Camshaft Lamp

UTfball68

UTfball68

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2008
Location
Granite Quarry
Well I just finished the cam swap in my Bronco and to commemorate the ocassion, I was thinking about taking the cam and turning it into a lamp with a Range Rover rotor as the base plate. That being said, I think it would be awesome to keep the wires/cords internal in the cam. But that would require about 2-2.5 feet of drilling (unless for some reason the cam is hollow). And this drilling would be in to hardened material. Outside of a lathe and a good supply of carbide drill bits, is there any way to drill through the cam? Or should I come to the realization that the wires will run externally? Thoughts/Advice/Pointers would be greatly appreciated.
 
Easiest route that comes to ind would be hiding the wires in a section of brake/fuel tube and running it up directly behind the cam out of the base. Would do away with the need to drill it, and kinda blend in at the same time. For bonus points cut an old caliper in half and mount it on your brake rotor base....
 
I've wondered the same thing, and I don't think there is another way other than drilling.

You could find a way to slice a big notch down the back side of it, then you could tuck the wires into the notch and maybe JB weld or silicon them into place.
 
DemonDave said:
Easiest route that comes to ind would be hiding the wires in a section of brake/fuel tube and running it up directly behind the cam out of the base. Would do away with the need to drill it, and kinda blend in at the same time. For bonus points cut an old caliper in half and mount it on your brake rotor base....
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Hey hey...now I like that idea.

Blaze said:
I've wondered the same thing, and I don't think there is another way other than drilling.
You could find a way to slice a big notch down the back side of it, then you could tuck the wires into the notch and maybe JB weld or silicon them into place.
Click to expand...

Hmmm...sawzall anyone...haha.
 
me thinks camshafts are case hardened, center soft
 
Yep, case hardened. Get about .010 into the cam and it's soft as butter. You would need to have a gun drill to drill that far. A lathe would take forever. There are not that many gundrills around either.

You'd be better off finding something else to make a lamp out of. Maybe an engine crank and weave the wires through the oil passages? That would be a heavy lamp!
 
copper tubing. it would be cool if you could fit the tubing into the caliper fitting and run the wires through the caliper and through the fins in the disc
 

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Gmachine said:
Yep, case hardened. Get about .010 into the cam and it's soft as butter.
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If that's the case, potentially, I could just use a bell hanger bit once I get passed the hardened layer, correct? Then flip the cam, and meet in the middle? I realize it would take forever, and I would have to rig an oiling system, but would it be possible?

jonnyB said:
copper tubing. it would be cool if you could fit the tubing into the caliper fitting and run the wires through the caliper and through the fins in the disc
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Pending the answers to my above questions, that'll probably be the route I go.

02gmc5.3 said:
http://www.horsepowerjunkies.com/forums/showthread.php?t=83407&highlight=cam+lamp

http://www.horsepowerjunkies.com/forums/showthread.php?t=79189&highlight=cam+lamp
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Thanks for the links.
 
Use two cams, and have them serve as wires (just don't let em touch). Also would be fun to tell your friends to move the lamp!
 
The last shop I worked at had a gundrill. It as worn out and would only drill 1" per minute. At $60/hr shop rate. That's an expensive lamp!

Yes, working from both sides would be an option. Just use a carbide bit to break through the ends. Definitely use some coolant or oil of some kind.
 
Cut the cam into 3 or 4 pieces, drill each piece from both ends, then weld or JB weld the cam pieces back together.
 
not a lamp but all mine for 14 years. use it every day .

from a old lawnboy 2 stroke lawn mower :huggy:
 

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jeepinmatt said:
Use two cams, and have them serve as wires (just don't let em touch). Also would be fun to tell your friends to move the lamp!
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HA HA HA ... Do you have any friends? That are still alive:lol::lol:
 
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