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PowerSports / Re: Ebike trike conversion
« Last post by BillTodd on November 10, 2025, 10:25:56 AM »Bike now sold so project shelved
Recent Posts
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New from Old / Re: Fitting Vee Guides to the Fanuc Tapecut Model M Wire EDM
« Last post by awemawson on November 09, 2025, 10:22:42 AM »Removing the upper guide assembly was just a case of removing four bolts along with the water feed and electrical connections. It is surrounded by two stainless steel splash guards that keep the upper 'U&V' servo drives dry - they were FILTHY !
Mounted on this assembly is the redundant 'wire cutter'. When made this machine had automatic threading of the wire (sheer luxury) but it was so unreliable it was removed apart from the cutter.
Had enough today - back tomorrow for more fun.
Mounted on this assembly is the redundant 'wire cutter'. When made this machine had automatic threading of the wire (sheer luxury) but it was so unreliable it was removed apart from the cutter.
Had enough today - back tomorrow for more fun.
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New from Old / Re: Fitting Vee Guides to the Fanuc Tapecut Model M Wire EDM
« Last post by awemawson on November 09, 2025, 10:15:10 AM »So today's job was (theoretically) unbolt the original diamond guides and bolt on the Vee guides in their place. But as we all know there is always at least one GOTCHA in the way.
Firstly not having previously stripped out the mounting plate for the lower guide, as it's mounting 'looked' the same I had ASSUMED that it was - wrong - different hole spacing. Also to gain the full advantage of the Vee guide over the hole type it needs to project out into free space rather than be mounted on a plate with a hole (or you still have to thread the wire though an (admittedly much bigger) hole. Time for a re-design. Initially I'd thought order up some stainless and start machining but then sense prevailed and I've drawn it up in Fusion 360 with a prototype printing as I speak.
Firstly not having previously stripped out the mounting plate for the lower guide, as it's mounting 'looked' the same I had ASSUMED that it was - wrong - different hole spacing. Also to gain the full advantage of the Vee guide over the hole type it needs to project out into free space rather than be mounted on a plate with a hole (or you still have to thread the wire though an (admittedly much bigger) hole. Time for a re-design. Initially I'd thought order up some stainless and start machining but then sense prevailed and I've drawn it up in Fusion 360 with a prototype printing as I speak.
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Member Videos / Re: My week this week, my workshop videos!
« Last post by hermetic on November 08, 2025, 11:08:17 AM »Hi Folks, The house project is coming to an end, new tenant is in (almost) the woodburner/central heating is working and she is getting organised with furniture, so my job there is almost over and I can return to the workshop with a clear head and concentrate on the job in hand! The only time I ever got lines at school it was " I must concentrate on the job in hand"! Still having trouble with that! So, the chimney cowl goes on, and I get back on to the D type replica drive system and basically start again and make huge leaps forward! I turn up the shaft for the clutch bell and then rejig the drive mechanism! All in a days work tinkering here at rough but slow engineering!
Phil, in damp and dreary East Yorkshire!
https://youtu.be/gstwdf1Gc3w
Phil, in damp and dreary East Yorkshire!
https://youtu.be/gstwdf1Gc3w
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New from Old / Re: Fitting Vee Guides to the Fanuc Tapecut Model M Wire EDM
« Last post by awemawson on November 08, 2025, 09:33:16 AM »So this morning I 3D-Modelled the Upper Nozzle assembly and printed a 13 percent density version to test fit. A bit of tweaking to the model which fitted fine but I had to extend one face 1.5 mm for cosmetic reasons to line up with other features.
This one was slightly more complicated as I've had to incorporate blind holes to lead the de-ionised water from the right to the left to allow the existing plumbing to (hopefully) fit.
99 percent version now printing with an hour to go. I hope that there's enough filament on the reel.
This one was slightly more complicated as I've had to incorporate blind holes to lead the de-ionised water from the right to the left to allow the existing plumbing to (hopefully) fit.
99 percent version now printing with an hour to go. I hope that there's enough filament on the reel.
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New from Old / Re: Fitting Vee Guides to the Fanuc Tapecut Model M Wire EDM
« Last post by awemawson on November 07, 2025, 05:34:17 AM »Another 'blast from the past' - steaming up the
wire EDM machine the other day and realising what a pain wire threading is using the ruby hole guides (0.25 mm wire to be threaded through 0.255 mm hole upside down in an invisible place) I decided to knuckle down and sort out the fitting for these guides.
As far as I can tell the bits I have are mechanically complete but are missing the removable half of the de-ionised water fittings. They probably stayed on the scrap machine when these used Vee guides were obtained. So the task is to 3D print them.
So far I think I've got the lower guide sorted and a 99% fill version is printing as I type - I've been using 13% fill ones for prototypes getting the shape right.
A few hurdles along the way: Not used Fusion 360 for several years so it insisted on being updated - still not an intuitive program (for me at least). Eventually got what I thought was right, exported it to the Cetus 3D printer and in the process of trying to get is sat on the right plane to avoid printing loads of scaffolding ended up printing a mirror image
Still as I say final version now printing in Pet-G.
Will start modelling the upper nozzle surround over the weekend hopefully.
wire EDM machine the other day and realising what a pain wire threading is using the ruby hole guides (0.25 mm wire to be threaded through 0.255 mm hole upside down in an invisible place) I decided to knuckle down and sort out the fitting for these guides.
As far as I can tell the bits I have are mechanically complete but are missing the removable half of the de-ionised water fittings. They probably stayed on the scrap machine when these used Vee guides were obtained. So the task is to 3D print them.
So far I think I've got the lower guide sorted and a 99% fill version is printing as I type - I've been using 13% fill ones for prototypes getting the shape right.
A few hurdles along the way: Not used Fusion 360 for several years so it insisted on being updated - still not an intuitive program (for me at least). Eventually got what I thought was right, exported it to the Cetus 3D printer and in the process of trying to get is sat on the right plane to avoid printing loads of scaffolding ended up printing a mirror image
Still as I say final version now printing in Pet-G.Will start modelling the upper nozzle surround over the weekend hopefully.
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Project Logs / Re: Titivating a Wire EDM Machine
« Last post by AdeV on November 06, 2025, 05:33:57 PM »And you will of course send me a cake with an enclosed file to my new abode in Wormwood Scrubs !
They'll probably just release you by accident!
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Project Logs / Re: Titivating a Wire EDM Machine
« Last post by pycoed on November 06, 2025, 04:01:03 AM »Are two headed coin?s making a comeback?
Rumour has it that a keffiyeh rather than a file is the easiest way out of jail these days
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Project Logs / Re: Titivating a Wire EDM Machine
« Last post by tom osselton on November 05, 2025, 04:03:09 PM »Are two headed coin?s making a comeback?
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Project Logs / Re: Titivating a Wire EDM Machine
« Last post by awemawson on November 05, 2025, 12:50:45 PM »And you will of course send me a cake with an enclosed file to my new abode in Wormwood Scrubs !