I bought a Charmilles Andrew wire EDM about a year ago. After trying on/off
for many days over the last year, I hired a fella to come out. The guy is a
genius at WEDM! He had us going in minutes by finding the broken wire that
had a feedback voltage working poorly.

Anyway, I'm going to do nothing but run my new toy for the next few weeks.
I've got a few parts I need, but I really could use more work. Anyone need
something?

Karl

In article s.com,
"Karl Townsend" wrote:

I bought a Charmilles Andrew wire EDM about a year ago. After trying on/off
for many days over the last year, I hired a fella to come out. The guy is a
genius at WEDM! He had us going in minutes by finding the broken wire that
had a feedback voltage working poorly.

Anyway, I'm going to do nothing but run my new toy for the next few weeks.
I've got a few parts I need, but I really could use more work. Anyone need
something?

Karl


Likely, but by the time I sort through my crud to see what's worthy of
having you spend time on, you'll be a mile deep in "free work", Karl.

Tiny tungsten carbide cribbage board? Pointless, but...

--
Cats, coffee, chocolate...vices to live by

Likely, but by the time I sort through my crud to see what's worthy of
having you spend time on, you'll be a mile deep in "free work", Karl.

Tiny tungsten carbide cribbage board? Pointless, but...

One of the things on my list is to try cutting some custom carbide grooving
tools. And maybe a custom boring bar. I already bought some HSS blanks to
make custom slotting tooling for my bridgeport slotter.

The tech. fella told me this is one of the few machines that will cut pure
diamond. Anyone need their SO's diamond cut in half?

Karl

"Karl Townsend" wrote:



The tech. fella told me this is one of the few machines that will cut pure
diamond. Anyone need their SO's diamond cut in half?

Karl

Is diamond conductive enough???
jk

"jk" wrote in message
...
"Karl Townsend" wrote:



The tech. fella told me this is one of the few machines that will cut pure
diamond. Anyone need their SO's diamond cut in half?

Karl

Is diamond conductive enough???
jk

Polycrystalline diamond compacts, which are the basis for most diamond
cutting tools, have enough electrical conductivity that they can be wire
EDMed -- just barely. It's a slow process, but it's used to make shaped
cutters for commercial woodworking, and to a lesser degree, for
metalworking.

The compacts are sintered with a small amount of cobalt, usually, but it's
not quite like the cobalt binders in sintered tungsten carbide cutters. I'm
not up on the details but the cobalt serves more to dissolve the diamond, or
to aid in the diffusion of diamond-to-diamond, rather than acting like a
matrix, or binder, as it does in tungsten carbide.

But a small amount of metallic cobalt remains in the diamond compacts and
that aids conductivity. It also makes polycrystalline diamond compacts
slightly less hard (but more shock resistant) than single-crystal diamond
tools.

Even pure diamond has some conductivity, and various forms of synthetic
diamond can be quite conductive. But the wire EDMing is generally applied to
the compacts rather than to pure, single-crystal diamond. There are wire
EDMs made exclusively for the cutting diamond compacts to shape. They have
specially tuned power supplies.

The really old Andrew machines used a conventional (for the time) RC
relaxation circuit, so I'm not sure why it would be especially good for
cutting diamond. Is this one of the granite-base machines with the moving
head?

--
Ed Huntress

The really old Andrew machines used a conventional (for the time) RC
relaxation circuit, so I'm not sure why it would be especially good for
cutting diamond. Is this one of the granite-base machines with the moving
head?

Yes. According to Mike, there were three major generations of wire burn
circuits on the Charmilles Andrew machines, the focus of technology at the
time. The machine I have was made just before pulling the Andrew name off
the machine. Again, according to Mike, the next focus was making the burn
circuit more user friendly by computerizing the control of the burn circuit.
This worked, but you actually lost ability to do the tuff stuff if you knew
the machines well.

Karl

"Karl Townsend" wrote in message
anews.com...
The really old Andrew machines used a conventional (for the time) RC
relaxation circuit, so I'm not sure why it would be especially good for
cutting diamond. Is this one of the granite-base machines with the moving
head?

Yes. According to Mike, there were three major generations of wire burn
circuits on the Charmilles Andrew machines, the focus of technology at the
time. The machine I have was made just before pulling the Andrew name off
the machine. Again, according to Mike, the next focus was making the burn
circuit more user friendly by computerizing the control of the burn
circuit. This worked, but you actually lost ability to do the tuff stuff
if you knew the machines well.

