Fun to work with, eh? I spend most of my time working for a large producer of tungsten and molybdenum bar, sheet, plate and wire. They also have a machining department that makes mostly moly parts, but they do machine tungsten when it's absolutely necessary and grinding isn't possible.
Ned Simmons
Heh! Fun, indeed! These were made from 1/8" diameter stock, about three inches long, turned down to .100" in the center, with a 1" radius leading in and out of the cut. Critical requirement that there be no undercut, and the surface was well polished. I ended up converting a small Clausing lathe into a mechanical tracer by spring loading the compound and running a roller bearing against the template. The loose end was run in a captive center, snug slip fit with the material, and positively driven by a tiny set screw. Turned out great, but tool life really suffered. I don't recall the quantity now, but it was in the hundreds.
The balance weights I made required an 80 pitch thread, which I chased single point. I was MUCH younger then. I could actually see the thread, even without a comparator.
If I never machine tungsten again, I'd be OK with that. I'm no longer trying to prove myself to anyone for any reason. It's a bitch to work with----although I think I prefer it to titanium.
Harold
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