Demonstration of the Lindow wheel engine converted to computer controlled dividing and feed

In 2013 Alan White gave a talk to the Branch on how to convert a ”LINDOW” wheel cutting engine to fully automatic indexing and feed.  A video of his talk can be seen here.

pt265The Lindow is a sturdy machine imported from America by Malcolm Wild it uses conventional indexing and manual feed/return of the cutting tool. This method requires concentration and is open to error especially on unusual and high wheel counts.

Using a couple of recycled stepper motors, some inexpensive toothed belts and wheels, stepper motor drivers and some freely available software Alan was able to convert this machine into a fully automatic and highly accurate wheel cutting engine.10

Alan demonstrated cutting a 29 tooth 0.8 module wheel. Using the software supplied free by Rex Svenson Alan entered the number of teeth and the module, the software calculates wheel diameter and depth of cut the accuracy is shown in this example it showed to be 0.000064” this is so insignificant. The system is a bit on the slow side for commercial use, but this is far outweighed by the fact that you can leave the whole thing to finish the job.

Alan makes all his cutters using the method learnt at a BHI seminar given by Jim Armfield and this along with the REX SWENSEN software shows how simply and economically wheels can be cut to a high accuracy.