Above 1200 Sq/FT Eastern Washington Workshop
- Thread starter slodat
- Start date
Wokspaces above 1200 squarefeet.
ptt49er
Well-known member
I've not worked w/ Fusion much, but in Inventor you can dial in the bend profiles to match your dies too. Generally the shop guys don't like it when you tell them they need to buy more tooling.
Congrats again on the acquisition!
Congrats again on the acquisition!
Bending only.
Thank you! I appreciate Fusion for all it does at the price point. I'm in at $309/yr. I'm aware Inventor's sheetmetal features are much better. For the parts I'm making Fusion is great! I think I'll be able to dial it all in so Fusion and the press control produce predictable parts.
Thanks for following along and contributing to the conversation!
The CNC lathe is close to being done. The existing air pressure regulator wasn’t working. I ordered the stuff I’ve used on the mill and PLC dust collection control from Automation Direct. This setup automates turning on the air supply to the machine when the control is powered up. The collet closer has an oiler that is effectively an air system load, so I only want air supplied to the machine when it’s up and running.
I got the soft start valve and pressure regulator mounted this evening. Just need to run the power cable for the soft start valve and the pneumatics are done and fully functional.
I had cut one of the servo power cables too short. Replacement arrived and that’s done. I succeeded in getting the existing spindle encoder working the the new Acorn control. This is needed for constant surface speed machining. This is typically used for facing and parting operations. The spindle speeds up as the tool gets closed to the center. This gives a much better finish. The encoder is also needed for threading. I’m really happy to have that sorted.
Lastly I tuned the spindle VFD. I made a short video showing the spindle start stop. It really dances.
How it looks on the feet in its final resting place..
I got the soft start valve and pressure regulator mounted this evening. Just need to run the power cable for the soft start valve and the pneumatics are done and fully functional.
I had cut one of the servo power cables too short. Replacement arrived and that’s done. I succeeded in getting the existing spindle encoder working the the new Acorn control. This is needed for constant surface speed machining. This is typically used for facing and parting operations. The spindle speeds up as the tool gets closed to the center. This gives a much better finish. The encoder is also needed for threading. I’m really happy to have that sorted.
Lastly I tuned the spindle VFD. I made a short video showing the spindle start stop. It really dances.
How it looks on the feet in its final resting place..
Last edited:
cycle61
Well-known member
New machine video! Sharing it because Steven is too modest to.
RickP
Well-known member
Nice video!
Interesting to see how the setup process works on a new machine. That press brake has some awesome power.
Interesting to see how the setup process works on a new machine. That press brake has some awesome power.
GeddyT
ALLIANCE MEMBER
"We may need to get Steven's, uh, sanity levels checked..."
HA!
HA!
MadeByMiller
Well-known member
Does your press brake tooling match what you have set in Fusion? It looks from this angle that the bend radius is tighter in Fusion than what your tooling is producing.
Fusion's default bend radius appears to be material thickness. This isn't going to be the bend radius with 86° air bend dies and punches, which is what I have on the brake. A good rule of thumb is the die's V opening needs to be 8 x material thickness. I bent the 0.1875 in a 2" die. The outer bend radius is about 1/2". The Fusion model had it at 0.1875.
I ordered a set of radius gages up to 1-1/2" so I can start to put together a material library in Fusion with real world K factors calculated from my machine.
The level of awesome in this shot should probably require a **** tag....
Thanks again for continuing to share your projects on both new equipment and new customer challenges with the mouth breathing horde
The lathe tool setter came the other day. It's quite the spendy little bit and it's useless if it gets knocked around..
I had some fun with the shape. I really like how it turned out. There's a groove in the front and back to clear the connector and status LED.
I'm not sure it the 3x zoom lens is doing the 3d print any favors or not. The part turned out great.. and it does the job. The probe is stored up and out of the way when not in use.
A nice relaxing project this evening after work.
I had some fun with the shape. I really like how it turned out. There's a groove in the front and back to clear the connector and status LED.
I'm not sure it the 3x zoom lens is doing the 3d print any favors or not. The part turned out great.. and it does the job. The probe is stored up and out of the way when not in use.
