Dry Lakes Racers Australia

Sounds like a really cool project, whats the logic behind casting and then machining the gearbox rather than just machining one from a solid block?

I'm guessing you've seen this, but it's pretty cool!

https://youtu.be/gMs_MjYXXgQ

Cheers

Machining from a solid block is awesome if you can swing it but CNC gear is a little out of my reach. To pay someone else to do it is also going to get REALLY spendy. Casting is actually fairly simple and results in very little material waste as only the mating surfaces and bearing/shaft housing actually need to be machined and that is all simple lathe or mill work. Plus if you screw it up you can always melt it down and go again.

Green sand casting is probably the most versatile method although I've also been experimenting with steel permanent molds. There is also a good casting sand called Petrobond which uses oil as a binding agent but user beware! That stuff smokes like nobody's business for bloody ages once you pour the hot stuff in. Do NOT use that stuff inside!

Lot of work done lately but lots of fiddly jobs with very little to show for the time spent like finish welding pieces and planning exhaust routing while cutting up various mandrel bends...

More importantly though I finally bough me a lathe!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BfCw65EFefI/

1908 Drummond Brothers 3 1/2. It's fairly small at around 16" between centres but it works like it was made yesterday and is in incredibly good nick. I'm part way through making the adapter to mount and sprocket and outboard bearing on the end of the V8 crank. Will post pics when I get it done

Beautiful machine!

belt guard
belt guard
beltguard
i’ve seen people tangled in unguarded stuff
and it ain’t nice
blood and screaming ——— still can hear it
and that was 20 years ago

Good advice on the belt guard. I have made a makeshift one but left it off for the pic cos it's proper ugly. Keeps my fingers on the ends of my hands where they belong though.

How's it going?