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 Posted 4/17/2016 6:37:25 PM |
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Has NO LIFE!!
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Hello everyone,
Finished all the wood work on my CNC plasma table control booth and installed the door.
Next I will add the Hardi Backer 1/4" front thermo shield and install the #6 shaded glass machine viewing window. Then it's on to installing and wiring up the control systems. vertigo
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| Posted 4/17/2016 6:53:23 PM |
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Has NO LIFE!!
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Hey everyone,
Some new people have shown an interest in welding so I have reprinted this post from 12-26-2013.
3M-8233 N100 Disposable Particulate Respirator
A particulate respirator rated for welding and grinding is essential to welding/grinding operations in any enclosed or semi-enclosed area and most of the times in outdoor locations. You might get by outdoors with a good stiff wind but never inside closed or semi-closed areas or outdoors in static air. Welding produces somewhere between 50 and 200 toxic and/or carcinogenic (Cancer causing) compounds). Grinding, somewhere between 10 and 30, depending on whats on what you are grinding. I’ve done welding/grinding without a mask a lot of times and will probably pay something for that as I get older. As an example I have attached a picture of a used mask that I used to weld for 4-hours in a semi-enclosed location; a 2-car garage with the doors open and a light breeze blowing. I placed the used mask beside a new mask. You be the judge. So, why do I use this particular mask? IT IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE MASK THAT WILL FIT UNDER MY WELDING HELMET. I found out about it a few years back from a professional industrial welder. Wish I had found it sooner. It’s made of some material that stops extremely fine particles but still allows comfortable breathing. It was developed by 3M for grinding/welding toxic materials, lead/arsenic/cadmium dusts, and protection from the Hantavirus which is carried by rodents. I usually use a mask for 8-hours of welding and maybe 16-hours for grinding. The density of the welding/grinding environment will dictate how long a mask can be used. Welding with ARC rods on dirty and/or rusty steel in confined areas may make the mask good for only a couple of hours. They cost between 10-12.oo each and to me are worth every penny. No, I am not a salesman for 3M products. Vertigo
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| Posted 4/17/2016 8:46:14 PM |
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Supreme Being
Last Login: 4/6/2024 5:28:59 PM
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| Good info. I will have to get that.
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| Posted 4/18/2016 6:25:44 PM |
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Has NO LIFE!!
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I consider CAD/CAM a valuable tool for many bat vehicle construction projects so I added this information.
Have you thought about using a CAD/CAM system. I use TORCMATE CAD. I built a CNC plasma table to cut my own parts. But I could have bought only the TORCHMATE software, bobCAD/CAM, or used one of the free online programs like SKETCH UP, etc. I could do all my drawing and/or scan designs and create cut files. Then, taken the cut files to a metal shop that had a CNC steel cutting plasma table to have them cut for me. That would leave me to only weld the cut pieces together, etc. A stick welder and a Lincoln MIG Weld-PAK with gas regulator would be enough to do the job.
SO, WHAT IS CAD/CAM?
“What is CAD-CAM software?” CAD-CAM technology is the culmination of decades of contributions by many in the name of manufacturing automation. It is the vision of innovators and inventors, mathematicians and machinists the like, all striving to shape the future and drive manufacturing through technology. The term “CAD-CAM” is generally used to describe the software that is used for design and machining or manufacturing with a CNC Machine. CAD is an acronym for Computer Aided Design and CAM is an acronym for Computer Aided Manufacturing. CAD software is used to create things by designing and drawing using geometric shapes to construct a model. However not all manufactured parts have to be designed as a solid 3d model.
Art shapes in CAD can be drawn using wire-frame geometry such as points, lines and circles, often to create 2d part shapes for machining. Generally CAD design software will allow the creation of surfaces; 3d contours that define the shape and can then be used in CAM for the CNC machine process. Modern CAD software allows for the creation of parts that are used in 2, 3, 4 & 5 Axis CNC machining. Therefore, CAD software is a necessary part of the manufacturing process as designed parts are transferred to CAM for programming the machine side of the manufacturing process.
