Has anyone heard from Balsa Machining Services?

[sandman]

Has anyone heard from Balsa Machining Services?

I emailed Bill a week ago on some more centering rings for the Little Joe II kits.

He's holding up the works!

I have GOT to buy myself a LASER cutter!

sandman

Say can you shoot flys with a laser? THAT would be cool!

 

[flying_silverad]

Originally posted by sandman
Has anyone heard from Balsa Machining Services?

I emailed Bill a week ago on some more centering rings for the Little Joe II kits.

He's holding up the works!

I have GOT to buy myself a LASER cutter!

sandman

Say can you shoot flys with a laser? THAT would be cool!

Have you tried calling? I know they were away for a while and one of my e-mail orders got...ah...lost I guess. I had to re-order. Anyway, you might want to call. 630-257-5420

And I'll go in halves on the laser cutter

 

[SecretSquirrel]

Originally posted by flying_silverad


And I'll go in halves on the laser cutter

I'll take a piece of that action!

Have you priced those things lately? Desktop machines are ok, but for the volume I need, the starting price of a good machine is $15k, and that's just for the basic machine. I figure a good laser cutter would cost me $20-25k by the time it is all set up and working with all the necessary extras and modifications.

 

[sandman]

I finally got ahold of Bill at BMS.

He is absolutely SWAMPED with work.

Somebody...he didn't say who...just ordered 800 bose cones!

sandman

 

[Stymye]

If you guys are serious about buying one ,please contact me first
I work with a vendor ,,,he also is a cnc router vendor

and to be honest ,a cnc router... should still be cheaper
although they are a little more trouble to set up
the selling point is, that you could get a 4'X8'
working area ,,for less than a typicaly limited laser bed size
so the router is far more productive in that respect.

 

[shockwaveriderz]

Originally posted by sandman
I finally got ahold of Bill at BMS.

He is absolutely SWAMPED with work.

Somebody...he didn't say who...just ordered 800 bose cones!

sandman

I was wondering what was taking so long with my custom thingie.......

 

[joepolicy]

SecretSquirrel

Have you checked out the VersaLaser system?

https://www.versalaser.com

I have one and it works great! They start at just under 10K, not sure what options you need though, I just have the basic system with 25W laser. It hooks up to my PC and it is easily controlled with just about any graphics program, I use Corel Draw 9.0. It cuts through Balsa, Birch, Basswood, G10 or pretty much anything you throw at it. I am considering getting the rotary fixture which "should" allow me to slot body tubes. I just need to check it out some more.

Anyway, just a suggestion!

 

[Fore Check]

To the old Oscar Meyer weiner song


"Oh, I wish I had a Desk-Top Lay-Zer Cut-Ter...."


*drool*

 

[sandman]

Yea, but can you shoot flys off the ceiling with it?

sandman

 

[flying_silverad]

Originally posted by sandman
I finally got ahold of Bill at BMS.

He is absolutely SWAMPED with work.

Somebody...he didn't say who...just ordered 800 bose cones!

sandman

LOL For a minute I thought they were special nose cones with a built in sound system...

 

[sandman]

LOL,John,

Look at your keyboard...the "B" is next to the "N"...fat fingers syndrone!

sandman

 

[joepolicy]

Originally posted by sandman
Yea, but can you shoot flys off the ceiling with it?

sandman

Uh.....no. I guess it is just not as versatile as I thought, now I want my money back

 

[rocketsonly]

I ordered some parts last Thursday, and they shipped next day. They weren't custom though.
-Matthew

 

[KermieD]

Just a thought--I work with a guy who has a laser engraving machine. Whaddaya think the odds are that he can cut centering rings with this?

 

[mikeyd]

While we are drooling, we might as well throw in a "wish" for a "3D" printer.

https://www.zcorp.com/products/printersdetail.asp?ID=1

To "print" things like this, or Rocket Parts!

 

[Fore Check]

*THAT'S* cool!

I wonder what the finished material is? Like a plastic?

 

[sandman]

I think it cuts foam.

sandman

 

[jflis]

actually, if it is the method I am familiar with, it uses a polymer that sets up when hit with a certain frequency of laser light. To form an object, a laser is passed through the polymer of that specific frequency riding on a high speed carrier wave (carrier frequency).

A second laser that is *just* the carrier wave and 180 degrees shifted in phase is also passed throught the polymer. the point where the lasers intersect, the carrier wave is canceled out and all that remains is the setting frequency and that point in the polymer sets up.

Using a 3D computer model of the object, each point that makes up the solid is hit with the crossing beams with the net result being a solid of the object made out of the polymer.

It's a slow process but incredible to watch and (today) with incredible resolution.

jim

 

[mikeyd]

according to their site, they have three basic materials, Starch based, plaster based, and composite based. These are powders that are used with a liquid bonding agent, and then I believe laser to set it, as Mr. Flis suggests. There is a video of the process on their web page. The finished product cna be of differnet levels of hardness, and can even be "Infused" with epoxies, and resins for strenght, colors, and even make it "rubberized". Some of this material is even hard enough that they can make molds for metal casting as shown in the photo. It is neet but, I can't even find the time to finish my Sandman, and Flis kits, so I don't need to start desinging my own, besideds the $25,900.00 price entry level!

Happy Flying

 

[Hospital_Rocket]

Jim

The liquid process is Stereo Photolithography. We used to have one of those systems for prototyping intricate machine parts. Like you said, slow but really cool to watch.

A

 

[jflis]

I was showing that to my son (Joe) last night and he just stumbled back and said "my God, it's a freekin' replicator!"

Next they'll come up with a way to actually transform matter from one form to another and add VOX to the box...

"earl grey, hot"

LOL