I just finished making my own 11" cam and am fine tuning the spring action. I was wondering if anyone has experimented with different spring configurations (anything other than torsional) for bigger cams? such as extension springs or compression springs like in the c3s

Why do anything but a torsion spring? The reason for compression springs in C3's and flat torsion springs in Aliens is dealing with the lack of space due to having a narrow head. In an 11" cam you've got all the space you could possibly want, so why change the type of spring?

Hey I know, let's re-invent the wheel. While we're at it, let's make sure to get on rc.noob and ask all the other noobs for their valuable input to a process I shouldn't be undertaking to begin with. Then, after the Instron tests convince me how smart I am, let's go out to the rocks and try it.

Just go climbing and leave this stuff to the folks who know what in the hell they are doing.

"Sigh"

Here's a tissue, dry your eyes and wipe your nose. I have a sneaking suspicion I've been around engineering longer than you've likely been able to spell the word.

Tinker all you want, in fact I think Hasbro created the perfect product, there called Tinker Toys", but coming to an internet forum like rc.noob and asking for the ever valuable advice of others equaly as cluesless as you is a fools paradise.

Comments like "There's nothing all that complex about cams" is clearly an indication you have yet to work on a project where either lives are at stake, or hundreds of millions of dollars are going down the toilet if you fuck up.

This one is a gem:

"and all the math is already done and readily available online (Vaino Kodas, Susan Ruff, John Middendorf)"

Brilliant, gee, all the hard work has already been done for me, why on earth would I want to check that data and do some analysis for myself.

When I worked at JPL, we had a saying when we had to hire the summer college students. It would never fail, we'd have a problem to solve, we'd have the meeting, and almost always we'd get one of these tards say "no problems, just do x,y, and z.".

We always responded the same: It's trivial!

Have a good time children. God there must be thousands of sites in the mech. engieering world where he could get real advice from, instead, he comes here.

Speaks volumes.

"Sigh"

Here's a tissue, dry your eyes and wipe your nose. I have a sneaking suspicion I've been around engineering longer than you've likely been able to spell the word.

Tinker all you want, in fact I think Hasbro created the perfect product, there called Tinker Toys", but coming to an internet forum like rc.noob and asking for the ever valuable advice of others equaly as cluesless as you is a fools paradise.

Comments like "There's nothing all that complex about cams" is clearly an indication you have yet to work on a project where either lives are at stake, or hundreds of millions of dollars are going down the toilet if you fuck up.

This one is a gem:

"and all the math is already done and readily available online (Vaino Kodas, Susan Ruff, John Middendorf)"

Brilliant, gee, all the hard work has already been done for me, why on earth would I want to check that data and do some analysis for myself.

When I worked at JPL, we had a saying when we had to hire the summer college students. It would never fail, we'd have a problem to solve, we'd have the meeting, and almost always we'd get one of these tards say "no problems, just do x,y, and z.".

We always responded the same: It's trivial!

Have a good time children. God there must be thousands of sites in the mech. engieering world where he could get real advice from, instead, he comes here.

Speaks volumes.

Wishiwasamonkey and Evanwish- how are you making your cams?

Lobes- hand tools, manual milling machine or CNC?
Stems- single stem / dual stem? Wire or solid like forged friends?
If wire stems- swaged, brazed or something else?
Lobe profiles- freehand, spreadsheet, CAD, other?

Comments like "There's nothing all that complex about cams" is clearly an indication you have yet to work on a project where either lives are at stake, or hundreds of millions of dollars are going down the toilet if you fuck up.

Here is the cam:



I have a old bridgeport mill retrofitted with digital readouts, no power feed, no CNC. So I generated my toolpath in excel and crank the lobes out manually to within .003". If I do this again I will opt for .005" to save some time. I aim to retrofit my mill for CNC eventually so I will probably wait until then to make another.

The cam cost about 20 dollars in materials and 2 afternoons in the shop. I have leftover aluminum so you could probably do it for less.

Head width is 4". I will give a review once i get it out on some rock.

As a side note: I don't get why the "no one could be as smart or capable as me" attitude is so common among engineers. It drives me a little nuts sometimes, and I am one.

Is it really woth the time when you can go down to the store and buy them? All the effort in aquireing the materials and the tools to do the job correctly may not be worth the headache.

Is it really woth the time when you can go down to the store and buy them? All the effort in aquireing the materials and the tools to do the job correctly may not be worth the headache.