Again, the term “CAM” is generally used in manufacturing to define the Computer Aided Manufacturing or Machining process. This is after a CAD design has been completed and CAM is needed to actually process the CAD part into a usable machine language that can be used by a milling machine or a lathe for machining. The language is often referred to as “G-Code”. Before a CAD model can be turned into this machine language, the CAM software must be programmed in order to calculate cutting paths in which the tools that are being used will take to remove excess material and produce a part. Most often found in CNC Milling, CNC Lathe and CNC Router. Yet also found in the part programming process for CNC Water Jets, Plasma, Laser and CNC Burning machines.
The CAM software must determine where these tools will need to cut and at what cutting feeds and speeds. CAM software allows an operator to input tool data or select tools from a library within the software, manage and choose materials and create optimized “toolpath” for machining the designated CAD part model. The subjects revolving around CAD-CAM Toolpath are vast as there are many styles of toolpath that are used in a variety of machining circumstances. However, you typically will have Hole Drilling, 2D Toolpaths and 3D toolpaths that are available for use by programmers. These toolpaths include, profiling, pocketing, facing, engraving, 3d contouring and others.
There are many different types on CNC machines that are used in manufacturing. Major machine brands include Haas, Hurco, Fadal, Bridgeport, Mori Seiki, Fanuc and many others. Manual machines can also be retrofitted and turned into CNC machines by adding motors, CNC controllers and other important elements. The CAM software translates the machine toolpath and all of the other information through what is called a “Post Processor” in order to create an exact style of NC Code that the specific machine tool will understand. These post processors are often times customizable by the operator or a CAD-CAM technician. In either case, they are a necessary part of the CNC machine programming process.
BobCAD-CAM software is a complete CAD-CAM product that is used for importing and drawing 2d and 3d parts as well as generating machine toolpath and G-Code programs for 2, 3, 4 & 5 Axis CNC machining. Modules are also available for 2 Axis CNC Lathe as well as 2 & 4 Axis Wire EDM. The Milling software is also compatible with CNC Routers, Water Jets, Lasers, Plasma and Burning machine programming as the post processors are fully configurable for the other machines through posting.
For more information on CAD-CAM software please contact BobCAD-CAM today at 877-262-2231 or 727-442-3554 or go to the TORCHMATE website. I've used both and prefer the TORCHMATE CAD program. vertigo
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| Posted 4/19/2016 5:22:18 PM |
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Has NO LIFE!!
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Hello everyone,
As I approach completion of my CNC steel cutting plasma table and
control booth I cannot help but feel a sense of exhilaration from
knowing I will soon be cutting the body panels and other parts for my
Tumbler. Yet, after a few thoughts of cutting raw steel into beautiful
parts one must soon turn their thinking to welding. Pleasurable as I
find welding it is not without some sense of apprehension, brought
forth from the dread of weld distortion; the non-even contraction and
warping of the welded metal parts. To me anything less than 1/8th inch
metal plate is thin and subject to very hard to control distortion.
The best welding I’ve seen done on “thin” sheet metal has usually been
done with TIG or lapped spot welding with MIG. Known in welding as the
stack of dimes or MIG like TIG welding. My Tumbler body will be
constructed from 1/8” and 3/16” plate steel. Soon as you get to 1/8th
inch you can easily control most of the weld distortion effects. But,
not without applying proper material preparations and anti-distortion
welding techniques. I’ve seen 2-inch plate steel warped several inches
out of alignment from butt welding from one side only.
What is Weld Distortion? The experts at Lincoln Welding say:
“Distortion in a weld results from the expansion and contraction of
the weld metal and adjacent base metal during the heating and cooling
cycle of the welding process. Doing all welding on one side of a part
will cause much more distortion than if the welds are alternated from
one side to the other. During this heating and cooling cycle, many
factors affect shrinkage of the metal and lead to distortion, such as
physical and mechanical properties that change as heat is applied. For
example, as the temperature of the weld area increases, yield
strength, elasticity, and thermal conductivity of the steel plate
decrease, while thermal expansion and specific heat increase. These
changes, in turn, affect heat flow and uniformity of heat
distribution.
Reasons for Distortion
In a welded joint, these same expansion and contraction forces act on
the weld metal and on the base metal. As the weld metal solidifies and
fuses with the base metal, it is in its maximum expanded from. On
cooling, it attempts to contract to the volume it would normally
occupy at the lower temperature, but it is restrained from doing so by
the adjacent base metal. Because of this, stresses develop within the
weld and the adjacent base metal. At this point, the weld stretches
(or yields) and thins out, thus adjusting to the volume requirements
of the lower temperature. But only those stresses that exceed the
yield strength of the weld metal are relieved by this straining. By
the time the weld reaches room temperature - assuming complete
restraint of the base metal so that it cannot move - the weld will
contain locked-in tensile stresses approximately equal to the yield
strength of the metal. If the restraints (clamps that hold the
workpiece, or an opposing shrinkage force) are removed, the residual
stresses are partially relieved as they cause the base metal to move,
thus distorting the weldment.” vertigo
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| Posted 4/20/2016 6:45:44 PM |
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Has NO LIFE!!
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Hello everyone,
When someone looks at doing a vehicle in flat steel plates with many
multi-angular welded relationships, like my Tumbler or the Batman vs
Superman bat mobile one must take a tactical and predictive stance in
planning and executing the welding where two or more plate edges meet.
Shrinkage Control - What You Can Do to Minimize Distortion
from the Lincoln welding engineering division
To prevent or minimize weld distortion, methods must be used both in
design and during welding to overcome the effects of the heating and
cooling cycle. Shrinkage cannot be prevented, but it can be
controlled. Several ways can be used to minimize distortion caused by
shrinkage:
1. Do not over-weld
The more metal placed in a joint, the greater the shrinkage forces.
Correctly sizing a weld for the requirements of the joint not only
minimizes distortion, but also saves weld metal and time. The amount
of weld metal in a fillet weld can be minimized by the use of a flat
or slightly convex bead, and in a butt joint by proper edge
preparation and fit up. The excess weld metal in a highly convex bead
does not increase the allowable strength in code work, but it does
increase shrinkage forces. Select either a joint in which the weld
stresses balance each other or a joint requiring the least amount of
weld metal.
2. Use intermittent welding
Another way to minimize weld metal is to use intermittent rather than
continuous welds where possible. For attaching stiffeners to plate,
for example, intermittent welds can reduce the weld metal by as much
as 75 percent yet provide the needed strength.
3. Use as few weld passes as possible
Fewer passes are preferable to a greater number of passes with small
electrodes when transverse distortion could be a problem. Shrinkage
caused by each pass tends to be cumulative, thereby increasing total
shrinkage when many passes are used.
4. Place welds near the neutral axis
Distortion is minimized by providing a smaller leverage for the
shrinkage forces to pull the plates out of alignment. Both design of
the weldment and welding sequence can be used effectively to control
distortion.
5. Balance welds around the neutral axis
This practice, offsets one shrinkage force with another to effectively
minimize distortion of the weldment. Here, too, design of the assembly
and proper sequence of welding are important factors.
6. Use backstep welding
In the backstep technique, the general progression of welding may be,
say, from left to right, but each bead segment is deposited from right
to left. As each bead segment is placed, the heated edges expand,
which temporarily separates the plates. But as the heat moves out
across the plate, expansion along outer edges brings the plates back
together. This separation is most pronounced as the first bead is
laid. With successive beads, the plates expand less and less because
of the restraint of prior welds. Backstepping may not be effective in
all applications, and it cannot be used economically in automatic
welding.
7. Anticipate the shrinkage forces
Presetting parts at first glance, might make one think that this was
referring to overhead or vertical welding positions, which is not the
case, before welding can make shrinkage perform constructive work.