Karl

Interesting. I don't remember what settings were used for diamond -- maybe
it was a high-voltage, short pulse. But don't count on that. It was too long
ago.

Good luck with your machine, Karl. It should be a lot of fun.

--
Ed Huntress

Karl Townsend wrote:

I bought a Charmilles Andrew wire EDM about a year ago. After trying on/off
for many days over the last year, I hired a fella to come out. The guy is a
genius at WEDM! He had us going in minutes by finding the broken wire that
had a feedback voltage working poorly.

Anyway, I'm going to do nothing but run my new toy for the next few weeks.
I've got a few parts I need, but I really could use more work. Anyone need
something?

Karl


How about making a few custom pasta extruder dies to go on the
KitchenAid grinder? Dies with people's initials, logos, etc. ought to
make good holiday gifts.

--Here ya go; I've wanted a little injection molding die for this
widget for a decade and more. Ping me offlist and maybe we can talk further?
http://www.nmpproducts.com/nmp02.htm

--
"Steamboat Ed" Haas : $150,000,000,000 in pork??
Hacking the Trailing Edge! : Om Mane Padme Hum
www.nmpproducts.com
---Decks a-wash in a sea of words---

On Fri, 24 Oct 2008 10:08:56 -0500, "Pete C."
wrote:


Karl Townsend wrote:

I bought a Charmilles Andrew wire EDM about a year ago. After trying on/off
for many days over the last year, I hired a fella to come out. The guy is a
genius at WEDM! He had us going in minutes by finding the broken wire that
had a feedback voltage working poorly.

Anyway, I'm going to do nothing but run my new toy for the next few weeks.
I've got a few parts I need, but I really could use more work. Anyone need
something?

Karl


How about making a few custom pasta extruder dies to go on the
KitchenAid grinder? Dies with people's initials, logos, etc. ought to
make good holiday gifts.

Something like this?

http://www.gobaz.com/prodhuge/6890.jpg
Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany
--
"it's the network..." "The Journey is the reward"
Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com
Embedded software/hardware/analog Info for designers: http://www.speff.com

Spehro Pefhany wrote:

On Fri, 24 Oct 2008 10:08:56 -0500, "Pete C."
wrote:


Karl Townsend wrote:

I bought a Charmilles Andrew wire EDM about a year ago. After trying on/off
for many days over the last year, I hired a fella to come out. The guy is a
genius at WEDM! He had us going in minutes by finding the broken wire that
had a feedback voltage working poorly.

Anyway, I'm going to do nothing but run my new toy for the next few weeks.
I've got a few parts I need, but I really could use more work. Anyone need
something?

Karl


How about making a few custom pasta extruder dies to go on the
KitchenAid grinder? Dies with people's initials, logos, etc. ought to
make good holiday gifts.

Something like this?

http://www.gobaz.com/prodhuge/6890.jpg

Essentially, but more personalized to the recipients.

steamer wrote:

--Here ya go; I've wanted a little injection molding die for this
widget for a decade and more. Ping me offlist and maybe we can talk further?
http://www.nmpproducts.com/nmp02.htm

Interesting, however the little squeeze-to-release nuts sold for the
purpose are cheap, and easy to fab yourself if you want. I just bought
one for the $5 or so.

http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?P...&PARTPG=INLMK3

Model #209-9003

jk writes:

"Karl Townsend" wrote:


The tech. fella told me this is one of the few machines that will cut pure
diamond. Anyone need their SO's diamond cut in half?

Karl

Is diamond conductive enough???

Interestingly, diamond has great thermal conductivity and great
electrical conductivity. Can you say heat sink insulators?


--
A host is a host from coast to
& no one will talk to a host that's close........[v].(301) 56-LINUX
Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433
is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433

"David Lesher" wrote in message
...
jk writes:

"Karl Townsend" wrote:


The tech. fella told me this is one of the few machines that will cut
pure
diamond. Anyone need their SO's diamond cut in half?

Karl

Is diamond conductive enough???

Interestingly, diamond has great thermal conductivity and great
electrical conductivity. Can you say heat sink insulators?

Uh, actually diamond is one of the materials with the phonon-carrier
anomaly. It's a great thermal conductor (better than silver) but it's an
electrical insulator.

There are some surface-conductivity phenomena which have only recently been
understood, but the bulk electrical resistance of diamond is very high.
Impurities and intentional additives in synthetic diamonds can alter this.

