"Peter Grey" wrote in message
ink.net...
What type of finish does one get with EDM?

That particular one, a Charmilles D10, will give you a very nice, random
finish -- maybe something like 8 microinches Ra in steel, to take a guess.

Any pcitures on the web?

Of finishes? Maybe. Try Mitsubishi, Charmilles, Agie, Sodick websites. You
might also try Google Scholar and look for an engineering article on
something like "EDM surface finish," without the quotes. There have been
lots of photomicrographs published over the years.

Is
this something that the average guy could have in his shop?

It's possible. Some people do it. You need a good reason, though, IMO.

Any bizarre requirements?

Don't tell your house insurer. He'll run screaming as he tears your policy
to shreds. g They do catch on fire if you get a little loose with your
shop hygiene. They also catch on fire sometimes, anyway. And don't put one
in a basement shop. Your whole house will stink of hydrocarbon fumes.

Don't consider running any dielectric fluid except the best grades of
commercial stuff, with flash suppressants and so on. Invest in a
heat-triggered fire-extinguisher bottle (they're sold on the EDM
aftermarket). Resolve not to leave the thing running untended. Really. And
then buy another fire extinguisher.

EDM is great stuff. It's no more dangerous than the character running it,
which is to say, you have to understand the machine and how many kinds of
foolish mistakes can cause a fire. There are quite a few. But a D10 would be
a hell of a nice home-shop machine for someone who uses his head and who
takes the time to learn before throwing the switch.

It's a specialized tool that gives you extraordinary geometric machining
capability in exchange for *very* slow metal removal rates, messiness, and
some fire risk.

Their primary use in commercial work is in making injection molds and other
production tools. Before putting your money down, though, read about the
process so you know what you're getting into.

--
Ed Huntress