Home built Wire EDM

[JimGlass]

9/1/02
Got the home built bench-mounted wire EDM working 2 nights ago? Is this thing neat! A month ago I posted questions about some problems and thanks to some pointers received here, I got it working.

I'm using a power supply from Robert Langalois's book, "how to build an EDM". The greatest problem was the wire breaking. Got a Variac (varies AC output) so I could vary the AC voltage in, hence vary the DC out. Originally I used full power (70 volts) but with the Variac 55 Volts does a good burn w/o breaking the wire.

The x/y axis is controlled by 24 v DC gearmotors, also home made One of the reducing gears double as an encoder with 50 holes drilled eq space. 1/2-20 threaded rod acts as a feed screw so each drilled hole in the gear is .001" movement. The counts go to a Micrologix PLC which starts/stops/reverses the appropriate motor to make rectangular movement. There are also manual switches for freehand burning. Already made some key chains for buddies. Holes and angles will be next.