wired EDM, high tech method of making picks

[machinist]

15'? thats massive, the biggest EDM I ever saw was 3'X3' and a foot deep.

http://www.bbssystem.com/viewtopic.php?t=73

if that link works its peety impressive, this built a full function wire EDM.

I found it @ practicalmachinist.com I've been registered there as machinistkid for a while but haven't been there in a while.

[Shrub]

I dont know why they needed it so big and i only saw it making small items but i suppose thats the magic of big bugets and little sence, i only estimate it at that size from memory but i know it was big, ill see if i can see it again as i know most people from the village work there anyway.

I used to think it was a hot wire cutter which is true in a way i suppose.

Any idea what fluid you use?

[machinist]

Yeah it always seems like the machines are undersized/oversized for whater theyre doing. Maybe the production engineer figured they could use the machine for custom machinery parts they use and said: "well if we get the biggest model out there for $400K instead of the $100K model we can make those control arms we keep having to pay $500 every 6 months for new ones!"

I use dieletric water, its industry standard, however, you end up with a crap-load of corrosion all over the machine. The alternative of course is flammable.

If it were my machine I owned I'd just clean it often and still use dielectric water, I will say lately a lot of problems have been caused by ecessive corossion buildup though.

[Shrub]

The dielectric water soon becomes conductive from what i hear, but there is a better alternitive on one of those sites i linked to, its a mix of a few things but will have to do some searching to find out.

I know a lot of people use oil and alot of the home machines need kerosine but this alternitive made from stuff off the chemist sounded like the best middle point.

I dont doubt your stuff does the job but as you say corrosion isnt the most wanted factor on a machine.

[machinist]

eventually the water becomes "impregnated" with small particles of metal any fluid you use your filters are what helps you there. The way I test is not the best method and I do not reccomend doing this if any other option is available. But, I stick my finger in the water FAR FAR FAR away from the electrode while the machine is on and feeling the current in the water. The stronger the feeling the heavier the water is getting. Ideally you shouldn't be able to feel anything as long as your not near the electrode.

Oh man am I tired of corrosion, on this machine screws are getting burried and then locked when I finally get to them. At least its mostly the electrode areas.

Don't try the finger trick its only for idiots like myself.

[Buggs41]

Try to install a solid in the pool that will counteract that effect. If I remember correctly, this would be the 'anode.' All electrical devices are affected by thier conductance. A balance must be attained to prevent unwanted corrosion.

[machinist]

If I'm understanding you correctly, the problem isn't avoidable becuase the principal of the machine is that the electrode and work have to be the anode and cathode (maybe backwards don't quote me on which is which) in order to pass electrisity through the work and make a cut.

[Shrub]

Ill get the forulae for the better fluid and you can try that, maybe your filters are clogged and need changing/cleaning.

[machinist]

Update: EDM fixed! if you look closely at the wire guide in my pics of the wired EDM you'll notice it ain't there.

A peice of somthing got caught in the wire guide for all of you who don't know its a hollow passage about .250" deep and .012" wide making it a real pain in the donkey to get out (3 days worth of break time exactly).

I'm going to take shot at a perfect bumpkey with all 10 cuts after I get some hard to grind picks made.

[machinist]

I came in to work today and took a shot at two bumpkeys. Did anyone else have trouble getting the blanks? for some reason some kid couldn't have been much older than me wouldn't sell me any blanks @ a certain chain hardware store. did I mention I took pictures?

cutting in progress
[img=http://img384.imageshack.us/img384/4372/img15298gx.th.jpg]



machine working away
[img=http://img354.imageshack.us/img354/1585/img15309cq.th.jpg]


after the machining
[img=http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/9756/img15346xz.th.jpg]


after the cut
[img=http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/4318/img15359no.th.jpg]

[machinist]

schlage#1 after the cut.
[img=http://img342.imageshack.us/img342/481/img15366yu.th.jpg]

If your co-worker just has to try it and he doesn't quite get the zen of it and gets impatient.
[img=http://img342.imageshack.us/img342/8549/img15396ql.th.jpg]

The schlage is a "9.5" key but I don't have schlage lock to play with the kwickset did work good until its untimely death.

[skold]

Looks good!

[machinist]

Thank you, I have a 5 second/468KB video if anyone is interested of the key being cut, I can't say its very high quality though. I just got 3 new kwickset blanks so if I find the time I'll try and make 3 new kwicksets during the week but, I'll probably not get to till friday evening/saturday evening.

[mcm757207]

I think you should keep in mind that kwikset locks aren't pinned with pins like schlage, they are more flat on the bottom (designed so they can be inserted into the cylinder either way), so your key may not actually be allowing the pins to rest on the bottom and therefore might not work on some pinning configurations where a 6 or 7 is actually needed.

[machinist]

Is there a solution to said problem? am I better off with a 9.5/9.5/9.5 key? I can do that too.

Has anyone experimented with a differen't angle than 45? I wonder if theres a better choice.

Theres one question maybe you could help with too I heard a 10/10/10 key was the best but, I don't know if its actually one full cut depth lower than the max or a partial cut deeper than the max, I get the feeling an actual full cut lower below max makes no contact with the pins and is ineffective is this correct?