randomm
Well-known
yeah, modifying a helical is a one-time shot. It would be awesome to have access to an end-mill to do this with a precision grind then to hand file each thread and finally lap them to mate them up for smooth focusing.
Ahh, if a benevolent someone wouldn't just win that lottery already and buy me a full metal workshop... One can dream. maybe I'll marry rich.
Phil Forrest
Yeah, one can only dream 🙂
I did this with a Dremel and hobby hand files. You keep Dremel at a slight angle against the surface you're working on - that lets Dremel rotate the helicoid (helicoid on a level surface, of course - you have to use something that fits snug inside the helicoid to keep it in place while it rotates freely) while its evenly removing material from it, works almost like a lathe. Hand filing all the entry/exit points was a must.
I wholeheartedly admit that this was a hack, but it worked.