How to make hollow shaft

[cammada]

Does anyone know a type or name of company that can offer a service to drill a hollow shaft? I need to drill 2.5mm hole into a solid shaft to create a hollow shaft then I can challenge to make a ultimarc U360 illuminated joystick.

[Mysterioii]

Bryan at Paradise Arcades has been having lots of hollow shafts made lately, but I'm not sure it's particularly suited to the U360 since the shaft has a round solid magnet on the bottom and it works by sweeping it over a magnetic field sensor directly below center of the shaft. 

[Le Chuck]

All these magnets have holes in them: http://www.supermagnetman.net/index.php?cPath=72

Maybe that could help.  As far as manufacturers I have no idea.  You could make a very tight jig and go really slow with a drill press.  You could just drill to just above the magnet, do a port hole out the side, then run fiber optic up the shaft to transmit the light but that's just crazy. 

[MonMotha]

The proper tool for this is a metal lathe.  You probably don't have one, and a drill press can work in a pinch if you've got enough throw and a good drill press vise (the kind that lets you adjust position in both dimensions would help center things up).  It may be easier to get a local machine shop to do it for you if you end up having to have it made, though it won't be cheap.

Note that drilling magnets can be problematic: they're often brittle, and the hole could change the field pattern to something unsuitable.  You could instead drill most of the way through the shaft then drill a hole in the "side" to avoid the magnet area, but that will make it very hard to handle potential rotation of the shaft.

There's a lot of people selling hollow joystick shafts nowadays, you may be able to find something suitable off the shelf.

[Mysterioii]

All these magnets have holes in them: http://www.supermagnetman.net/index.php?cPath=72 

True, but altering the shape (and strength) of the magnet affects the shape of the magnetic field line pattern....  I am not familiar with the sensor Andy is using so I don't know if it would cause a problem or not.  You could experiment of course.  If you go the experimental course I would buy a few magnets and try them out with the stock shaft before I spent any time and money trying to make or buy a hollow shaft.

Also not sure if having the wires coming out the bottom would be a great idea since there's not that much clearance over the circuit board, you'd be dragging them across.  I thought about drilling a perpendicular hole like you suggested as an outlet for the wires, but then you'd run into potential twisting issues that I don't think the usual slip ring would be as useful for.

But again, you can always give it a shot.   

[SavannahLion]

If I may ask....

What kind of illumination are you trying to do? Single color, RGB?

Running one wire is a different and (IMHO) easier than trying to run the three for RGB.

[gamepimp]

Here's a good article on adding LEDs to the U360...

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=108490.0

[Mysterioii]

Here's a good article on adding LEDs to the U360...

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=108490.0

You know, I had read that, but forgot about it.   

[cammada]

I am trying to set up blue illuminate joystick. I have contact Paradise Arcade shop about the dimension of the hollow shaft they are selling but I never got any reply back about it so I decide to forget them because there is no way if I buy the shaft then find out it not compatible.

So I thought I would take the hard step and find the workshop that have metal lathe then try to drill the hole, I am hoping to get 2mm hole so a single color can fit through as I don't want RGB color. I am aiming to use Ultimarc's Servostik joystick.

I am still looking around for hire or services.........

[iscariot]

Any steel shop should be able to do it.  If you;re in the Marietta, GA area there;s a place on Canton that has the equipment to turn them out.  It'd probably take a few mins but they charge by the hour.

[Mysterioii]

I'm curious as to why you want a 2mm hole; you can get 5mm LEDs that are single color and 5mm LEDs that are RGB.  Or were you planning to use 3mm monochrome LEDs?  The whole LED doesn't need to fit through the shaft of course, just the wires, and they don't need to be particularly thick.  But to me, I'd just have the hole bored out to accommodate the 5mm LEDs then you can always change your mind later if you want to swap to RGB or stick with one color.