Main > Main Forum

How to make hollow shaft

(1/3) > >>

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:

--- Quote from: Le Chuck on August 21, 2012, 07:37:55 pm ---All these magnets have holes in them: http://www.supermagnetman.net/index.php?cPath=72 
--- End quote ---

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.   ;D

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

Go to full version