GunLab (KnownHost) » EDM

Weekend update for 1-24-16

Chuck — Tue, 26 Jan 2016 08:00:24 +0000

This is the run down of the fun and excitement that went on this last weekend.

We are testing out a new ejector design for the VG1-5. The original design that we used started to experience problems after several hundred rounds. The newer one will be a little more robust and a slightly better design. It needs to work with a variety of magazine manufactures as well as our own magazine. So testing was conducted on the bench first and when we think we have all the bugs worked out it will be off to the test fixture.

I have not been able to solve the wire edm problem on my own. So now it is time to send it to the factory to be tested and repaired as necessary. I removed the monitor and it’s circuit board, packaged them up and sent them off to Mcwilliams to check it out.

I would really like to find away to change it out to a flat screen, but no luck yet with that idea.

The new circuity for the cnc router has come in and I have started working on the new layout for the control circuit.

This set up comes from Smooth Stepper (http://www.automationtechnologiesinc.com/products-page/breakout-boards/ethernet-smoothstepper-motion-control-board-with-terminals-for-mach3). With the help of my friend Orin I hope to have the basic wiring completed this next weekend.

I also got back onto the kitchen project and finished the molding for the cabinets.

Then I started on the tiling.

I am also making a parts box for the Hotchkiss portative. I wanted something on the line of a British design Vickers or Lewis box. I have finished about 1/2 of it is solid works and actually cut and planed the first two wood pieces. As the wood is coming from old pallets it took a little time.

Enough for one weekend and it’s back to work for the week.

Wire EDM update

Chuck — Mon, 18 Jan 2016 08:00:52 +0000

Last weekend and this weekend I spent a little time on the wire EDM that I picked up at auction. The last report I published we had changed out the bad switches on the control panel and had got the wire to feed through the machine. When I tried to start the water flow through the machine the pumps would run but the upper and lower flush pumps would not pump. So this Saturday with the help of a couple of friends the three of us re-worked the two pumps that were giving me problems.

This is what the pump housing area looked like after the removal of the pumps and piping.

The major problem with the lower flush pump was a bad check valve.

The strainer had no wire basked in it so I made on from the available mesh that I had on hand.

With no strainer basket installed this is what was found in the inlet of the pump.

This effectively stopped the flow of water to the inlet of the pump.

Both pumps were taken apart and thoroughly cleaned. Then they were reinstalled and the piping hooked back up. A quick test and we had flow.

You can see the video of the pumps operating, both the upper and lower flush pumps working.

However more problems have occurred. We have now lost the CRT, TV tube. It was working up until last weekend when it just stopped.

This is the current condition we are in with the wire edm. Joe and Alan, friends of Gun Lab, helped with testing and re-working the pumps. An interesting question was brought up during all this work and that what was the cost so far concerning the Japax wire edm and is it worth it. So to date I spent 1400.00 buying it at auction and 100.00 buying new switches. I have bought resin and filters as well, but that would be the case with a new machine. Currently I would say yes it is worth the money I have spent to date. I am hoping that there is not much wrong or that the cost of repairing the tube will not be that great. We shall see.

Part Two of the Japax wire EDM

Chuck — Mon, 08 Jun 2015 08:00:14 +0000

Today after making parts for the Ar-180B was completed I started back trying to get the Japax wire edm to work. When 9pm came about I finally stopped. A great deal was accomplished today. Starting with getting the upper head to move to being able to write, post and run a basic program. This post is the start up of the machine and how to move the table and the upper head of the machine.

I started this series because there is not much written or on video out there about operating the Japax wire EDM. These EDM’s are not the most modern of machines, but there are becoming available to small shops at a price that allows use to purchase them.

My goal with this series of video’s is to allow someone that happens to come across one of these machine be able to learn how to operate it.

I once again have to thank the guys over at McWillams sales and service (http://www.mcwilliamsedm.com/index.html) for their help in getting my machine up and running.

In the next post we will write and down load a progrem and run it in dry run.

Japax wire edm

Chuck — Mon, 01 Jun 2015 08:00:20 +0000

I am going to start a series of posts on the Japax wire edm. I am doing this for a variety of reasons. The first is that it is an easy way for me to show Brett, by the way who is a great guy, at McWilliams sales and service , http://www.mcwilliamsedm.com/index.html, what is going on with my machine and the problems that I am having. The second reason is that there is nothing out on the internet either in video or written walking someone using the Japax wire edm. Initially this will be a little choppy and I apologize for that but it is hard to ask the question if you don’t know what to ask.

