EDM Video

JimGlass · Post by **JimGlass** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 6:16 pm

After 7 years I upgraded my digital camera. Now I have one that takes videos. Click on the link to hear and see my homemade sinking EDM run. Notice the the hand crank on the "Z" axis pulsate as it feeds the electrode downward in small increments.
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v30/j ... orking.flv

Set up. This is a hole with a slot. Not a key way but similar.

Test the setup with a spark from the EDM

EDM burning while emersed in dielectric oil.

Keyway finished. .265 X .160 X 1 5/8" deep

What it does. The keyway is clearance for a shirt pocket clip.

Jim

Jose Rivera · Post by **Jose Rivera** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 7:13 pm

Hey Jim, it sounds like my wife making French Fry's

Mcgyver · Post by **Mcgyver** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 9:04 pm

bravo!

more info, whats the dielectric, whats the spark generator - your own or published design RL's, whats the electrode material (graphite?) and how many hours did that slot take?

sorry for all the Q's - want to make one myself and am interested in others successes with them

JimGlass · Post by **JimGlass** » Thu May 01, 2008 5:42 am

whats the dielectric, whats the spark generator - your own or published design RL's, whats the electrode material (graphite?) and how many hours did that slot take?

The dielectric is #30 EDM oil. I have heard vegatable oil can be used.
I was fortunate enough to have 8 gallonns of EDM oil given to me.

The spark generator is DC power supply. There is a spark voltage monitoring circuit that tells the electrode when to advance/stop/retract.
I use a DC gearmotor to drive the "Z" axis. The DC gearmotor is controlled with a PLC.

The design came from "Build An EDM" By Robert Langlois

The Electrode was Graphite purchase on Ebay

It took 3 hours to burn or about 1 hour per pass. The keyway is 1 5/8 deep and took three passes to get the sharp corner details all the way to the bottom.

Jim

HotGuns · Post by **HotGuns** » Thu May 01, 2008 7:53 am

You making a pen-gun ?

JimGlass · Post by **JimGlass** » Thu May 01, 2008 8:14 am

You making a pen-gun ?

No, but building guns is something I always wanted to try. But, my little retirement machine shop has turned into a full-time job so there is no time for distractions like building guns. Now I design, engineer, make chips, and build stuff. Things the company I retired from would never allow me to do but that is another topic altogether.

There is actually a switch inside the object shown with the shirt pocket clip.
I'm building an automated cycle tester to test the switch for longjevity.
I can post it later if someone is interested.

Jim