ThreadExpress 2 - Thread Machining Attachment 2

[@arachnipope]

As career machinist, I've spent a ridiculous amount of time trying to imagine your mechanism and have only come up with the idea of an infinitely-variable, friction-based transmission but making it an exact ratio seems almost magical. You have accomplished something great. Hats off to you !

[@Threadexpress]

Well thanks for that! It keeps me going. Cheers Cliff

[@johnswilley6764]

Hi Cliff! Kudos to you for your system. You never cease to amaze me with your creativity. Best wishes here from Orlando, Florida, U.S.A.

[@Threadexpress]

Thanks for your encouragement! Cheers, Cliff

[@strykerjones8842]

This is a beautifully designed and operating mechanism. I’m again reminded of the greatness of the human mind in general and the limitations of my own in particular. Best of luck bringing this to market, I only hope it’s affordable enough for the hobby market.

[@Threadexpress]

Thanks for your kind words. Don't be too hard on yourself. Remember humans that are high achievers often get there by obsessing about their particular passion, and so slowly apportion more of their energy and mind to it. But they tend to do this at the expense of other aspects of life! Cheers, Cliff

[@machineshopinagarage4699]

Certainly an exciting project Cliff. I can see classic vehicle restorers wanting one of those, old vehicles have all sorts of weird thread pitches. Cheers Ian

[@Threadexpress]

Hi Ian. Thanks for your feedback. Cheers, Cliff

[@PatrickM-h6j]

Hello Cliff. Very interesting project developed over many years. As a mechanical design engineer and former (but still interested) toolmaker / machinist, I became a BIG fan of an innovative machinist in Houston USA . His name is Peter and he is at " EDGE PRECISION" In my opinion Peter is the man you should contact to further this project. Watch his youtube videos

[@Threadexpress]

Hello Patrick. Thanks for your comment and suggestion. I have taken your suggestion and emailed Peter. Cliff

[@PatrickM-h6j]

@@Threadexpress Hi Cliff. Great you took a step to make contact. Peter might be right on the edge of retirement now (or semi) but I was astounded by his skills and watched most all of his videos. A short history for you :- Peter owned a big machine shop in Texas and sold it but moved back in and hired out a small area for a few of his own machines making sub-sea engineering parts - all highly complex and I believe he was the only person who could do the work (on CNC machines) He designs all his own tools and devices. God only knows what they will do when he retires ! Maybe his innovative skills will offer you help with this device. I am retired now myself so Icannot get involved. Wishing you lots of good luck. Pat

[@Preso58]

Cliff, this has tons of potential. I think it could be scalable for smaller machines as well. I recall reading an article in the old Model Engineer magazine about thread milling and it was described as "death by a thousand cuts". Meaning tiny chip load but lots of chips. If I were you I'd be concerned about a certain Asian country simply stealing your idea and selling it on without respect for IP. Let's hope not. Regards, Preso.

[@Threadexpress]

Hi Preso! Good to hear from you. Thanks for your thoughts. Yes, I was thinking it would be fun to make a 1/2 size one for smaller work and machines. Cheers, Cliff

[@jimviau327]

Awesome creation! While I can appreciate the motivation behind the secrecy, you poke my curiosity to the max. I can't wait for the great reveal in due time. Sheers from Canada.

[@Threadexpress]

Yeah...sorry about the secret squirrel stuff...thanks for the feedback. Cheers, Cliff

[@jonludwig8233]

I always wondered how threadmilling doesn't end up with an error like you described. I guess it does! Thanks for clarifying. Awesome machine!

[@Threadexpress]

Good spotting Jon! I suspect a lot of CNC thread machinists are unaware of this. Cheers, Cliff

[@thadrodgers2595]

Look forward to buying one. Great aditude of staying out of the cut throat manufactring and stick with the R & D.

