TomS
off to a rocking start
Member since October 2013
Posts: 13 
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Post by TomS on Dec 18, 2013 16:01:08 GMT -5
thanks everyone.
I have a dual tube 80 Watt CO2 laser with 1200x900mm table.
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Post by DirtCleaner on Dec 18, 2013 17:42:49 GMT -5
Welcome TomS. One warning….you showed off some great skills with the acrylic pieces. Most likely you will be pestered by all of us when we get ideas about building things. Nice craftsmanship.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Dec 18, 2013 17:51:55 GMT -5
bad@ss!!!
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TomS
off to a rocking start
Member since October 2013
Posts: 13
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Post by TomS on Dec 18, 2013 23:07:23 GMT -5
Welcome TomS. One warning….you showed off some great skills with the acrylic pieces. Most likely you will be pestered by all of us when we get ideas about building things. Nice craftsmanship. That's fine. I'm sure we can work out some rocks or saw time for trade of services  |
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Dec 18, 2013 23:17:52 GMT -5
TomS - I am digging how you solved the "intermittent" issue with a custom housing and fan. Then re-routed the thermocouple and called it "continuous duty". That is a true maker mentality. Solve issues on the fly and "get 'er dun". Now, run it a few weeks and please provide feedback on the results. Those intermittent motors are inexpensive and the solution not so bad. Perhaps sphere machines for everyone is near, thanks to your knowledge and hard work! Woot!
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TomS
off to a rocking start
Member since October 2013
Posts: 13
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Post by TomS on Jan 2, 2014 12:34:36 GMT -5
Well, I burned up one motor already and not too much grinding happened that day. I think it was because I had moved the machine upstairs so I could do some other things and watch it at the same time and I ended up putting one of the motors too close to a wall so it didn't have nice cool air to pull in and push over the motor. I have already replaced it and have been grinding again without failure. but only time will tell if these motors can keep up.
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TomS
off to a rocking start
Member since October 2013
Posts: 13
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Post by TomS on Jan 5, 2014 13:51:11 GMT -5
ok, just lost another motor today. Guess these motors aren't going to cut it after all.
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Post by DirtCleaner on Jan 5, 2014 16:57:37 GMT -5
Maybe post a few pics of what you have and with some details and maybe somebody will have some good advice.
Good luck TomS.
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TomS
off to a rocking start
Member since October 2013
Posts: 13
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Post by TomS on Jan 5, 2014 17:15:26 GMT -5
Maybe post a few pics of what you have and with some details and maybe somebody will have some good advice. Good luck TomS. If you look back a page you can see what I've built. Just giving an update on life of the motors. Thanks. |
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herchenx
Cave Dweller 
Member since January 2012
Posts: 3,360
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Post by herchenx on May 31, 2014 20:35:29 GMT -5
Don't think there's a set height for the motors, but I'd set them high enough to set a catch pan under the cutters, to catch most of the mud that will drip off. Don't forget to have your motors slanted down slightly, so mud and grit will run away from the motor bearings. Somewhere on here there was a discussion about only using one capacitor to start all of the motors. I think they discussed how to wire it up. I like your idea of using the tee slot extrusion for the base rails. Should help to keep everything properly aligned. Don Don I know this is old but I just got a home brewed sphere machine and if I tip the shafts down slightly how would the sphere stay in place? It just drops because on this one if it isn't angled up the Sphere won't sit on the 3 pads. |
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Post by jakesrocks on May 31, 2014 21:05:28 GMT -5
You only need to slant them down a degree or two. Just enough to keep mud and grit from flowing down the shafts to the bearings. Much more of an angle up or down and you run the risk of the sphere popping out of the cutters
Somewhere on this thread is a pic of my little two head machine. The shafts point up more than two degrees. In the beginning stages of cutting, when there are still a few small flats on the preform, it has a tendency to spit out the preform if a flat spot catches the edge of a cutter. Once the flats are all ground away it will hold the sphere real good. With the shafts aimed up in that machine, the bronze support bushings are badly worn from mud reaching them. I've found new bushings to replace them, and first chance I get that machine will be rebuilt. I'm going to fit round, thick felt pads on the shafts ahead of the bearings to catch the mud. On that small machine, the felt pads used under spools of thread on a sewing machine will fit perfectly. But with large and small hole punches a person could make the discs for larger shafts. The idea is to keep the mud from ever reaching the bearings.
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Post by jakesrocks on May 31, 2014 22:26:05 GMT -5
Well, now I'm probably going to start another argument. It's not my intention to do so. Only my own personal observations.
Diamond pads versus old school cast iron cutters. (Common plumbing bell reducers).
Diamond pad type cutters by their very nature have rather shallow centers. This lends itself to spitting sphere preforms across the shop. The preforms don't fit as deeply into the cutters.They are expensive. But on the plus side they do cut quicker.
Cast iron old school cutters are slower cutting and produce more mud. On the plus side, by choosing the correct size of bell reducers, the preform fits deeper into the cutter, thereby reducing the chances of spitting out the preform. Also, they are fairly inexpensive. several different sizes of cutters could be bought for the same cost as one set of diamond cutters. on the Negative side. As stated, they produce more mud,and they have to have grit fed to them. But that's not all bad. The mud contains SC grit and can be reused many times over. It's even possible to use a chain loop to pick up the mud from a catch pan and feed it to the cutters.
