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new proto form machine in the works
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KEASTAB
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Joined: 21 Feb 2013
Posts: 24
Location: Webster,florida

PostPosted: Wed Mar 27, 2013 5:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Fredo wrote:
I bought a check valve from here http://www.veneersupplies.com/products/Check-Valve---Heavy-Duty-14-NPT.html Really an interesting site to browse..


Thanks!

I'll look into it to see what else I might need
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KEASTAB
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Joined: 21 Feb 2013
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Location: Webster,florida

PostPosted: Wed Mar 27, 2013 5:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

jdougn wrote:
KEASTAB wrote:
ok so it should be like this?>
I just switched parts like you wrote..... makes it a lot clearer to see the pattern of how it works
thanks

That is perfect! And thanks for taking the time to create the diagram.


Your welcome, but I really made it so I could get it straight in my mind and have you guys proof it for me to catch any oops's that I might/do make. safety net for me!
thanks for helping me get it straight. (got a call from the electrician) I'm getting wired up next weekend. this ones his weekend with the kids. I'm stoked! April will be a plastic melting month!
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KEASTAB
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Joined: 21 Feb 2013
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 31, 2013 7:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

got a little more done on the 2x2 setup aluminum is done and plumbed. I then discovered one of my parts won't fit (duh should have measured)
so now I'm setting up the 2x4 platen and have it plumbed and glued together. just waiting on the aluminum to come in so I can start the drilling process.

I'll post pic's after the electricial wored up this puppy and I can fire it up!
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spektr
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 01, 2013 8:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

looking at the plunbing diagram... Youre missing a check valve between the vac pump and the other stuff. You WILL pull the oil out of the pump without it...
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jdougn
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Location: Louisville KY area

PostPosted: Fri Nov 01, 2013 10:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

spektr wrote:
looking at the plunbing diagram... Youre missing a check valve between the vac pump and the other stuff. You WILL pull the oil out of the pump without it...


That does depend on the pump. The Varian 300 pump on my vac former has an internal check valve so it doesn't pull oil out.
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KEASTAB
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Joined: 21 Feb 2013
Posts: 24
Location: Webster,florida

PostPosted: Fri Nov 01, 2013 11:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

spektr wrote:
looking at the plunbing diagram... Youre missing a check valve between the vac pump and the other stuff. You WILL pull the oil out of the pump without it...


yup found that out, I couldn't figure out why I heard this funny noise coming from under the table when testing for leaks. found out I DON'T have a check valve on the little Gast pump (looks like a 3 cfm pump, looking at a 10cfm one as a replacement when money allows it) I have and it was running backwards when I turned the power off,but left the tank valve on.Embarassed I'm going to order an all brass inline 3/8th check valve to cure that problem.
the 2x4 aluminum plates ordered and should be at the metal shop by wed of next week so I can start my drilling. I should have started with a smaller part to do for a test. but my car needs these parts to help finish it up and make it road worthy so bigger part first!

Now to get the electrician over and help me finish up the major wiring.
I'm almost done ! and getting antsy to try it out.


I did notice something when I tested the 2x2 platen . when I had it installed and was testing to see if it pulled vac pretty good ,the top aluminum plate sucked down with nothing on it when I hit the tank valve. does that mean the holes are too small? shouldn't there be no restriction from the holes or will that little bit not matter. You can see the top piece suck down a little with it covered also but free I thought it would be open to the outside air and just suck in the outside air to the tank.
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jdougn
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 01, 2013 11:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

KEASTAB wrote:

I did notice something when I tested the 2x2 platen . when I had it installed and was testing to see if it pulled vac pretty good ,the top aluminum plate sucked down with nothing on it when I hit the tank valve. does that mean the holes are too small? shouldn't there be no restriction from the holes or will that little bit not matter. You can see the top piece suck down a little with it covered also but free I thought it would be open to the outside air and just suck in the outside air to the tank.