A nice relaxing project this evening after work.
RickP
Well-known member
Nice tool bracket. I like the shape -- a little extra time in CAD is worth it for how good it looks.
Is your shop at full capacity for production orders? It sounded like you almost had too many orders for a while. Hopefully it's evened out to a manageable level now.
Is your shop at full capacity for production orders? It sounded like you almost had too many orders for a while. Hopefully it's evened out to a manageable level now.
Klokwerk
Well-known member
Your shop is looking great! Same question as by RickP....I think I've got a couple projects I could use help with.
The Orange vises on the Haas and one of the Kurt vises on the Tree have CarveSmart jaws. These allow for quick change of jaws and they go back to the same location. Extruded profiles of the dovetail are available as are several sizes of finished jaws. I have a need for a thick, tall soft jaw for some of the parts I made. I decided on 1.25" thick and 4" tall and ordered some bar stock to make them.
Some quick CAD work in Fusion:
And set out to making them. I quickly found out I did something wrong on the bandsaw when I cut the material. They cuts were not square. This left a little on the side of each jaw that wasn't machined. It isn't worth changing the toolpaths so I left it. OP1 went well and resulted in two jaws ready for OP2 which is cutting the dovetails. First pass looked great. Then..
I stopped the machine and removed the tool from the spindle. Sure as **** I had not tightened the collet. Crisis and ruining an expensive tool averted! The rest went off without a hitch!
This shows how the CarveSmart dovetail works.
These will do the job and I now have everything setup for making more when the time comes. It's nice to be in the shop today!
Some quick CAD work in Fusion:
And set out to making them. I quickly found out I did something wrong on the bandsaw when I cut the material. They cuts were not square. This left a little on the side of each jaw that wasn't machined. It isn't worth changing the toolpaths so I left it. OP1 went well and resulted in two jaws ready for OP2 which is cutting the dovetails. First pass looked great. Then..
I stopped the machine and removed the tool from the spindle. Sure as **** I had not tightened the collet. Crisis and ruining an expensive tool averted! The rest went off without a hitch!
This shows how the CarveSmart dovetail works.
These will do the job and I now have everything setup for making more when the time comes. It's nice to be in the shop today!
Goal for the weekend is to run one piece of the tooling kit I'm making a day. Ended up working the day job the better part of the day and still got a part figured out. I ran 1/2 of what's needed for this order. I somehow ordered less material than I needed for the additional two kits I'm making..
Pretty simple two operation part. The work holding and material stop worked out well. I'll run the remaining stock tomorrow and move on to the next part.
I haven't sorted out the Haas TM1 yet. I long for the day when I have a VMC with a tool changer. I still need learn my way around the control. I'm really comfortable with the Centroid control. I might try running this part on the Haas tomorrow..
Pretty simple two operation part. The work holding and material stop worked out well. I'll run the remaining stock tomorrow and move on to the next part.
I haven't sorted out the Haas TM1 yet. I long for the day when I have a VMC with a tool changer. I still need learn my way around the control. I'm really comfortable with the Centroid control. I might try running this part on the Haas tomorrow..
Last edited:
The L shaped part is made from 6 x 4 x 1/2 aluminum structural angle. Two operations. Parts turned out nice. This shows OP2.
Then I didn't pay attention to the tool change and did this..
Scrapped the chamfer mill but not the part. Could have been worse. Made a lot of chips doing the run of 24 of these parts.
About 7 gallons of chips. Then got it cleaned up and ready for the next part. This one is somewhat simple, two operation flat part.
Parts are running good. Had to get my work stop adjusted for OP1. Went the wrong way the first time I adjusted it.
Two full bars ready to feed the mill!
Then I didn't pay attention to the tool change and did this..
Scrapped the chamfer mill but not the part. Could have been worse. Made a lot of chips doing the run of 24 of these parts.
About 7 gallons of chips. Then got it cleaned up and ready for the next part. This one is somewhat simple, two operation flat part.
Parts are running good. Had to get my work stop adjusted for OP1. Went the wrong way the first time I adjusted it.