My initial goal is the first clean out the machine and get it ready to work, then to hand write a program to allow the table and upper head to move and position properly. Once I have these two steps completed I want to be able to feed the wire and make a small part on the hand written program. Then finally make a solid model, post the model to a cam program and down load it to the machine and make a part.

On Monday I will be calling Todd, there service engineer, over at MCWilliams to discuss the cleaning process for the machine.

On the programing side I am trying to find out what are the specific G and M codes for this machine. How to, on a step by step basis, program the machine. I have read the manual but I am still not sure what screen to be in and how to input the code. Some of the questions I have are as simple as is there a machine home button.

This will be a interesting learning process and one that I hope will provide a new and operational machine for the shop.

Here is the first in the series of video’s on the Japax wire edm.

Here are a couple of pictures of the basic machine. This first one is the control panel.

One of the machine it self.

A close up of the work area.

Sunday afternoon update.

Spent a few hours trying to get the EDM to work, still no luck. However, I was able to write a program by keying in 13,data edit. Once in this mode I could input individual lines of code by typing I/N001/and the code.

But when we typed 8on NC set and input the program by either typing 1 or 0 I would get errorA01. Still stumped.

A GREAT DAY

Chuck — Thu, 18 Sep 2014 08:00:53 +0000

I am not going to do a library post today. Instead I am going to post about my day yesterday.

I had the opportunity to chat with a great design team that has been working on some new magazine and weapon designs that unfortunately at this point I can not go into. However, what I can talk about is what I learn in the few hours that I was able to spend with them. I realize that I have so much more to learn that I can not possible get to where I want to be in my life time. Just the few minutes we spent with them talking about magazine design open my eyes to what I have been doing wrong in some of my own designs. There help way beyond measure and with the insight provided I can now continue with my 7.62x54r Bren gun magazine design.

They were able to help me find other contractors that could help with wire EDM and deep hole drilling problems that we have been having. Finding good sub contractors is really a task. We have been looking for a good deep hole drilling company for quite some time. With there knowledge I will be able to take the next step on the FG-42 first model. The conversion about dwell time open my eyes to a way to correct a design problem that we have been having with a new rifle project that we are working on.

The wire EDM guy they are using understands the accuracy needs that we are facing on one of our projects as well as the grinding and heat treating requirements that we need. The conversation concerning steels and heat treating was just great.

I was able to test fire there newest design which is better then anything else that I have shot recently. It is truly years ahead of the rest of the weapons designs out there.

One of the services they offered and I will take them up on is their use of their high speed camera. With this service I can now take detail pictures of the weapons we make making. This will answer a number of questions for us concerning the design and operation of our guns.

I just hope that I did not embarrass myself to much as to not be allowed to come back and talk with them again. I really enjoy the time I spent with people that know there stuff. I always feel a little less then adequate after a day like today, not because of anything they said or did but because of what they open my eyes to.

I hope in the future I can mention the design team by name. These are the type of people that truly make the world turn on its axis. Great men just designing and building with no fan fare.I hope that in some small measure we are able to help them continue with there project.

And as if this day could get no better I received a call from one of the members of this site and we went into the some of the problems that we have been dealing with concerning our stampings. The knowledge that he shared with me dealing with sheet metal and stamping has truly helped in the design of the next set of dies we make.

This day was just GREAT. What I hope to do with this site is to present you with the kind of information I obtained today. I know that my post today does not do the day justice. However, I have written down two pages of notes of information that I have learned today and in the future will be able to incorporate that knowledge into the designs that we build here.

Thanks again to everyone for making this a great day.

Playing with a home made EDM

Chuck — Sun, 27 Jul 2014 15:59:28 +0000

I had a small project that need an EDM to accomplish. So it was off to my neighbors house to use his home made EDM. I was making a new folding stock bolt for a L1A1 paratroop rifle that I wanted to make.

Some changes are being made to this edm based upon the results of this project. We are now adding a liner bearing to the Z axis and working on a more accurate X and Y set up. Hope you enjoyed the video.