[@Threadexpress]

Thanks for your feedback. Cheers, Cliff

[@Lwimmermastermetalart]

Somehow I managed to see your second video before this one lol. Now once again it’s brilliant! I haven’t put on my thinking cap on yet to figure out what’s under the hood. That’s the key to it all. The rest is very basic. I’m not so sure you will ever show it and I can appreciate that. I’d think with technology today the pitch’s could be driven by a variable pitch generator to advance the chuck. Again I’ve not spent anytime thinking on it. The only drawback to this is you need a horizontal mill to use it due to the size of the unit. This is a huge drawback in my mind. Most every shop has a vertical mill. Not knowing exactly what’s in there I’m wondering if you could use a bevel gear set to drive it. That way it could be shorter to use on a vertical. Just my 2.5 cents. Used to be 2 cents but now with inflation it’s 2.5 😂 Once again, brilliant young man! Several variables to the success. The target market place. Europe would be better than USA. The cost it would take to manufacture a given quantity. All the costs involved with insurance, marketing etc. personally even though it’s a great , no awesome idea if you can’t produce it at a cost a hobby type shop could afford I think you’d be heading for failure. Now one thought that might work is to sell plans to make it. Get a copyright instead of a patent. This is a tad tricky but can be done for far less. I think the DYI market would still be the best. Even if some manufacturer stole the idea once it’s available chances are they can’t make it cheap enough to compete with a DYI. Basically it will take someone with the ability to make something that. And that would be a someone who would need to use in the first place. Tools you need to make tools so to speak. Regardless of anything I wish you great success. You remind me of me lol.

[@Threadexpress]

Hi - Thanks for your kind words and thoughts. It can be mounted off the side of a vertical mill table as in videos 2.1 and 2.2 . Cheers, Cliff

[@mtnbikeman85]

Its the chuck/spindle bore pass through? It could be very nice for cutting vehicle tie rod/drag link adjusters. Done a few long ones for 4wds on a lathe and you end up needing to use a steady rest to keep it suported (and prevent whip from having it out the back of the lathe headstock). This would be easier to setup.

[@Threadexpress]

Yes, the design allows chuck/spindle pass through. The prototype allows 18mm but it could be scaled up in a production version. What sort of diameter would be needed? Cheers, Cliff

[@homemadetools]

Good work. We shared this video on our homemade tools forum this week 😎

[@Threadexpress]

Thank you! The title claims of "groundbreaking, new technology, and new invention" do not refer to the well-established process of thread milling, they refer to the attachments internal pitch generating mechanical mechanism that I invented in 2009. Cheers, Cliff

[@juancarlosfochesatto4741]

Hola ,,es una invencion extraordinaria ,,y especialmente para las maquinas manuales ,,desde ya le deseo mucho excito ,,,y creo firmemente lo tendra ,,,es algo extraordinario ,,,,muy bien pensado y sumamente util ,,,,mas alla de lo que usted lo imagina ,,,aparte merece, reconocimiento ,como creador ,,,de algo innovador ,y como no existe aun ,nadie puede saber,cuantos trabajos mas pueden realizarse con el ,personalmente veo en este accesorio ,muchísimas posibilidades ,mas de las que ya nos mostró ,reconozco que es sumamente necesario y no conozco nada semejante para las fresadoras , manuales ,,mucho menos que sea capaz de generar roscas ,de diferentes pasos ,mecánico ,,eso creo lo hace unico ,,,,y me atrevo a opinar ,,,un sistema de balancín con punto de apoyo variable ,entre los tres puntos, el de soporte ,el empuje,y el de ,cambiando la distancia tambien varia la carrera de avance fiel al tornillo ,, al variar el apoyo , podría lograr ,reducir o ampliar avance del tornillo ,segun sea si ubicacion ,,elegida ,para este ,,fin ,,grasias ,por todo ,me despido con un abrazo ,desde argentina ,,,,

[@Threadexpress]

Hi Jaun! Thank you for your kind words from Argentina. Most appreciated. Even when translated to English, you still talk differently. It would be nice to talk over a coffee someday. I am not sure of your guess, but you could be correct - I will be disclosing the design in the next couple of weeks, so stay tuned. Cheers from a similar latitude, Cliff

[@metalillness5951]

I like it Cliff, very clever! I'm confident that if you designed it, it's had hours and hours of thought put into everything from quality, future manufacturability and marketing. I'm in the same trade and know all too well the time it takes to find that sweet spot price point where the manufacturer and customer are both happy. But you've proven yourself with other inventions obviously and this one will just perhaps have some new challenges. I'm going to put some thought into your request for market ideas and will let you know if I have any markets worth bringing to the idea table. Thanks again for the video, always excited to see one from you. So much to learn from one another.

