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To start, let me say that I've been a bit unaware of some comments in the past. In particular, Mad Mike, I'm sorry. Didn't mean to neglect or ignore you.
Mike asked if a particular stroke completion sensor he has in mind will work, and I simply do not know. We want to control the reciprocating tup so that it contacts the work piece according to the control we exert through the treadle. Sometimes we need a light kiss, sometimes a heavy smack.
Mike also asked if an air cusion is required on the rod end cap of the cylinder if extra rod length is provided to keep the piston away from the bottom rod cap. No, it is not required if you can assure yourself that you will never run the hammer without one or both of the dies.
On the sand blaster erosion problem, it is the body of the nozzle that erodes just above the ceramic cone. Some material alternative to 1018 steel is needed for the body. I'll look at tptools and other suppliers. Thanks.
Today's adventure started when I decided to use the wonderful morning weather to set up my oxyacetylene burning rig outside and cut a base plate for the next 50 out of a piece of plate bought at Dan Boone's. Once that work was done I put the paraphrenalia away. I decided once again that I much prefer to buy base plates already cut unless I'm doing a production run where I reduce a large plate into multiples. Maneuvering the steel is always troublesome. And time is money.
Then the magnetic drill press was used to drill the 3/4" holes in each corner of the plate. These holes may prove useful to a customer, but I use them to attach a chain that enables the over head crane to place the plate on the mill table.
On the mill the plate was clamped to the table and the vertical spindle was used to mill the plate flat. Spacers are used between the plate and the mill table (simple pieces of strap iron) so that any non-flatness of the plate doesn't make clamping pressure rock the plate. The vertical spindle is on a traveling overhead mount so that after the movement of the table reaches its limit, the traveling over head mount is repositioned, as many times as are necessary to handle the whole plate. That's simple for the 50, but not quite so simple for the 150. Then via the crane and chain set up the plate was positioned with the freshly machined face down, and the other face was flattened. Flattening of both faces ensures good tower and anvil alignment on top and on the bottom a good flat surface for floor mounting. Hot rolled plate is generally far from flat and despite the time investment on the the mill I find it sufficiently important to do. I certainly didn't always do it this way.
Then I used the horizontal spindle to machine each of the base plate sides. I set the plate square to the spindle using the table as a reference, mill the side, reset the plate and mill the next side, etc. Then I off load it with the crane, let it hang from the crane, wipe it down with lacquer thinner, and paint it. When the paint is dry tomorrow I'll use the forklift to move it to temporary storage.
The steel for the next batch of tups and V-guides was ready for pickup at my specialty steel shop, so I ran into town to fetch that stuff. Then did other shopping. The day was gone.
Mike asked if a particular stroke completion sensor he has in mind will work, and I simply do not know. We want to control the reciprocating tup so that it contacts the work piece according to the control we exert through the treadle. Sometimes we need a light kiss, sometimes a heavy smack.
Mike also asked if an air cusion is required on the rod end cap of the cylinder if extra rod length is provided to keep the piston away from the bottom rod cap. No, it is not required if you can assure yourself that you will never run the hammer without one or both of the dies.
On the sand blaster erosion problem, it is the body of the nozzle that erodes just above the ceramic cone. Some material alternative to 1018 steel is needed for the body. I'll look at tptools and other suppliers. Thanks.
Today's adventure started when I decided to use the wonderful morning weather to set up my oxyacetylene burning rig outside and cut a base plate for the next 50 out of a piece of plate bought at Dan Boone's. Once that work was done I put the paraphrenalia away. I decided once again that I much prefer to buy base plates already cut unless I'm doing a production run where I reduce a large plate into multiples. Maneuvering the steel is always troublesome. And time is money.
Then the magnetic drill press was used to drill the 3/4" holes in each corner of the plate. These holes may prove useful to a customer, but I use them to attach a chain that enables the over head crane to place the plate on the mill table.
On the mill the plate was clamped to the table and the vertical spindle was used to mill the plate flat. Spacers are used between the plate and the mill table (simple pieces of strap iron) so that any non-flatness of the plate doesn't make clamping pressure rock the plate. The vertical spindle is on a traveling overhead mount so that after the movement of the table reaches its limit, the traveling over head mount is repositioned, as many times as are necessary to handle the whole plate. That's simple for the 50, but not quite so simple for the 150. Then via the crane and chain set up the plate was positioned with the freshly machined face down, and the other face was flattened. Flattening of both faces ensures good tower and anvil alignment on top and on the bottom a good flat surface for floor mounting. Hot rolled plate is generally far from flat and despite the time investment on the the mill I find it sufficiently important to do. I certainly didn't always do it this way.
Then I used the horizontal spindle to machine each of the base plate sides. I set the plate square to the spindle using the table as a reference, mill the side, reset the plate and mill the next side, etc. Then I off load it with the crane, let it hang from the crane, wipe it down with lacquer thinner, and paint it. When the paint is dry tomorrow I'll use the forklift to move it to temporary storage.
The steel for the next batch of tups and V-guides was ready for pickup at my specialty steel shop, so I ran into town to fetch that stuff. Then did other shopping. The day was gone.