Two full bars ready to feed the mill!
Attachments
Last edited:
RickP
Well-known member
Holy smokes, that's a lot of chips!
About 7 gallons of chips.
Good to see some of the work that's paying the bills.
It looks like you've got the CNC machines dialed in and making nice repeatable parts.
Finallygotit
ALLIANCE MEMBER
I just hate it when that happens.
There’s a lot of head scratching, tinkering, and work in these three photos. When I built the machine, I think I forgot to recalibrate the axis after making a change. This resulted in parts not coming out the right size. It didn’t show up on small parts. Two 12” parts side by side and it all became quite apparent.
Add to that a screw up in the design and let’s say I had a long day. I made a lot of scrap metal out of bar stock. Now I have a working recipe… and a material order to make tomorrow!
Add to that a screw up in the design and let’s say I had a long day. I made a lot of scrap metal out of bar stock. Now I have a working recipe… and a material order to make tomorrow!
Last edited:
GeddyT
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Isn't there a tool changer hanging off that Haas?...
There is! There’s also a learning curve and nothing to help enclose chips. I’m going to use the Tree for this order so I can get it out the door. Next run of this product will be on the Haas.
I have some ideas on an enclosure similar to what I have on the Tree. It doesn’t need to contain everything. Just a good chunk.
Seagoon
Well-known member
That looks delicious! Here in Britain we call those things Brussels Sprouts. What are they called over there?Ran a few parts after work. Thickness on the first part was 0.490. Quick adjustment and this is where I ended up.
Really happy with how these parts are turning out.
Made this for dinner..
Mind sharing the recipe?
Seagoon
Well-known member
I don't really use recipes. I look at the ingredients online and just do stuff.. I used this for inspiration and a starting point. I use the wok for this sort of thing and it works well.
A man after my own heart.
RickP
Well-known member
You like really nice stuff in your shop -- equipment, tools, and Hexclad!
We have exactly the same wok and it works great.
I especially like how easy clean-up is after using high heat.
The sprouts look delicious!
I pre-ordered the Fireball Tool Hardtail vise the day it was announced. In all my years of hunting for tools I've never come across a deal on a big or even small, good vise. I've had an okay HF vise for over ten years. It leaves a lot to be desired. They just called for final payment and shipping address verification. Pretty sure this is my 
gift.
There was quite a bit of back and forth in another thread on here about the COO for the vise. The initial release is made in Taiwan. I originally walked away from the pre-order thinking it was made in the USA. When I saw the USA option pricing, it all kinda clicked for me. Jason, the owner of Fireball, did a bunch of testing and I feel has been really open with the testing. I think it will be a lifetime addition to my shop. I think it will go on my welding table when I first get it. I'd like to build a heavy stand for it at some point.
gift.There was quite a bit of back and forth in another thread on here about the COO for the vise. The initial release is made in Taiwan. I originally walked away from the pre-order thinking it was made in the USA. When I saw the USA option pricing, it all kinda clicked for me. Jason, the owner of Fireball, did a bunch of testing and I feel has been really open with the testing. I think it will be a lifetime addition to my shop. I think it will go on my welding table when I first get it. I'd like to build a heavy stand for it at some point.
cycle61
Well-known member
Ohh that's a beauty. Even after watching the videos, I'm having difficulty envisioning just how *big* that thing is.
I ordered a capacitive discharge (CD) stud welder for an upcoming sheet metal project for a client. I went with this unit from Hanlon Stud Welding. Made in the USA and already proving to be a great company to work with.
I ordered a box of 500 of the non-flanged in preparation for the project. My thinking was the flange would require a larger hole in the base panel. Flanged on the left, non-flanged on the right:
Whelp.. the flanged weld like ****. I shot about 50 of them, talked to the company I bought from twice, and yielded two good welds out of the 50, after a ton of adjusting and tinkering.
As part of the process, I tried a couple of the flanged that came in a starter kit with the welder. The worked GREAT! The destructive test is what they recommend.. either bend over until it breaks or by running a nut down until failure. The flanged studs in all sizes bend over and break leaving the weld in place. I was only able to get one or two of the non-flanged to pass the destructive test. I'll probably continue to play with them as I get more acquainted with the process.