[@Threadexpress]

Thanks for your kind words! I look forward to hearing more from you. Cheers, Cliff

[@machinists-shortcuts]

Great idea could be used for taper threads and use standard threading boring bars, thread mills or even a tap for full form threads. If the form is ground with enough clearance would the unit still need to be set at the helix angle? Using the tools already mentioned they all cut parallel to the thread axis without a problem. I've made CVT's / IVT's in the past, these could probably also solve the infinite ratio adjustment.

[@Threadexpress]

Thanks for your thoughts. Yes, I want to trial using threading inserts as thread cutters. Wondering why you dislike tipping the unit to the helix angle - it is only a small job. Sure, many threads are machined without this, and they still work ok, it's just that the thread form is somewhat compromised, for many applications that is not a problem. More cutter clearance does not help, it is the cutting edge that generates the error. Cheers, Cliff

[@machinists-shortcuts]

Thanks for replying Cliff. Is the reason for tipping the unit to the helix angle because the thread form is supposed to be measured at right angles to the helix? I never knew this & from reference drawings I always assumed that the thread form was measured square to the axis because this is how they are cut. Although rolling and grinding are set at the helix angle for clearance, do they have a modified form to give the true form square to the axis? I guess that taps are a modified thread form for to allow for them not cutting at the helix angle. I did experiment about 4 months ago with milling threads using a lathe threading tool both internal & external with the same tool. It worked fine for 10 start threads and can be found on my channel. "milling 10 start threads with lathe boring tool". I hope it helps to see how it was done.

[@Threadexpress]

Hi@@machinists-shortcuts. If you do not set the cutter to the thread helix angle, the problem is that in many circumstances the 3D path of the cutter interferes with the 3D shape of the thread and cuts a thread form with errors. With some thread form, pitch and thread diameter to cutter diameter combinations the error is nil, with others it is a serious issue. Take a large cutter diameter as in a large thread grinding wheel, grinding a small diameter steep pitch thread, here you can see the cutter will cause serious errors. Cheers, Cliff

[@machinists-shortcuts]

Thanks for the detailed info Cliff. I believe that thread grinding wheels have a modified form to compensate for the angle at which they are tilted. So I don't think you would be able to use standard form threading inserts. They would not produce the correct form if the part is presented to them at an angle. It seems similar to not squaring a threading tool to the part on a lathe. However they have a significantly smaller cutting radius than your flycutter, so could probably be used most of the time in small diameter boring bars without tilting the part. I guess you have had lots of questions as to why an out of the box electronic leadscrew kit is not suitable for this application. I assume it is not robust enough or probably already been done. I think this great idea should address long pitch threads & worms that are over a lathes maximum pitch capability. These are a pain to set up with a dividing head & gears compared to screwcutting or using dies.

[@belair_boy6035]

G'day Cliff, very interesting. Is there any backlash between the forward and reverse movement? With the infinitely variable pitch, is there a lot of trial and error to get the correct pitch set? I can make a guess at how it works but I would have probably gone down the electronic feed road due to my background. Great stuff.

[@Threadexpress]

Hi - Thanks for the feedback. The pitch setting is actually quite quick to set, and I am working on further refinements. Yes, with mechanical movement, there is always potentially some backlash and so it is always best to keep feed in the same direction. Cheers, Cliff

[@stuartmorris4694]

Very nice idea 😊

[@Threadexpress]

Thanks a lot 😊

[@gatz271]

Very nicely done and its use will be a boon to certain machinists, I'm sure. I can picture the Thread Machining Attachment on a surface grinder too. When a company agrees to buy your invention, please let us know how it works.

[@Threadexpress]

Hi. Thanks for the feedback! Ok I will do what I can to keep you viewers up to speed with any information I am able to disclose. Of course, a manufacturer may want the IP kept confidential for quite some time. Cheers, Cliff

[@L98fiero]

What is the stroke of he mechanism, how long is the thread that can be made and what is the pitch range??

[@Threadexpress]

Hi - See the latest video V2.2 for pitch range details. This prototype is set up to cut threads up to 90mm long. Cheers, Cliff

[@kooldoozer]

Tool room applications I see would be where this machine would shine. If it were able to do inch pitches, I would totally buy one for Doozer's Shop.

