Machine Tools Should be Floppy

[SteveHGraham]

I may delete my original comment and repost it. That way all of his responses would disappear, and he would have to start over.

[SteveHGraham]

I deleted it. I should not have done that, but I am weak. I wonder what he'll say.

[earlgo]

Strictly speaking, the fellow is right. All machine tools are made from flexible material like cast iron, steel, titanium, aluminum, etc. Ridgid, i.e. brittle materials like glass would not be good. In order for fasteners to work, they must stretch when tightened so that they clamp things together. A glass fastener would not be good because if it were tightened beyond the point where everything was in contact, you'd have shattered pieces.
If you drop your Aunt Effie's glass vase it is history, but if you fabricate the same from Steel, it will bounce due to its modulus of elasticity.
Flexibility is a relative thing: Diamonds have an 'infinite' modulus of Elasticity, but Rubber has a very low E. Machine tool materials are somewhere in between, but toward the high E.
Too bad the discussion turned bitter.
--earlgo

[Frank Ford]

I figure the "everything must flex" guy is thinking more of what happens to tools when they encounter the excessive stress of a crash or other problem, not how they perform when used within their logical range. Dan Gelbart's granite bed lathe is rigid as hell, and he makes it clear it's NOT made for heavy duty use:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFrVdoOhu1Q

[seal killer]

Frank--

That is a neat machine, for sure! Thanks for the link.

--Bill

[johnfreese]

This guy is calling me all sorts of filthy names. It's hilarious. He says he has several engineering degrees AND several physics degrees. And he "has" a multi-million-pound aerospace company. Maybe he stocks the vending machines there?

I suspect he is educated beyond his intelligence.

[SteveHGraham]

I think he's just ignorant and drunk.

[wlw-19958]

Hi There,

This guy is calling me all sorts of filthy names. It's hilarious. He says he has several engineering degrees AND several physics degrees. And he "has" a multi-million-pound aerospace company. Maybe he stocks the vending machines there?

I suspect he is educated beyond his intelligence.

Or a Legend in his Own Mind.

Good Luck!
-Blue Chips-
Webb

[spro]

Well, for whatever reason that link to Dan Gelbart's video is extremely cool (Thanks Frank). There are subsequent videos of "air bearings" and watched them for hours. Gosh, it does sink in that super precision grinding allows another world.

[SteveHGraham]

He keeps coming back and berating me for deleting my $(*%^#(%#*%. In reality, I deleted HIS $(*%^#(%#*%. I merely reposted mine without his comments.

[warmstrong1955]

“Never argue with an idiot. They will only bring you down to their level and beat you with experience.”
George Carlin

[10KPete]

“Never argue with an idiot. They will only bring you down to their level and beat you with experience.”
George Carlin

Yep.

Pete