muleworks
Cast Iron
- Joined
- Jun 18, 2005
- Location
- Reform Alabama
I have been doing alot of surface grinding with a manual abrasive 1 1/2 that uses a rack and pinnon method of sliding the table back and forth. This wasn't no big deal until I stand there for 3 hours at a time going back and fourth, my arm feels like its going to fall off. I know what everyone is going to say, go buy a hydraulic machine, well that what I want but right now this one is going to have to work. Has anyone ever rigged up a way to "automate" a manual machine. I have thought about a cheap steeper motor retrofit on the x and y axis. I could do it for 600 or less if I could use small steppers like 250 oz motors but I not for sure if it would be fast enough. I have seen where the rack and pinnon was disabled and the table was left free to slide back and fourth. Two single stage air cyclinders were used to shoot the table back and fourth. A cable was attatched to each one and when it got it the end of travel the cable would operate a valve that would close one cyclinder and open another. So the machine shot back and fourth, the speed was controlled by how much air was applied. Worked really nice, it was built by a retired machinist. I just cant figure how he made it index over each pass, any ideas? I really like the air idea the best.
Chris
Chris