I wouldn't worry about the air flow too much. I use a different platen system with each mold anchored to a piece of plywood so they can be changed out quickly. There aren't many vent holes really needed. Some of my largest molds for the fender flares only have a couple dozen 1/16" vent holes. Maybe one small vent hole (1/16" or less drill bit) every 4-6" around the perimeter of a large flat mold and then one at the deepest point of details. If you look at the fender flares I make there is a vent hole in the bottom of each bolt pocket and then a vent hole every 6-8" around the perimeter since it's a narrow mold. The .236" ABS plastic pulls tight into the pockets even with only that one vent hole. If different plastic is used this may be different but ABS cools relatively slowly.
dn

http://www.napierprecisionproducts.com
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KEASTAB
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Joined: 21 Feb 2013
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 4:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

HAH! just did my first Pull IT WAS GREAT!!!!!
here it is for my 66 dodge dart


it was sooooo nerve wracking doing that first one just shaky thinking about it.

gah picture didn't load.. hhmmmmmm I'm working on getting them into photobucket.
hmm at least the facebook thing will let me link it!
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.425278970895059.1073741826.100002388804897&type=1&l=a26c41eb07
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jdougn
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 5:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

KEASTAB wrote:
HAH! just did my first Pull IT WAS GREAT!!!!!
here it is for my 66 dodge dart


it was sooooo nerve wracking doing that first one just shaky thinking about it.

gah picture didn't load.. hhmmmmmm I'm working on getting them into photobucket.
hmm at least the facebook thing will let me link it!
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.425278970895059.1073741826.100002388804897&type=1&l=a26c41eb07


Wow, lots of work on the molds even with a CNC. The pulls look pretty good. Did they meet your expectations? What CNC & software are you using?
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KEASTAB
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Joined: 21 Feb 2013
Posts: 24
Location: Webster,florida

PostPosted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 6:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

jdougn wrote:
KEASTAB wrote:
HAH! just did my first Pull IT WAS GREAT!!!!!
here it is for my 66 dodge dart


it was sooooo nerve wracking doing that first one just shaky thinking about it.

gah picture didn't load.. hhmmmmmm I'm working on getting them into photobucket.
hmm at least the facebook thing will let me link it!
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.425278970895059.1073741826.100002388804897&type=1&l=a26c41eb07


Wow, lots of work on the molds even with a CNC. The pulls look pretty good. Did they meet your expectations? What CNC & software are you using?



Thanks,
I was excited as all get out. now the next mold just didn't work out (glove box mold. it was too tall and created major webbing in 3 corners). I'll probably have to go to a female mold as soon as I can figure out how to get a good mold off of the original glovebox.

I figured that it was a super lot of hand work sooooo why not make the machine I had just finished do most of the work. IT did 90%!
YES they did meet AND exceed my expectations. (not really my first pull though, I tried on first 020 acrylic. can you say DISASTER? it sure does shrink a LOT! heck that was my first pull on .125 ABS and the only thing I'd do different is make the center speaker cutout smaller and when putting it back on the cnc to align it better so that it cuts it out without cutting into the bottom edge a little bit. That is IT.


it wasn't as expensive as I had feared when I was looking on the web for the kit's as such. 2k up front right away and I still had to buy cambam and a cad/CNC program just wasn't going to happen my budget. it comes in as drips and drops not gobs.
it's a home made wooden CNC design by solsylva, plans were 39.00(3 plan design, I did the biggest and added another foot to the Y axis) total cost for it was around 900.00 with the better steppers and a gecko g540 driver(500.00 for that out of the 900 total). it's slow due to the fact I bought everything from a hardware store other than the software and steppers.
if I had to do it all over again I'd change the screws to precision screws that cost about 80-100.00 per rod (#3 of em @ 6 ft) instead of the allthread I did buy. or go with the 5 plan solsylva V bearing metal cnc that can be upgraded to the size and speed I want , but it's about double/triple the cost of this one due to it being mostly aluminum.

