The Craftmans Shop > New from Old
The Sequel - Oh Blimey I bought a CNC Lathe (Beaver TC 20)
awemawson:
You are welcome Will - you have a Saddleback and two Berkshire there :thumbup:
This morning I gave the outside of the coolant tank a second coat (no pictures - one coat looks much like another!) When this has hardened a bit, probably tomorrow, I'll invert it and give the inside another coat.
Then the Postman (Steve) brought me two 40 BAR flange mounted hydraulic gauges to replace the rather unreadable ones on the machine. I'll need to be able to read them as I commission things.
#1 Gauge monitors pressures associated with the automatic chuck, and #2 does the same for the tail stock.
All these gauges are glycerine filled for safety, and the originals both had cracked plastic lenses that were bulging ominously and the glycerine had leaked out, so best replaced.
hermetic:
What a result on the electronics side Andrew! 40 bar, wow thats quite a lot, is that air or hydraulic, I assume hydraulic, does the machine have a pump on it?
Phil.
awemawson:
Yes hydraulics for opening and closing the chuck and advancing the tail stock from a built in biggish pump.
I thought that one of the 'Gotcha's ' had caught me this afternoon. I was experimenting putting binary data into the part of the control memory that sets up the serial port. I could put '1's ' in no problem, but not '0's ' :bang:
Turned out that in fact three numbers weren't working on the keyboard so probably a 'select line' on the decoder, so either something on the interface card that I installed yesterday, or just possibly a bad connection.
Leading from the key matrix and the LEDs on the front panel are those very thin flexible PCB 'cables' pushed into the gripper type connectors. I took them all out, cleaned and sprayed them with contact cleaner, and PHEW - numbers now working :thumbup:
It seems that this controller is a half way house between two generations of the control, so I'm having to interpret instructions rather than just obey them. I think possibly the University had a peek at what was coming and wanted it early.
awemawson:
Today's task - put the last coat of paint on the inside and top surface of the coolant tank. So having let out and fed the cat, the geese, the chicken and the pigs, and returned the dogs to the house it was painting time.
I liken the painting of this tank to an Ocean Liner - pretty from a distance, none too brilliant close up but functional. And after all I'm applying the paint in the same way they paint liners - with a long handled roller.
So while I was in scruffy clothes I thought that I might as well do a job I've been putting off for a few days - rolling on the ground installing the three remaining levelling feet and pads. When the machine was delivered it was placed on the four pads roughly at the corners and levelled, but these three are right in the middle surrounding the tunnel into which the coolant tank goes, so they needed fitting before the tank can go back.
Trivial job - unscrew the ball ended bolt - slip the pad with a domed recess under the ball end - tighten the bolt so it just bears weight - what could be easier :med:
Answer: not having to do it at arms length down a tunnel 6" tall by 18" wide using spanners that you can barely lift with your arms outstretched :bang:
First one wasn't too bad, but the ones down the far end of the tunnel were . . .challenging . . . :clap:
All done now though, so I can climb back into clean clothes, have breakfast and take the dogs for a walk (wife in Houston for the week staying with youngest son)
awemawson:
That was all very well, but I was just packing up and I realised I'd totally forgotten to grit blast and paint the 'Funnel Strips' that fix on to the tank and presumably try to avoid to much fluid being lost :bang:
Never mind - get on with it. They fit into my cabinet blaster but using the Hydrovane compressor would take too long. Some time ago I plumbed a 'Claw Fitting' onto the outside wall of my welding shop connecting the internal compressed air system via a ball valve. So connect up the Road Compressor (no fire this time !) blast them, and use your last roller to paint them (memo to self, buy more roller pads)
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