Make:

wow, that looks alot like the motion of a rotor in a wankel engine
http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=wankel%20engine%20animation

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That is a really cool technology. This reminds me of similar used to produce square or even many pointed star shaped holes inside a part on the show "How It's Made" or perhaps "How Do They Do It?"

While this technology uses a floating plane for the project or an offset swiveling bit, the episode featured a technology where both the bit and the part to be carved were rotating at high speed. The bit had a tapered head and was drilled into the piece at a corresponding angle.

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First thing that came to mind was a rotary engine, similar to http://www.me.berkeley.edu/mrcl/mini.html

Not sure how you could get the output to a standard gear train though.

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I was thinking to myself before reading the article about how this would be done without a set of additional tools but the solution dating back almost a century is amazing!

Jon @ WoodMarvels.com

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I dont see the point when compared to milling.

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