--
Ed Huntress

steamer wrote:
--Here ya go; I've wanted a little injection molding die for this
widget for a decade and more. Ping me offlist and maybe we can talk further?
http://www.nmpproducts.com/nmp02.htm

Why bother with a thing like that which need an air hose
when the spring closed split nut works so well?????
That was one of the first things I made when starting on
the mill.
...lew...

On 2008-10-24, David Lesher wrote:
jk writes:

[ ... ]

Is diamond conductive enough???

Interestingly, diamond has great thermal conductivity and great
electrical conductivity. Can you say heat sink insulators?

Hmm ... insulators with "great electrical conductivity"? I
don't think so. :-)

Enjoy,
DoN.

--
Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---

On Fri, 24 Oct 2008 12:01:03 -0400, the infamous Spehro Pefhany
scrawled the following:

On Fri, 24 Oct 2008 10:08:56 -0500, "Pete C."
wrote:


Karl Townsend wrote:

I bought a Charmilles Andrew wire EDM about a year ago. After trying on/off
for many days over the last year, I hired a fella to come out. The guy is a
genius at WEDM! He had us going in minutes by finding the broken wire that
had a feedback voltage working poorly.

Anyway, I'm going to do nothing but run my new toy for the next few weeks.
I've got a few parts I need, but I really could use more work. Anyone need
something?

Karl


How about making a few custom pasta extruder dies to go on the
KitchenAid grinder? Dies with people's initials, logos, etc. ought to
make good holiday gifts.

Something like this?

http://www.gobaz.com/prodhuge/6890.jpg

Is that what they use to make that pasta putanesca dish?


--
"The latest documents released this week showed
that priests with drug, alcohol and sexual abuse
problems continued in the ministry as recently as
two years ago. That doesn't sound like a church,
it sounds like Congress with holy water." -Jay Leno

On 25 Oct 2008 00:42:19 GMT, "DoN. Nichols" wrote:

On 2008-10-24, David Lesher wrote:
jk writes:

[ ... ]

Is diamond conductive enough???

Interestingly, diamond has great thermal conductivity and great
electrical conductivity. Can you say heat sink insulators?

Hmm ... insulators with "great electrical conductivity"? I
don't think so. :-)

Enjoy,
DoN.


I suspect that should read resistivity. The covalent bonds in the diamond
crystal do not leave free valence electrons floating around to conduct any
electricity. I suggested it to my employers as an insulated wedge block
material for salient pole rotor AC machines in the late 70's. Oddly enough,
they weren't amused :-)


Mark Rand
RTFM

"Ed Huntress" writes:

Interestingly, diamond has great thermal conductivity and great
electrical conductivity. Can you say heat sink insulators?

Uh, actually diamond is one of the materials with the phonon-carrier
anomaly. It's a great thermal conductor (better than silver) but it's an
electrical insulator.


My typo; that was what I meant to type....




--
A host is a host from coast to
& no one will talk to a host that's close........[v].(301) 56-LINUX
Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433
is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433

Mark Rand writes:



I suspect that should read resistivity. The covalent bonds in the diamond
crystal do not leave free valence electrons floating around to conduct any
electricity. I suggested it to my employers as an insulated wedge block
material for salient pole rotor AC machines in the late 70's. Oddly enough,
they weren't amused :-)

I had a boss at NASA-LeRC who was trying to make diamond-like films
for space apps because of this anomoly. Most electrical insulators
are crummy thermal conductors...


--
A host is a host from coast to
& no one will talk to a host that's close........[v].(301) 56-LINUX
Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433
is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433

On 24 Oct 2008 15:57:38 GMT, steamer wrote:

--Here ya go; I've wanted a little injection molding die for this
widget for a decade and more. Ping me offlist and maybe we can talk further?
http://www.nmpproducts.com/nmp02.htm

Looks interesting - but if you can snap it on as threaded rod at the
middle with finger pressure, and the two mating 'locks' are just tight
enough to allow this, the centripetal force of spinning it with air to
turn will potentially launch the two halves in opposite directions
with a rather scary escape velocity. "INCOMING!!"

You would have to make the mating locks rather large enough to be
permanent and spin it onto the end of the shaft - and in that case why
not make the nut out of a solid piece of material and skip the split?

Or make the two halves with channels on both ends, and two 'dogbone'
keys to assemble onto the shaft. Then you have to add a ball detent
to each nut-half or dogbone to lock the keys in place...

