Kirkham Skunk Works Sneak Peak :)

[David Kirkham]

Hey Guys,

I should have hired our new guys sooner. I now have time to get back into some projects that have spent far too long on the back burner.

This block of aluminum started out weighing in at 386 pounds

David

[N2VENOM]

Let me guess. A heavy duty wheelchair?

[David Kirkham]

Originally Posted by N2VENOM

Let me guess. A heavy duty wheelchair?

That's another project I am most excited to dust off.

David

[Jim Doak]

Looks to me that it's still going to end up as a block of aluminum. A much lighter block with a few holes punched in it.

[David Kirkham]

Originally Posted by Jim Doak

Looks to me that it's still going to end up as a block of aluminum. A much lighter block with a few holes punched in it.

Many, many pounds lighter. With 8 holes 4.25 inches in diameter down the sides.

David

[HighPlainsDrifter]

Hi,
That's too cool David
Good Luck
Perry.

[elmariachi]

You guys are suffering from insufficient adult supervision.

[jmimac351]

I can do that with a drill press and an angle grinder.

[elmariachi]

Originally Posted by jmimac351

I can do that with a drill press and an angle grinder.

Yea me too, but ours will look like this :

[jmimac351]

That's old world craftsmanship right there. Like, "Stone Age".

So, David, how does that conversation go exactly?

David: "Yo Sandwich, go ahead and write a CNC program for an engine."

Sandwich: "Would you like that before or after lunch?"

Do you have one of those FARO arms or just a really good set of calipers?

[David Kirkham]

Originally Posted by elmariachi

You guys are suffering from insufficient adult supervision.

Indeed. Man was born to be free

Originally Posted by jmimac351

I can do that with a drill press and an angle grinder.

I imagine Theo could.

Originally Posted by elmariachi

Yea me too, but ours will look like this :

Originally Posted by jmimac351

That's old world craftsmanship right there. Like, "Stone Age".

So, David, how does that conversation go exactly?

David: "Yo Sandwich, go ahead and write a CNC program for an engine."

Sandwich: "Would you like that before or after lunch?"

Do you have one of those FARO arms or just a really good set of calipers?

Pretty much

David

[PDUB]

Looks great from the outside... but how do you machine the water jackets?

[LoyWarr]

Originally Posted by PDUB

Looks great from the outside... but how do you machine the water jackets?

Check out the link.
http://www.kirkhammotorsports.com/mfg/block_index.html

[PDUB]

Cool, a tulip wood side oiler! Reminds be of that line in the film Short Circuit...

Thanks, I'll need some caffiene to read that book...

[FIA-ERA]

Looks like a new form of modern furniture. Maybe a nice coffee table styled after a Noguchi? Will it have green tented glass with a nice pencil edge? Always breaking new ground out there. Good stuff...

[David Kirkham]

Originally Posted by PDUB

Looks great from the outside... but how do you machine the water jackets?

We'll show that in the next few days. One of my brother's F1 magazines provide the inspiration.

David

[David Kirkham]

Originally Posted by LoyWarr

Check out the link.
http://www.kirkhammotorsports.com/mfg/block_index.html

We changed things up and went with wet sleeves after seeing them in F1 engines.

David

[IndyCobra]

I'm wondering if your house is CNC machined out of a solid block of billet aluminum?

You guys do fantastic work. Man, what I could think of building with those tools and skills.

[ItBites]

David,

Not sure what temper you are using, but typically in a billet that thick, the center does not have the same temper as the outer couple of inches (can be gummy to machine too). When I have made big parts from a solid billet, I usually machine to near-net shape (the part moves after this due to removing internally stressed material), then re-heat-treat (it walks a little more during the re-heat treat). Then come back for the finish machining to final dimension, after all the stresses are stable again. This is normally followed and required practice for aerospace structures, but maybe not for this application?

Having seen you are an Engineer, I assume you have considered this. Was wondering what your plan was.

[Don]

Continuation of the KMU 101 curriculum , leading to the 201 & advanced 301 courses.

Logo for KMU is ? Will there be polo shirts & baseball caps ?