Turns out Hanlon doesn't recommend or even use the non-flanged much at all. The effective size of the stud is much smaller, so the presets don't apply for these, etc.
SO.. I ordered quite the assortment of flanged in 6-32, 8-32, 10-24, and 1/4-20. There's a lot of application for stuff like this and it's a cool addition to the shop. The assortment will be great for trying out ideas, prototypes, etc. Then order in quantity for a specific product or project. This is how I do fasteners and other materials in general. It's nice to have enough on hand for one offs and product development.
Speaking of products.. continuing to work on the tooling kit order. The next part is perfect for running two at a time in OP1 and OP2. Great opportunity to learn some more advanced and efficient methods in Fusion. The part is only drawn once, and the toolpaths are only made once. Both are then in a circular pattern around that black line poking up in the middle. Working with the consultant is really working out well and very much worth the cost!
I ordered a box of 500 of the non-flanged in preparation for the project. My thinking was the flange would require a larger hole in the base panel. Flanged on the left, non-flanged on the right:
Whelp.. the flanged weld like ****. I shot about 50 of them, talked to the company I bought from twice, and yielded two good welds out of the 50, after a ton of adjusting and tinkering.
As part of the process, I tried a couple of the flanged that came in a starter kit with the welder. The worked GREAT! The destructive test is what they recommend.. either bend over until it breaks or by running a nut down until failure. The flanged studs in all sizes bend over and break leaving the weld in place. I was only able to get one or two of the non-flanged to pass the destructive test. I'll probably continue to play with them as I get more acquainted with the process.
Turns out Hanlon doesn't recommend or even use the non-flanged much at all. The effective size of the stud is much smaller, so the presets don't apply for these, etc.
SO.. I ordered quite the assortment of flanged in 6-32, 8-32, 10-24, and 1/4-20. There's a lot of application for stuff like this and it's a cool addition to the shop. The assortment will be great for trying out ideas, prototypes, etc. Then order in quantity for a specific product or project. This is how I do fasteners and other materials in general. It's nice to have enough on hand for one offs and product development.
Speaking of products.. continuing to work on the tooling kit order. The next part is perfect for running two at a time in OP1 and OP2. Great opportunity to learn some more advanced and efficient methods in Fusion. The part is only drawn once, and the toolpaths are only made once. Both are then in a circular pattern around that black line poking up in the middle. Working with the consultant is really working out well and very much worth the cost!
RickP
Well-known member
Wow, that is one heck of a vise.
You like really, really nice tools!
Very nice present this year -- hopefully they'll be shipping by Xmas.
As I've mentioned before, I have been working with a CAD/CAM consultant. This is an example of how it really pays off. Yesterday, I wanted to make two of the part I was making at a time. I have found that I can work with 12" wide 5/8" thick material well in the two vise setup I have. He taught me how to use a pattern to both model the part, and the CAM. It worked well and I was able to make two parts per cycle. The part had a lot more operations, so this efficiency gain was really noticeable.
Today, I'm making a 2" wide part and I'm going four parts wide. I copied the file from yesterday and got to work. I had to roll back the design a little bit to accommodate the second pattern and then draw the soft jaws. It worked a treat and I'm off to work. This CAM snippet shows how the toolpaths are nested in two layers of patterns. The first pattern creates the second part from the first. The second pattern creates parts three and four. I only create toolpaths for the first part. For things that are overall, like the facing and roughing, I do that outside of, and before the patterned toolpaths. This is slick!
Today, I'm making a 2" wide part and I'm going four parts wide. I copied the file from yesterday and got to work. I had to roll back the design a little bit to accommodate the second pattern and then draw the soft jaws. It worked a treat and I'm off to work. This CAM snippet shows how the toolpaths are nested in two layers of patterns. The first pattern creates the second part from the first. The second pattern creates parts three and four. I only create toolpaths for the first part. For things that are overall, like the facing and roughing, I do that outside of, and before the patterned toolpaths. This is slick!
Last edited: