Tools of the Trade

I just took a new job running two sinkers and a wire EDM, plus a mill to cut electrodes...my first machining job! The last EDM guy left to accommodate his wife moving out of state. I've picked up a couple tricks like using a lighter to stretch the wire and put a good point on it for threading.

I'm burning through manuals, and have been putting out parts on all the machines to spec but I'm wondering what I might be missing. Any tips that a newbie should know?

As far as tools go, anything that you'd recommend that I throw in the toolbox that I might not think of?

Best advice is go to a training class put on by the distributor or manufacturer of the equipment you have. If that's not an option, a local technical community college, or you tube.

gking86 said:

I just took a new job running two sinkers and a wire EDM, plus a mill to cut electrodes...my first machining job! The last EDM guy left to accommodate his wife moving out of state. I've picked up a couple tricks like using a lighter to stretch the wire and put a good point on it for threading.

I'm burning through manuals, and have been putting out parts on all the machines to spec but I'm wondering what I might be missing. Any tips that a newbie should know?

As far as tools go, anything that you'd recommend that I throw in the toolbox that I might not think of?

Click to expand...

Congrats on the new gig. for ME....I know we are all different, I can not learn via a manual. Of course I can record technical settings etc....but i need some face time with a person who knows what they are doing. I need to get answers to my questions when they pop into my head. A class is where I would be headed. As far as tools go....to START.... A good caliper (digital or dial your call). 6" steel rule, get an assortment of metric and SAE box wrenches....no one ever seems to have those in many shops...you are started..

The lighter is a good trick, use a zippo if you aren't, frees both hands for the wire instead of using your teeth! Also, depending on machine, the Charmilles I ran had a place to anneal and break the wire up near the wire spool, might want to have a look.

tools- a good tenth indicator!!!
did I mention a good tenths indicator?
Seriously, that and a set of allen wrenches (hex keys) will cover most of what you do for wedm.

A good tenths indicator and a small Noga magnetic base for sure.

gking86 said:

I just took a new job running two sinkers and a wire EDM, plus a mill to cut electrodes...my first machining job! The last EDM guy left to accommodate his wife moving out of state. I've picked up a couple tricks like using a lighter to stretch the wire and put a good point on it for threading.

I'm burning through manuals, and have been putting out parts on all the machines to spec but I'm wondering what I might be missing. Any tips that a newbie should know?

As far as tools go, anything that you'd recommend that I throw in the toolbox that I might not think of?

Click to expand...

Graphite electrodes?

Get a case of good filter masks and a good shop vac.

Kant-twist clamps ... can't have too many.

I prefer a .002mm indicator.

If you're gonna have your hands in the oil a lot get some rubber gloves or liquid glove.

After a while the dirty oil can cause dermatitis and/or you may develop a bad reaction to nickel.

More info on which machines you are using might elicit more specific tips ...

RJT said:

Best advice is go to a training class put on by the distributor or manufacturer of the equipment you have. If that's not an option, a local technical community college, or you tube.

Click to expand...

Local college options are dismal in the machining world. I got thrown right into mold cavities and random stretch blow parts on the wire, so I think it's gonna be the trial by fire route.

toolsteel said:

Congrats on the new gig. for ME....I know we are all different, I can not learn via a manual. Of course I can record technical settings etc....but i need some face time with a person who knows what they are doing. I need to get answers to my questions when they pop into my head. A class is where I would be headed. As far as tools go....to START.... A good caliper (digital or dial your call). 6" steel rule, get an assortment of metric and SAE box wrenches....no one ever seems to have those in many shops...you are started..

Click to expand...

Good list, had to add a multimeter and precision screwdrivers to my list today, had to adjust the voltage settings on the tensioner unit on my sodick wire machine. I had just bought a stylus pro reach flashlight with the magnetic holder. That came in handy when I was trying to probe the tiny contact points they provide.

Mike1974 said:

The lighter is a good trick, use a zippo if you aren't, frees both hands for the wire instead of using your teeth! Also, depending on machine, the Charmilles I ran had a place to anneal and break the wire up near the wire spool, might want to have a look.
tools- a good tenth indicator!!!
did I mention a good tenths indicator?
Seriously, that and a set of allen wrenches (hex keys) will cover most of what you do for wedm.

Click to expand...

On my sodick, I have a auto cutter/annealer/threader. Doesn't seem to be working right though, can't align the AWT water stream with the UV axis for some reason. Stream is not very laminar, so I am wondering if I have a bad o ring or something.

Sybilsurf said:

A good tenths indicator and a small Noga magnetic base for sure.

Click to expand...

I've got a mitotoyo on my shopping list thats in 10ths. It's going to take me a while to break even on my income at this point, lol.

KilrB said:

Graphite electrodes?

Get a case of good filter masks and a good shop vac.

Kant-twist clamps ... can't have too many.

I prefer a .002mm indicator.

If you're gonna have your hands in the oil a lot get some rubber gloves or liquid glove.