A third option is a bell reducer type cutter with diamond welded to it. They're deep like the old school cutters, and should reduce the chance of spitting out preforms. A couple of companies produce them, or else you can buy brazing wire with the diamond grit already in it. Unless you're skilled at brazing, I would advise buying the cups which are already brazed for you. A lot of money could be wasted if you don't know what you're doing.
As I stated, just my personal observations.
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Steve
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2005
Posts: 506
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Post by Steve on May 31, 2014 23:35:52 GMT -5
I agree totally with the above posts by jakerocks (Don?). I use cutting cups with silicon carbide until I rough out the sphere. Then I move to diamond pads. I've tried various techniques to keep the grit from running down the shaft into the motor. Using a pulley as a barricade worked quite well. Eventually I moved to a new style of adapter and no longer had room on the shaft, so now I keep the angle shallow and watch more closely. I've started using the mud from the sphere machine as grit for the tumbler.
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Post by jakesrocks on Jun 1, 2014 0:07:07 GMT -5
Don't think there's a set height for the motors, but I'd set them high enough to set a catch pan under the cutters, to catch most of the mud that will drip off. Don't forget to have your motors slanted down slightly, so mud and grit will run away from the motor bearings. Somewhere on here there was a discussion about only using one capacitor to start all of the motors. I think they discussed how to wire it up. I like your idea of using the tee slot extrusion for the base rails. Should help to keep everything properly aligned. Don Don I know this is old but I just got a home brewed sphere machine and if I tip the shafts down slightly how would the sphere stay in place? It just drops because on this one if it isn't angled up the Sphere won't sit on the 3 pads. Glad you brought this old thread to the top John. I still haven't finished wiring my machine. I had planned to do it over the winter while it was too cold to work in the shop. Several months of sickness put an end to those plans. Now, (much to my wife's disgust), there's a pile of boxes of rocks around the machine, which is sitting in the living room. As soon as I get more shelves built, the boxes will move to the basement, and I'll be able to finally reach the machine. Maybe I'll get it finished before I go to feed the worms, and someone else can play with it. |
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herchenx
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2012
Posts: 3,360
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Post by herchenx on Jun 1, 2014 1:58:20 GMT -5
Yeah I've already had a few runaways from the diamond, but there are 3 things I am very interested in about them 1) I am running it on a covered porch outside, and I am running it dry - so there is no mud (outside because of the dust) 2) Whoever made it was using diamond and I got a bunch of diamond pads thrown in free - I was up and running within 15 minutes of grinding a preform and I didn't have to buy more parts (yet) and redo anything to get moving 3) As you mention Don I am hoping they cut a little faster, although because of the fact that they spit the preform out I have to babysit (at least in the early grind until it is shaped better. Don I'm sorry about your health issues. That sucks, we've been going through a lot with my dad and it isn't easy. I am very interested to see your machine get together and running so I'll watch this thread to see what happens. Meanwhile, I did get a few good hours of cutting tonight (the preform still has a ways to go):  |
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Post by jakesrocks on Jun 1, 2014 5:01:11 GMT -5
John, running it dry may wear out your diamond discs quicker. I'd devise some sort of catch pan and water drip system. Just a drop or 2 every few seconds should do. It may have to drip a little faster when you first start,until it builds up a little mud which will help hold the water.
I may be wrong, but I'm thinking that a little heavier bungie cord may help to push the pads deeper into the plastic fittings. That may cure the jumping out problem.
Health issues were no big thing. Pneumonia which wasn't bad enough to hospitalize me, followed almost immediately by the shingles. The shingles I never will get rid of, but meds make it tolerable, and you just learn to live with it.
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Post by iant on Jun 1, 2014 8:07:16 GMT -5
Just had a an enjoyable hour or so reading through this whole thread. Very interesting, thanks for the entertainment and knowledge you all have shared.
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Steve
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2005
Posts: 506
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Post by Steve on Jun 1, 2014 8:46:07 GMT -5
John, unless you want your own set of health problems --STOP RUNNING THOSE DIAMOND PADS DRY. Set up a drip system and make your work area dust free.
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herchenx
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2012
Posts: 3,360
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Post by herchenx on Jun 1, 2014 9:24:09 GMT -5
John, unless you want your own set of health problems --STOP RUNNING THOSE DIAMOND PADS DRY. Set up a drip system and make your work area dust free. Thanks for the concern Steve, I'm very cautious of rock dust. I'm running this on an open porch with lots of ventilation. If it ends up indoors I will get a drip system going. |
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Steve
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2005
Posts: 506
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Post by Steve on Jun 1, 2014 12:50:40 GMT -5
I must admit that I'm very paranoid about rock dust. 15 years ago I watched my father spend a year suffocating to death from mesothelioma, a type of lung cancer caused by exposure to asbestos dust. He had a very textbook case - exposed in his 20's and cancer in his early 60's. He was exposed when wrapping asbestos insulation on pipes in the oilfields. He was working outdoors in a well ventilated environment.
There's a type of equipment that is very popular in this area - the Richardson's Ranch high speed sander. It is really fast and does a great job. But you run them dry. You're supposed to hook up a vacuum to pull out the dust and wear a respirator when using it. Most folks just pull it to the door of the shop or garage and call it good. These things scare me and I refuse to be around one when it is in operation.
Sorry, I'll be quiet on this issue now.
I'm really looking forward to seeing your spheres John. I'm also a sphere maker. I just scored a practically brand new Richardson's Ranch sphere machine - as best as I can tell it was only used to re-polish marbles. Can't wait until classes are over so I can put it into production. I've been using a couple of homemade jobs that work, but aren't very efficient.
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