What's this interesting item please?

[impetuous]

I collect unique military retirement gifts and enjoying this corner of PH thought to ask if anyone knows more about this one I've just obtained, assuming RAF?

One assumes rather specialised skills to create the solid metal objects trapped within each other (they cannot be removed, assume made from one block of metal).

Plugged it, it rotates very slowly.

The spindle has snapped and will be repaired.

It would be super to tie it back into history...

Edited by impetuous on Monday 13th January 14:37

[Butter Face]

It’s called a turners cube and it’s CNC made from one piece.

[impetuous]

Butter Face said:

It’s called a turners cube and it’s CNC made from one piece.

Thank you, what a quick response! I was intrigued by it, another step of knowledge.

Edited by impetuous on Monday 13th January 14:46

[Butter Face]

They’re pretty cool. A mate of mine made one once. Quite a bit of work.

[Voldemort]

Butter Face said:

It’s called a turners cube and it’s CNC made from one piece.

CNC in 1974?

[Butter Face]

Voldemort said:

Butter Face said:

It’s called a turners cube and it’s CNC made from one piece.

CNC in 1974?

I Didn’t look at the date. You’d CNC one now. You wouldn’t back then probably why it’s called a ‘turners’ cube rather than an a ‘CNC’ cube one would presume.

[Norfolk B-roads]

It's the first thing any student makes in machine shop. It requires milling and turning skills, so covers a lot of lessons in one project.

Usually made by hand, because it's a training exercise. There's no point making one by CNC, unless you're learning CNC I suppose...


EDIT: Oops, watching the video posted below reminded me, no milling is required. One of the skills it teaches is squaring up stock on a lathe.

Edited by Norfolk B-roads on Monday 13th January 16:17

[RizzoTheRat]

Aquila was an MoD site, I think in Kent. It would presumably have become part of DERA or DTEO before the DSTL/QinetiQ split.

[Krikkit]

Norfolk B-roads said:

It's the first thing any student makes in machine shop. It requires milling and turning skills, so covers a lot of lessons in one project.

Usually made by hand, because it's a training exercise. There's no point making one by CNC, unless you're learning CNC I suppose...

It'd be quite cool to make two - one by hand, another CNC.

Never seen one before, what a cool bit of kit

Interesting video of someone making one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xw3GzqgWg-8

[AndrewCrown]

I

Aquila was indeed an MOD site in Bickley, Kent
Electrical and Acoustic Laboratories etc
Site sold for housing.

If you google apprentices, Aquila, etc you'll find some bits and pieces

And here you can see the crest

[McGee_22]

It's definitely a hand turned piece and probably made by an apprentice.

I did a Royal Navy Artificer Marine Engineering Apprenticeship and although I was eventually streamed as Electrical rather than Fitter and Turner, pieces like this were part of the common training elements.

I recall doing a triple cube in brass, but I do remember a couple of the quicker F&T guys doing a four and there was a five or six on display.

Everone who succeeded got to keep them and most got taken home to proud parents - I suspect there are hundreds hidden in cupboards and drawers.

Edited by McGee_22 on Monday 13th January 22:49

[Blue32]

AndrewCrown said:

I

Aquila was indeed an MOD site in Bickley, Kent
Electrical and Acoustic Laboratories etc
Site sold for housing.

If you google apprentices, Aquila, etc you'll find some bits and pieces

And here you can see the crest

That photo is the outside of what was the Apprentice training center

I was an apprentice there in the late 90s and finished just before it closed in 2003. I think the site was originally designed as a hospital in the mid to late 40s as it was next to the main rail line between London and the coast.

Urbex tour of the site before it was demolished http://www.simoncornwell.com/urbex/mil/a/e020304/1...

Also had a relative that worked there who was given these

[impetuous]

Thank you to everyone, most appreciated ... so much specialist knowledge on PH.

[Perseverant]

Fascinating what turns up! My father in law made a wooden puzzle along similar lines many years ago - a remarkably skilled man, he made special lathe tools to cut the internal part which was a spiked ball with the spikes protruding through an outer ball which enclosed it. He won a prize at the Royal Highland Show with it.