MadModder

Today I hot pressed the M4 screw sockets into the 99% solid PetG 3D printed guide mount using a soldering iron, and then went ahead and mounted up the new Vee guide assemblies.

Doing a trial threading of the wire it was very obvious that the wire was not vertical - heart sinking moment  But  then I thought - hang on the upper mount can be controlled to set the wire to the angle you want - is in the range of movement - yes very easily. I set it vertical to my eye with very minimal movement of the U and V slides (X & Y axis for the top of the wire). So one of my measurements of the lower mounting block is obviously slightly out, but it looks like not worth re-printing as it can be adjusted out.

So once I'd wired up the contact blocks  (upper and lower) and made a couple of plumbing connectors for the de-ionised water I gave it a 'powered up' run and nothing went bang 

Now I need to read up on using the verticallity jig to re-set the wire dead nuts on (theoretically simple - the jig has upper and lower neons that light up when the wire touches them - I've done it before but its a good ten years ago.

Meanwhile a distraction arrived. All this 3D printing reminded me that although my Cetus 3D printer has given (and is still giving) sterling service I'd always intended to upgrade to a totally enclosed machine to keep out the workshop draughts and dust. So I've bought a Bambu Labs P1S Combo - half of which arrived this morning - but I'm being very good and not touching it until I've finished the Fanuc Tapcut Wire EDM.

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.

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

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.

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