If you look futher down the album there is a forend made from what seems a combination of subtactive technologies- EDM wire eroding and CNC machining, a combination I find rather clever.
The shock to some that bespoke guns utilise these technologies is understandable. But may be we should not confuse the product with the way it is made.
Good catch, that is a very interesting photo. Although, I would opine that the machine work we are seeing was all done on a rotary 4th axis mill.
The iron was made from a piece of round stock, and I can see the mounting bolts still attached to the back of the stock where it was mounted to the face plate of the rotary table. I don't see any operations that could not have been made on a 4th axis, but there still may be EDM work yet to do on it.
As a CAD enginneer, CNC programer/operator myself, I have to say this is a fine piece of work. It is more impressive when you appreciate how many scores of hours it takes to bring a project like that to completion.
I do agree with your statement about people need to understand that producing blank parts with these methods is not a negative. There are still many hours of hand work/finishing involved. Creating these semi-finished parts with CNC technology is simply replacing the many hours of wasted time with a hack saw and bastard files. The parts still have to be brought to final dimensions, and finished by skilled workers, like they always have been.
The one potential drawback I will point to, is that it does limit changes, or one of a kind parts. For example with this forend iron, there is a large investment in creating a CAD drawing, CNC program, testing/editing that program, special fixturing in setup if needed...etc. Once all of that is done, to actually make money on that process, there needs to be a certain quantity of parts made to make a profit, or the price of that one part is astronomical, especially when you then think of all the parts that go into the gun, that are made with this process. There is a chance that this can limit creativity on future designs, but that might yet remain to be seen.
But I digress...Thanks for the photos Dig.