[@Threadexpress]

Thanks for the feedback. Yes, it can definitely do inch pitches. Cheers, Cliff

[@AquaMarine1000]

This is an interesting project. What are the objectives when the time taken to single point screw cut on a lathe only takes minutes. Try this on a long stepped shaft when the thread is required in the middle of it's length. Screw cutting up to a shoulder doen't always require a groove. Using the thread chasing dial on a lathe is an old idea. The use of the spindle brake and reverse on a modern centre lathe, one can cut up to a sholder for example, a 2mm pitch on a 50mm OD at 300rpm 50mm long on H13 steel heat treated to 48 Rockwell C hardness with carbide tooling in one minute. Lathes have more options to support the work piece, centres and steadies. I wish you well. Cheers

[@Threadexpress]

Thanks for your thoughts. I have been both lathe screw cutting and thread milling for decades, and I agree there are jobs/applications where a lathe would be the better option, and applications where thread milling would be the better option. Cheers, Cliff

[@DudleyToolwright]

Very interesting project. I would be happy to help in any way I can.

[@Threadexpress]

Thank you! Feel free to share the video link with any contacts and forum you may be in. Cheers, Cliff🙂

[@geewillikers5342]

This is the stuff that separates toolmakers from the rest of us!

[@Threadexpress]

Thanks for your encouragement! Cliff

[@wizrom3046]

What's in the box? How do you set the pitch? How does the "infinitely variable" thing work when you need repeatability or mathematical matching? Nice video, but you didnt provide the useful info. 🤔

[@Threadexpress]

Hi. This is covered at the end of the video. Cheers, Cliff

[@wizrom3046]

Thanks for the reply. I make my living from my engineering inventions and wish you luck. However it is highly unlikely your mechanical mechanism is not already covered by someone else's patent. It is very hard to make money from a mechanical invention in the way you outline here. Also, if the product sees any popularity in sales, competitors can just use their own mechanisms in a competing cheaper product that does basically the same thing. Probably just a little box of change gears etc that will do all normal thread pitches. Or, China will rip off your mechanism and sell it cheap, it is almost impossible to stop them appearing on ebay or aliexpress even if you win a western country court case.

[@Threadexpress]

Hi@@wizrom3046 . Thanks for your comments. I won't reply to those subjects in this public forum, but if you would like to discuss this, feel free to email me. Cheers, Cliff

[@wizrom3046]

@@Threadexpress ... that's Ok I wont bother you by email. I just wanted to make that point that for an unscrupulous China company to make a competing product they dont need to replicate your proprietary ratio mechanism, they just need to replicate the basic use functionality of the whole device. Again, I wish you luck, and 👍

[@gangleweed]

Marvelous idea.......cuts any pitch but you can't thread mill or grind a square thread with any thread milling device, that is why the Acme thread form was used for production feed screw manufacture. Hmmmmmm.......just thinking on how the infinite pitch generating mechanism works and I think it's similar to the helix angle generator I have invented for grinding end mill helixes without having to use the finger rest.....but mum's the word.

[@Threadexpress]

Thanks for your input! Cheers, Cliff

[@zacharyv3407]

Brilliant

[@Threadexpress]

Thanks! Cliff

[@pagangod-m4p]

Very cool tool I bet some one in china is going see this and beat you to market as we watch this

[@Threadexpress]

Thanks for the feedback - and yeah, you could be right! Cliff

[@marley589]

You now have engineers scratching their heads to solve the variable ratio problem again.. Tomorrow will present another "problem".

[@Threadexpress]

Yes, I wonder if someone will present me with a 'reinvention' of the design! Cheers, Cliff

[@3in1Machining]

Seams to be a little over engineered to me. However, I've just realised this gadget is a pretty smart idea for thread cutting.

[@Threadexpress]

Cheers. Cliff

[@aj7utu]

By failing to describe the variable pitch drive, you give no clue as to how difficult it is to set the pitch accurately. The reproducibility is impressive.

[@Threadexpress]

Hi - Yes, I realize that. But for commercial reasons I cannot disclose the design. This is explained at the end of the video. Cheers, Cliff

[@zacharyv3407]

This might kill me..

[@Threadexpress]

No! Cliff

[@Watchyn_Yarwood]

Presser sent me

[@Threadexpress]

Welcome! Cliff

[@everlast2658]

China could make these affordable

[@Threadexpress]

Yes, I agree - I wonder when. Cheers, Cliff

[@zacharyv3407]

You really don’t need much of a machine for the actual cutting…

[@Threadexpress]

Thanks for your thoughts. Cliff