Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Electrode holder

Hi Richard:
I run a one man shop too, and I'm just in the process of fitting a
quick-change electrode holder setup to my machine (Hansvedt 150 B sinker).
The best setup I've found, bar none, is a female clamping dovetail on the
ram, with interchangeable male dovetail blocks to which the 'trodes can be
bolted.
I made 2 female dovetail blocks milled out of mild steel, case hardened and
surface ground.
Only one side of the dovetail is integral with the holder body, the other is
a clamp with a single screw and a short spring under it to help hold it
open. (makes it way easier to grind that way.)
The male dovetail blocks are all soft,(so I can drill them for mounting
screws) except for a pair that I mounted little angle plates to, with side
holes tapped 1/4:20 for electrode clamps.
These get used for square shanked and round shanked 'trodes.
My male dovetail blocks are all 3" x 3" x 1/2" thick.
A 1/4" dowel pin forms an endstop on the female holder.
When I have 'trodes to make, I bolt a female holder to the table of the CNC
and shuttle the male dovetail blocks back and forth between the CNC and the
EDM.
I still have to make up a custom mount for the lathe, and scare up a pair of
small 3 jaw chucks that I can mount to dovetail blocks.
That way I'll be able to shuttle between the lathe and the EDM in the same
way that I do with the CNC setup.
I used a setup similar to this one years ago working in a mold shop.
It's dead-nuts accurate for repeatability, very versatile, and easy to clean
the EDM crud out of.
You can expand the system easily to add dovetail holderes to your Grindall,
make blocks for milling machine or inspection setups etc, etc.
No great precision is required in construction because it is always located
on one side of the dovetail and one edge of the dowel pin, so if individual
holders differ from each other, it doesn't matter at all.
This makes it easily "makeable" without killing yourself to split tenths
like you need to with systems like 3R or Makino or Agie.
Contact me offlist if you are interested in more info.
No dimensioned drawings though, I didn't have time to make any!
Cheers

Marcus

-----Original Message-----
From: konnen@... <konnen@...>
To: CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com <CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com>
Date: Friday, November 30, 2001 5:01 AM
Subject: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Electrode holder

>I' m interested if anyone has made electrode holders and fixturing
>for there EDM machine and would you be willing to share how your's
>was made? I'm trying to come up with a changable tool holder, but
>being a 1 man shop I try to make alot of my own stuff, alot of times
>you can't afford to put out the cash for the commercial stuff.
>Thanks,
>Richard Konnen
>R.E.K. Machine & Mold
>
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