3 softwares to use on this setup of mine
1.CAD
2. CAM
3. G code for CNC
software is free (1)draftsight for the cad work. (2)cambam (love it!)$150.00 for the g code processor(CAM software) and (3)Mach 3 $175.00 to understand and run the G-code for the cnc machine that canbam outputs.
all in all about 1400.00 for a decent (slow,but my fault for that)machine.
and about a grand for the vacuform.
I really didn't keep track of that since it was bought in stages a long time apart. and I just plain forgot what some of the stuff cost. so I have some expensive($2500.00 or there about) kick panels with speakers if that's all I ever do (but it won't be will it?)

I had a ball building both machines. they are for making parts for my car that no one make since they are not as popular as the later cuda's and challengers. and I think I can make money on those kick panels for the early mopar compact cars. since no one makes them yet.

I do have to get another zone (#3) for my 5 1/2 foot platen to do the consoles and door panels (got power windows in my car and don't want the holes left from the window cranks). I want to make for my car.
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jdougn
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 7:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Having fun with what you're doing is the big part of this battle! You've got two awesome machines there. Did you already know how to do the CAD/CAM or was it learn-as-you-go?
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Fredo
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Joined: 21 Mar 2007
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Location: Kingdom of Nye Area 51

PostPosted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 8:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Have been looking for 12V dc PWM speed controllers and came across this.. http://www.aliexpress.com/item/2000W-SCR-speed-controller-high-power-electronic-thermostat-regulator-Dimmer-10-PCS-LOT/1433347566.html Could they be used to control the heating elements on a 220 vacuum former?? They're cheap enough to put one on each circuit..
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jdougn
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 9:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Fredo wrote:
Have been looking for 12V dc PWM speed controllers and came across this.. http://www.aliexpress.com/item/2000W-SCR-speed-controller-high-power-electronic-thermostat-regulator-Dimmer-10-PCS-LOT/1433347566.html Could they be used to control the heating elements on a 220 vacuum former?? They're cheap enough to put one on each circuit..


Looks like they ought to. At $36 for 10 get 'em and see how they do. The specs look okay to me but I'm not an electrician.

Technical parameters:
1, Input Voltage: AC 220V
2, the voltage regulator: 50V-220V
3, Max Power: 2000W
4, the maximum current: 25A
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KEASTAB
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Joined: 21 Feb 2013
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Location: Webster,florida

PostPosted: Fri Feb 14, 2014 2:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

jdougn wrote:
Having fun with what you're doing is the big part of this battle! You've got two awesome machines there. Did you already know how to do the CAD/CAM or was it learn-as-you-go?



Everything was done on a learn as I went basis. I had some cad in school (loooooong time ago) autocad version 3 and no idea whatsoever of Cam software. it's a blast thinking of things for the cnc and vacuformer to do.
that was half the fun of it really. I like learning new stuff and am not afraid to try new things(sometimes it doesn't work out. javascript:emoticon('Mad')


I probable will be on here asking for some help making the glove box mold, I have the inner male mold made and it causes webing in 3 corners so I know It's me,heat and the tooling, but I need to keep the basic shape the same to fit into the dash hole. so I was thinking of going to 3/16th thick abs and a female mold without a platen. sort of like a airtight box 24" x24" with the femakle mold built into the center with airholes in the top and mold it's self to suck it down with acceptable thinning at the top flange. all this stuff is being made for my 66 dart convertible redo. (not restoration since I WANT cup holders, speakers that sound good and power stuff) if others like it and want me to make them then so much the better since it'll help bring the cost of the first set of kick panels and such down. eventually I like to even break even if possible. if not then it was an AWESOME learning experience and well worth the money. either way I WIN!
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Fredo
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 14, 2014 4:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sorry about the above post, Thought I was putting it in ANH Troopers thread... He was talking about infinity switchs and I thought those might work for him.. Laughing
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