
Please Sign In or Sign Up