An update on the progress of F6 manufacturing.
After a lengthy design phase and COVID delays in the initial manufacturing phase (machining, casting, blasting, anodising etc) we are well and truly into the assembly phase with fitment and alignment of the column carriages onto the recirculating ball nuts (real name), front spherical bearing mount, horizontal float linear bearing shafts, levelling screws and feet, along with some shimming of the column bearings under the column bearing retaining plates (pre-loading the angular contact bearings which face each other). It's difficult to gauge the colour scheme in it's entirely without all the parts and under proper lighting. The images show the base and the visible parts of the coarse adjustment mechanism. The hidden components of the coarse adjustment mechanism such as pulleys, belt, tensioner and reduction gear box are all mounted in the mechanism bay underneath and protected by an under-surface pan. The joystick, coaxial mechanism (consisting of horizontal and vertical floats, vertical shafts and 8 x linear bearings), bag retaining plates and side clamps, side clamp adjustment spindles, as well as the counterbalance are all to come.
In the images you can see the 5 operations for the machining of the cast base as well as the priming of the ball bearings into the screw nuts (140+ ball bearings).
A few of important things to note;
1. The angular contact bearings (2 per column) are shimmed using laser cut gasket material and located just under the retaining plate (silver discs) within the mechanism bay. 6 x hex bolt machine screws provide compression to the bearings. This means that as the bearings bed-in the shimming can be adjusted to remove any play over time however, wear is in microns and as the gaskets are free to expand bearing pressure is consistent. Bearings can also be replaced but it is unlikely they will wear out
2. Columns have upper and lower seals to protect bearings
3. Column screw nuts have near zero play but with a little vertical weight (rifle weight) the ball bearings seat into the spiral races of the screw for a rock solid lock-in with zero play, but spin effortlessly
4. Rifle bump stop is centrally located as standard but as the screw holes for the front bag retaining plate are spaced equally (35mm spacing) 2 bump stops (spaced 70mm ctr to ctr) can be fitted for Kestros ZR style forestocks
5. Coarse adjustment knobs for left and right handed shooters (left and right gearbox pockets pre-cast and machined). Only the external drilling for the driven shaft bushing is required
The design philosophy behind the coarse adjustment mechanism is simple - a shooter should be able to make coarse elevation adjustments without disturbing their firing position (without even lifting their elbow), to do so with finger-tip ease and without the need for a locking mechanism. In essence, coarse elevation adjustment should be achievable while looking through the scope and to be done so with ease even for physically impaired shooters. This has been a non-negotiable design feature since day one.
The design philosophy for the joystick-coaxial mechanism is just as simple and will be discussed in a later post however, it should be noted that the shooter can make rapid aiming adjustments to less than 5 arc seconds. In understandable terms, the crosshairs of a rifle scope may be manually guided so as to divide a 50c coin into equal quarters from a distance of 1km away, without overcompensation, shuddering or multiple attempts, anywhere within a zone the size of a Basketball Court (98MOA wide x 74MOA high). This lends itself heavily to shooters who wish to use hold-off for both windage and elevation as well as shooters who wish to use turret adjustments.
More images on the FB page: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php? ... 7864020961
Oplo F6 Assembly Phase Cont'd
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Oplo F6 Assembly Phase Cont'd
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Re: Oplo F6 Assembly Phase Cont'd
Oplo,
Looks really good, can the rest top accommodate a 5-6" bag?
And will this rest handle the weight of a 30 - 40kg Heavy BR rifle?
Cheers
Alan
Looks really good, can the rest top accommodate a 5-6" bag?
And will this rest handle the weight of a 30 - 40kg Heavy BR rifle?
Cheers
Alan
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Re: Oplo F6 Assembly Phase Cont'd
Hi Alan, thanks for the compliment on the rest. The F6 is designed for F-Class and as such a 3" bag. We are addressing the possibility for a 5" bag for the F7-Ti PRO or perhaps even a 3rd version. Unfortunately that's a fair time away.
Cheers
Cheers
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Re: Oplo F6 Assembly Phase Cont'd
Thanks Oplo for the feed back.. Good luck with your design, looks like a winner.
Cheers
Alan
Cheers
Alan
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