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Westhoff EDM precision drills?

C

coltz

Aluminum
Joined
Jun 21, 2009
Location
CA, USA
I keep seeing these small westhoff EDM drills for sale but can't find much information about them.

Does anyone know the max diameter hole they can do? Or the rough workpiece size? Any recommendations for / against them in terms of quality?

[I'm asking since I need to drill holes into tubes w/ small IDs and not have burrs & EDM seems like a reasonable way to go.]

Thanks!
 
I have one I keep forgetting to put up for sale. Brochure states- Albrecht keyless chuck with 1/8" capacity with through hole 1/16" dia x 5" deep...whatever that means.

Spindle speed is 0 to 22,000 rpm. Westhoff sells .025, .020 and .015" diameter drills 4" long.
 
MICK 1958 said:
what is the general asking price for one of these Westhoff drills?
Click to expand...
Few years ago seems like it was $650 to $1,200 for a really nice one...but just noticed some much cheaper ones on eBay. Back when I sold some around 2001 on eBay mine would typically be the only one up for sale, but now the woods seems to be full of 'em....take yer pick of the litter...
 
Milacron said:
I have one I keep forgetting to put up for sale. Brochure states- Albrecht keyless chuck with 1/8" capacity with through hole 1/16" dia x 5" deep...whatever that means.

Spindle speed is 0 to 22,000 rpm. Westhoff sells .025, .020 and .015" diameter drills 4" long.
Click to expand...

Sorry, I know almost nothing about EDM --- but I thought the whole point of these drills was that there was no drill bit/contact? Or is this just the electrode holding attachment & they call it a drill for simplicity?

.025" would be too small, which is a shame.

Prices I've seen have been $400-$500 BIN.
 
coltz said:
Sorry, I know almost nothing about EDM --- but I thought the whole point of these drills was that there was no drill bit/contact? Or is this just the electrode holding attachment & they call it a drill for simplicity?
Click to expand...
Intended purpose is for drilling flushing holes in graphite for sinker EDM electrodes. Workpiece is clamped to table and then operater feeds table into drill by hand. But they are used for other purposes like fine hobby work and such. You could probably mount a larger capacity chuck and drill larger holes in plastics and such... you could use it for anything as long as 1/10 HP was adequate. And even if not, you could probably mount a larger motor on it somehow.
 
The motor on them is a hand held Dumore grinder with a keyless chuck mounted on them. Westoff has a web page with some info but not much. The do run 2400.00 new
Thank you
Joe
 
Joe DAmico said:
The motor on them is a hand held Dumore grinder with a keyless chuck mounted on them. Westoff has a web page with some info but not much. The do run 2400.00 new
Thank you
Joe
Click to expand...

Thanks for the pointer. Just to clarify: these are true EDM machines in that they cut the holes w/o touching?

I'm looking for something that will do at least .125"
 
coltz said:
Thanks for the pointer. Just to clarify: these are true EDM machines in that they cut the holes w/o touching?
Click to expand...
Strange question....I'll take a guess that you have the Westhoff and a "hole popper" EDM machine confused. The Westhoff is just for drilling the electrodes for an EDM machine (with a conventional drill) so that the dielectric fluid can "flush" the microscopic "chips" out more effeciently via said holes in the electrode.

The Westhoff is a $2,400 machine whereas an EDM hole popper is more like $24,000 and up.
 
Ah. I think I was binding the "EDM" adjective wrong. The auction title is: "WESTHOFF PRECISION SENSITIVE EDM ELECTRODE DRILL PRESS" so I assumed EDM/electrode referred to the drill they were selling, rather than the machine that would use the resultant hole.

Too bad. It'd be really cool to have a pocket size EDM :)


Here's the link if anyone cares: http://cgi.ebay.com/WESTHOFF-PRECIS...ltDomain_0?hash=item56334c692f#ht_3166wt_1165


Milacron said:
Strange question....I'll take a guess that you have the Westhoff and a "hole popper" EDM machine confused. The Westhoff is just for drilling the electrodes for an EDM machine (with a conventional drill) so that the dielectric fluid can "flush" the microscopic "chips" out more effeciently via said holes in the electrode.

The Westhoff is a $2,400 machine whereas an EDM hole popper is more like $24,000 and up.
Click to expand...
 
Laurentian said:
I just put an order through with Saturn Ind. for some copper tube type electrode rods. Am hoping I can fab up a small holder on my 3R minis and
plunge with them on one of our manual ram EDM's to get a hole popper
set-up going. In my case to remove broken drills from some vent holes.
Here is the link :
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=380176956967&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT
Click to expand...

I bet that will be some slow burning. A true hole popper EDM has an entire different circuitry,(Frequencies, on/off time) , as well as a HIGH Pressure flush system. I have always sent any small hole burn jobs to someone with a hole popper.
 
Davis is exactly right...
I would also add that the hole-popper has a rotating spindle.
Something that is also a big advantage when burning out drills and taps.

For approximate comparison's sake,
Plunge EDMing a .050" hole through 2 inches of steel = 1 hr (assuming through the spindle flush and rotating spindle)
Hole-popping a .050" hole though two inches of steel = 5 minutes.
 
Thanks for the tip, I knew it would be a pain...
But this is to slavage some parts my guys broke 1/64 drills in.
A rotating 3R mini set up will be now on my wish list:D
Hugh
 
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