Several assemblies, preset in this manner, The required amount of
pre-set for shrinkage to pull the plates into alignment can be
determined from a few trial welds.
Pre-bending, pre-setting or pre-springing the parts to be welded are
examples of the use of opposing mechanical forces to counteract
distortion due to welding. The top of the weld groove - which will
contain the bulk of the weld metal - is lengthened when the plates are
preset. Thus the completed weld is slightly longer than it would be if
it had been made on the flat plate. When the clamps are released after
welding, the plates return to the flat shape, allowing the weld to
relieve its longitudinal shrinkage stresses by shortening to a
straight line. The two actions coincide, and the welded plates assume
the desired flatness.
Another common practice for balancing shrinkage forces is to position
identical weldments back to back, clamping them tightly together. The
welds are completed on both assemblies and allowed to cool before the
clamps are released. Pre-bending can be combined with this method by
inserting wedges at suitable positions between the parts before
clamping.
In heavy weldments, particularly, the rigidity of the members and
their arrangement relative to each other may provide the balancing
forces needed. If these natural balancing forces are not present, it
is necessary to use other means to counteract the shrinkage forces in
the weld metal. This can be accomplished by balancing one shrinkage
force against another or by creating an opposing force through the
fixturing. The opposing forces may be: other shrinkage forces;
restraining forces imposed by clamps, jigs, or fixtures; restraining
forces arising from the arrangement of members in the assembly; or the
force from the sag in a member due to gravity.
8. Plan the welding sequence
A well-planned welding sequence involves placing weld metal at
different points of the assembly so that, as the structure shrinks in
one place, it counteracts the shrinkage forces of welds already made.
An example of this is welding alternately on both sides of the neutral
axis in making a complete joint penetration groove weld in a butt
joint. Another example, in a fillet weld, consists of making
intermittent welds according to a planned sequence. In all these
examples, the shrinkage in weld No. 1 is balanced by the shrinkage in
weld No. 2.
Clamps, jigs, and fixtures that lock parts into a desired position and
hold them until welding is finished are probably the most widely used
means for controlling distortion in small assemblies or components. It
was mentioned earlier in this section that the restraining force
provided by clamps increases internal stresses in the weldment until
the yield point of the weld metal is reached. For typical welds on
low-carbon plate, this stress level would approximate 45,000 psi. One
might expect this stress to cause considerable movement or distortion
after the welded part is removed from the jig or clamps. This does not
occur, however, since the strain (unit contraction) from this stress
is very low compared to the amount of movement that would occur if no
restraint were used during welding.
9. Remove shrinkage forces after welding
Peening is one way to counteract the shrinkage forces of a weld bead
as it cools. Essentially, peening the bead stretches it and makes it
thinner, thus relieving (by plastic deformation) the stresses induced
by contraction as the metal cools. But this method must be used with
care. For example, a root bead should never be peened, because of the
danger of either concealing a crack or causing one. Generally, peening
is not permitted on the final pass, because of the possibility of
covering a crack and interfering with inspection, and because of the
undesirable work-hardening effect. Thus, the utility of the technique
is limited, even though there have been instances where between-pass
peening proved to be the only solution for a distortion or cracking
problem. Another method for removing shrinkage forces is by thermal
stress relieving - controlled heating of the weldment to an elevated
temperature, followed by controlled cooling. Sometimes two identical
weldments are clamped back to back, welded, and then stress-relieved
while being held in this straight condition. The residual stresses
that would tend to distort the weldments are thus minimized.
10. Minimize welding time
Since complex cycles of heating and cooling take place during welding,
and since time is required for heat transmission, the time factor
affects distortion. In general, it is desirable to finish the weld
quickly, before a large volume of surrounding metal heats up and
expands. The welding process used, type and size of electrode, welding
current, and speed of travel, thus, affect the degree of shrinkage and
distortion of a weldment. vertigo
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| Posted 4/21/2016 6:34:30 PM |
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Has NO LIFE!!
