CAM question

[Piggiron]

Is it possible to make a cam on manual machines ?
If so, does anyone have any references about cam profiles for lift and duration ?

[TerryWerm]

You can make a cam on a manual lathe. Just what sort of cam you want to make will determine just what you can really do. Many lathe users are familiar with making an eccentric cam such as those used on model steam engines. All you need is to offset your part the correct amount with a four-jaw chuck and Bob's your uncle.

Now if you are considering something more like an automotive engine camshaft, well, that requires multiple radii and multiple centers, and hoo boy, it would be quite a task on a manual lathe, probably beyond the capabilities of any of us in this group.

I messed around with making a jig a few years back to cut multiple radii with multiple centers at the request of my son. It was more of a curiosity thing rather than a real need. We succeeded at making a single cam - not an entire camshaft - and its transitions were rather abrupt, and its size was rather small. It also was not of the proper shape for a real cam, though there was a resemblance there. 

Long story short it was a good way to blow an afternoon while experimenting with the idea.