After a while the dirty oil can cause dermatitis and/or you may develop a bad reaction to nickel.

More info on which machines you are using might elicit more specific tips ...

Click to expand...

All copper. Have two Sodick (one wire AD325L, one ram AD35L) and a Agie Mondostar 50 with some sort of Z axis problem, that seems to also disregard finish settings.

Your bad threading stream is a result of the machine needing service.
Get Sodick (or a guy like me who works on Sodick) in the shop to run you through the preventative maintenance.
Actually, I'd recommend "the guy who works on Sodick" more as they will take the time to show you... Sodick Tech may not...
And buy yourself an ultrasonic cleaner (jewelry cleaner...Harbor Freight has a decent one for $30.

A good WEDM operator is one that works on the machine...
Running the machine is easy...keeping it running is where the real value is.
I never recommend using plant maintenance guys to repair your WEDM.
You are in front of it everyday and will come to know what problems mean what solutions.

The good news is, your sinker EDM's require little maintenance.
But.... require a lot more skill to operate.

Good luck and let me know if you need a referral on repair techs.


Jay Crumb
Advanced EDM, LLC
[email protected]

If you are near an Ikea, one of these clip-on lights is REALLY nice to have for seeing your work while you are setting up. I clip mine to the Z axis of my Mits WEDMs...it can even survive the occasional dunking LOL.

JayCrumb said:

Your bad threading stream is a result of the machine needing service.
Get Sodick (or a guy like me who works on Sodick) in the shop to run you through the preventative maintenance.
Actually, I'd recommend "the guy who works on Sodick" more as they will take the time to show you... Sodick Tech may not...
And buy yourself an ultrasonic cleaner (jewelry cleaner...Harbor Freight has a decent one for $30.

A good WEDM operator is one that works on the machine...
Running the machine is easy...keeping it running is where the real value is.
I never recommend using plant maintenance guys to repair your WEDM.
You are in front of it everyday and will come to know what problems mean what solutions.

The good news is, your sinker EDM's require little maintenance.
But.... require a lot more skill to operate.

Good luck and let me know if you need a referral on repair techs.


Jay Crumb
Advanced EDM, LLC
[email protected]

Click to expand...

I've done a little work on the AD325L, Just adjusted the tension detection unit actually. The voltage between tensens and ground was supposed to be 120mV +/-10mV and was at 60mV like the VOUT was, that ended up fixing an error I keep getting.

I do have a quick question for you, or at least I think it's a quick question. If you use the built in conditions for AD325L you HAVE to set the Easy Power Adjustment to -4 or sometimes you can get away with -3...otherwise the wire almost instantly breaks. It's been doing this since I got the job, and was actually on the documentation I was given. To me, 0 should be the default "good" setting for the built in conditions. This is true even on cuts that should have excellent flushing. I am not sure what the cut speed should be, but it seems slow on pretty much everything. I can't help but think we are wasting time and wire on needlessly slow settings. Any ideas?

As far as maintenance goes, I am caught up with the by-the-book maintenance and I've scrubbed and scrubbed the machine. I'll grab an ultrasonic cleaner and clean everything I can from the AWT pipe down.

And as far as referrals, I'm in Southern Illinois. I'd love to have someone who knows Sodick / Older Agie come by and really dig into these things with me.

Sybilsurf said:

If you are near an Ikea, one of these clip-on lights is REALLY nice to have for seeing your work while you are setting up. I clip mine to the Z axis of my Mits WEDMs...it can even survive the occasional dunking LOL.

Click to expand...

I like it, it's cheaper than the machine lights on McMaster Carr lol.

Here is a free book to read on wire EDM

Free Practical Information for Designers, Engineers, Machinists, Tool and Die Makers, Mold Makers and others in the Metal Machining Fields

With the sinker you really want a good electrode holding system. The biggest thing with electrodes is to get each one as close as you possibly can to each other. Even if you have a +-.005 you want the electrodes as close as you can to each other. It makes your life and burns much easier and better. With the wire you want to keep every thing clean. Don't let the probes that check the water resistance get dirty and give you false readings. Dirt seems to be a large problem. Check the diamond guides under a microscope when you clean them, having the wire drag over a piece of brass stuck in the diamond will mess up a burn and drive you nuts. On parts where you have an entry point that matters, move the entry point position a little on each burn and you will have a couple less bad entry lines rather then one deeper one.... Lots of tricks on dealing with part spring, but that mostly comes from seeing what doesn't work and figuring out why

gking86 said:

I just took a new job running two sinkers and a wire EDM, plus a mill to cut electrodes...my first machining job! The last EDM guy left to accommodate his wife moving out of state. I've picked up a couple tricks like using a lighter to stretch the wire and put a good point on it for threading.

I'm burning through manuals, and have been putting out parts on all the machines to spec but I'm wondering what I might be missing. Any tips that a newbie should know?

As far as tools go, anything that you'd recommend that I throw in the toolbox that I might not think of?

Click to expand...