Last Login: 12/4/2023 11:08:55 PM
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Hey everyone,
Spent the day working on CNC metal cutting plasma table control booth. Covered front of control booth with a thermal shield (1/4" Hardi backer concrete board), cut and welded steel plasma table viewing window frame, and used clear silicone to install 12' X 12" #6 shaded welding glass. vertigo
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| Posted 4/21/2016 8:08:50 PM |
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Has NO LIFE!!
Last Login: 12/4/2023 11:08:55 PM
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Hello everyone,
This example of problem solving used in another build may be of use for other builders and future builders.
"Time for some 3D brain storming. I would use a JADA model. Most likely several. Draw a set of parallel lines, spaced apart to represent your road restrictions, in the same scale as the JADA model. Place your model over the lines with extra vehicle width equal outside lines. Better yet, fill the model with resin, let it harden, and then slice off what doesn't fit on a band saw with a fine tooth blade. Study it carefully. Make note of everything you can keep in full scale. If the body fits between the lines that great to know. If that checks out I will keep the body in full scale on my future build and the tires full-size diameter too. But, very probably not the width of the tires. With the body intact full scale, manipulation of the frame and suspension parameters would be my targets. Axle extension/shortening by mechanical morphing seems possible. Would need to custom build the frame. Rear end not too much of a problem. Front end probably could be salvaged from the right donor vehicle and spliced into custom frame. I would use rectangular 3"' X 4" X 1/4" wall for frames core and 2" X 4" X 1/4" for other frame parts. Reading about your work and problems with this project has certainly inspired my thinking about this project. Two years ago when I decided to build a Tumbler I didn't know much about automotive vehicles, but two years, more than a hundred books, and a couple thousand hours of studying the builds and techniques of people, like Big Wave Dave, Shaggy, and others on this site, and still many others on the web has given me a lot of tools and insights into building. I will forever be grateful to them all. vertigo
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| Posted 4/22/2016 6:44:00 PM |
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Has NO LIFE!!
Last Login: 12/4/2023 11:08:55 PM
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Hello everyone,
“PROBLEMS SEEING WHAT I’M WELDING / CUTTING / GRINDING”
I’ve heard this complaint many times over the years and here are some of the ways I work around problems seeing what I’m welding, cutting, or grinding.
Working outside in bright sunlight does away any problems of being able to see when oxy-acetylene cutting while wearing shaded cutting goggles.
Working outside in bright sunlight does away with many problems of being able to see when plasma cutting, MIG, and stick welding, when used in conjunction with a self-darkening welding helmet.
Note: Do not let the sun shine from behind your helmet. The sunlight will reflect off the helmet lens and reduce your vision to the work piece.
INSIDE CUTTING, WELDING, AND GRINDING
Note: Do not let any light shine from behind your helmet. Any light from behind, will reflect into your eyes off the helmet lens, and reduce the vision to the work piece.
Use artificial lighting indoors to let you see well ahead of where you’re cutting, welding, and grinding.
I use a floor stand that holds two 500 watt halogen lights, placed close to my work. Like the one sold at Home Depot for around 50.oo. Sometimes I use two of these, to concentrate even more light or to cover a bigger area.
I also have four 500 watt halogen lights, on individual switches, mounted over my welding table. That way I can add or subtract lighting, 500 watts at a time.
Hope this might be of use to someone with problems seeing their cutting, welding and/or grinding work. vertigo
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| Posted 4/25/2016 7:07:10 PM |
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Has NO LIFE!!
Last Login: 12/4/2023 11:08:55 PM
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Hello everyone,
QUESTION: Maybe you explained it already but what are you using for reference?
Just the photos or from scale models?
ANSWER:
I like to get all the models that are related to the project.
I also try to get every photo and image that I can find of the project.
I then photograph the models from many angles.
Then consolidate all the usable photos/images into a common scale.
Make transparencies of useable photographs/images in CAD/CAM and physically print ink jet printed transparencies.
Use the photos of the actual project to over lay the photos/images of the models.
The photos/images of the real project are used to fill in what is missing from the models. vertigo
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