Downsizing a used turbine wheel?

[56cummins]

I want to make a 65/74 turbine out of my current 10 blade 68/76. Any advice would be apreciated. Plan is mount the turbine in the mill, mount a grinder in the vice. Any advice on speeds? Give up now?

 

[zfaylor]

Wut? No.

 

[bateman]

Inconel proof safety glasses might come in handy.

 

[Timbeaux]

I want to make a 65/74 turbine out of my current 10 blade 68/76. Any advice would be apreciated. Plan is mount the turbine in the mill, mount a grinder in the vice. Any advice on speeds? Give up now?

Use a torch.... much faster.

 

[RacinDuallie]

Ummmmm......

 

[Smoking S]

Let me know how it works!

 

[56cummins]

Any constructive input? Chipping Inconel in the lathe a better solution?

 

[zstroken]

We turned down compressor wheels before and had good luck. Basically put a shaft in the lathe, turn the shaft down to the diameter of the bore of the compressor wheel(this took care of any out of center chucking issues, bent shaft etc), then put the wheel on and went to town. Didn't have any issues. Never messed with the turbine. Balancing could be an isssue, we didn't have problems, but then again, maybe we got lucky.

 

[Smokem]

It can be done on a lathe, but being an interrupted cut what you will spend on inserts will eat up any savings you think there may be.

 

[megastang]

Now this is my kind of crazy! Although it does seem like a lot of work unless you have a very special need. I was actually thinking about modifying turbine wheels last night but in a different way. I wonder if there is any kind of work hardening that happens with Inconel after it has been in service. I would think a mill with 4th axis or a grinding setup would probably be the best way. If you really want it to be right you would probably want to mount the grinding wheel on a 45 degree angle and make sure you dress a nice radius on it. Grinding is not really that great an idea on a lathe but someone with a hydraulic tracer and a toolpost grinder would probably be able to do a nice job.

 

[56cummins]

Thanks for the input everyone. I have a stash of 65mm turbine housings/turbos, would be neat to see how the 10 blade reacts in comparison to the 11. I would like some data logging equipment before I dive into this project.

 

[Leiffi]

Lots of clipped turbinewheels around, dont know how they are done ?

 

[nwpadmax]

I wonder if there is any kind of work hardening that happens with Inconel after it has been in service.

Uh, no.....there is no work hardening taking place at all - the wheel gets annealed briefly every time it's taken to high EGTs...