-- Bruce --

"Karl Townsend" wrote:

I bought a Charmilles Andrew wire EDM about a year ago. After trying on/off
for many days over the last year, I hired a fella to come out. The guy is a
genius at WEDM! He had us going in minutes by finding the broken wire that
had a feedback voltage working poorly.

Anyway, I'm going to do nothing but run my new toy for the next few weeks.
I've got a few parts I need, but I really could use more work. Anyone need
something?


What did you have to give for it and then pay to provision it?
What is the dielectric fluid?

One of my co-workers worked for Charmilles in machine build a number of years ago.

Can you turn it into a sinker to burn out taps?

Wes

--
"Additionally as a security officer, I carry a gun to protect
government officials but my life isn't worth protecting at home
in their eyes." Dick Anthony Heller

On Sat, 25 Oct 2008 00:51:21 -0700, the infamous Bruce L. Bergman
scrawled the following:

On 24 Oct 2008 15:57:38 GMT, steamer wrote:

--Here ya go; I've wanted a little injection molding die for this
widget for a decade and more. Ping me offlist and maybe we can talk further?
http://www.nmpproducts.com/nmp02.htm

Looks interesting - but if you can snap it on as threaded rod at the
middle with finger pressure, and the two mating 'locks' are just tight
enough to allow this, the centripetal force of spinning it with air to
turn will potentially launch the two halves in opposite directions
with a rather scary escape velocity. "INCOMING!!"

Hmm, were those meant to snap together or slide together? If slid,
they'd have considerably less "INCOMING!" potential.

--
Some days, it's not even worth chewing through the restraints.

Larry Jaques wrote:
Hmm, were those meant to snap together or slide together? ...

Uhh ... they can't slide 'cause they're threaded. Now if one side was
smooth, it could slide & the threads on the other side would allow
spinning & holding.

Bob
--
Nota for President

--Fear not gang; I worked out all the kinks and the prototype has
lasted for a decade and more. Trouble with the spring-clamps is sometimes
they slip, which can make for a 'very bad day'; my design can't do that.
It's cheaper, too.

--
"Steamboat Ed" Haas : $150,000,000,000 in pork??
Hacking the Trailing Edge! : Om Mane Padme Hum
www.nmpproducts.com
---Decks a-wash in a sea of words---

On Sat, 25 Oct 2008 11:38:49 -0400, the infamous Bob Engelhardt
scrawled the following:

Larry Jaques wrote:
Hmm, were those meant to snap together or slide together? ...

Uhh ... they can't slide 'cause they're threaded. Now if one side was
smooth, it could slide & the threads on the other side would allow
spinning & holding.

Assemble, then screw on?


--
Some days, it's not even worth chewing through the restraints.

"DoN. Nichols" wrote:

On 2008-10-25, Larry Jaques novalidaddress@di wrote:
On Sat, 25 Oct 2008 00:51:21 -0700, the infamous Bruce L. Bergman
scrawled the following:

On 24 Oct 2008 15:57:38 GMT, steamer wrote:

--Here ya go; I've wanted a little injection molding die for this
widget for a decade and more. Ping me offlist and maybe we can talk further?
http://www.nmpproducts.com/nmp02.htm

Looks interesting - but if you can snap it on as threaded rod at the
middle with finger pressure, and the two mating 'locks' are just tight
enough to allow this, the centripetal force of spinning it with air to
turn will potentially launch the two halves in opposite directions
with a rather scary escape velocity. "INCOMING!!"

Hmm, were those meant to snap together or slide together? If slid,
they'd have considerably less "INCOMING!" potential.

But -- if slid, at least one would have to have no internal
threads -- or to be slid together *before* screwing on. :-)

Thread one half only and it would work. Or just order the clip on one
for the $6 from Enco.

What did you have to give for it and then pay to provision it?
What is the dielectric fluid?

I gave $500 for the machine. I've spent another $500 getting it going. DI
water is the dieletric.


Can you turn it into a sinker to burn out taps?
No, but I already have a sinker EDM

Sorry about the slow reply.

Karl

"Karl Townsend" wrote:

I gave $500 for the machine. I've spent another $500 getting it going. DI
water is the dieletric.


DI is about 4 bucks a gallon from mcmasters, had to buy a few jugs the other day for a
trumpf laser marker's cooling system.

A grand for a working wire edm, sweet.

Wes