Drop away back gauge for guillotine

[Ian Bee]

Good morning folks.

Here at work, I have a 2500 x 3.0 mm. AMC (Australian) guillotine. Bought it new around twenty years ago, great machine.

On the rear of the machine, the first thing I made, was a 600 mm. deep table, which is permanently attached to the rear section which houses the blade. This table moves up and down (obviously), eliminating the need to pick my pieces up off the floor. System has worked extremely well over the years.

The machine also came with a rudimentary backstop, as they all do, namely a length of heavy angle, which bolts to sections not dissimilar to Unistrut. Complete waste of time, as the fine setting of this is tedious, and as I eke the stop further away from the blade, the sheets (0.8mm.) bend downwards and miss the stop. Suffice to say, it never gets used.

Over the years, I have dabbled with ideas to start from scratch, and build a new stop, but there is a problem...

I need something, akin to small fingers, or a ledge, that enables the drooping sheet to pick up, and rest firmly against the stop, but when the blade starts it travel, the fingers need to withdraw out of the way, to allow the sheets to fall away. After the cut, fingers, or ledge to return to position, ready to guide in the next sheet.

The fabrication of this does not bother me, and I'll motorise the unit, along with a DRO. It is the failsafe, and guaranteed repeatability of the fingers, or ledge - lip that I want to try to work out.

Now, I am sure, that this problem has been suitably addressed, somewhere in the world already, and I am hoping that one of you clever readers, has seen something like this.

I have unsuccessfully searched the net, but have come up dry...

Anyone have any cool ideas, or clues for me?

Cheers


Ian Bee

 

[Tony Wells]

Firs thought that popped into my mind is a pair (or more) of short stroke air cylinders that pop up out of holes in the back table. Easy enough to control either manually or with limit switches and solenoid valves. You could drill and ream some close holes and use dowels of appropriate size that are actuated by the cylinders. They could have shoulders to limit the amount they stand proud from the table.

 

[Ian Bee]

Firs thought that popped into my mind is a pair (or more) of short stroke air cylinders that pop up out of holes in the back table. Easy enough to control either manually or with limit switches and solenoid valves. You could drill and ream some close holes and use dowels of appropriate size that are actuated by the cylinders. They could have shoulders to limit the amount they stand proud from the table.

Well, that's different! you've seriously got me thinking now... never considered working off the table...

 

[Old Iron]

The one we had in the shop years ago had a wire between the hold downs and the blade with back lights and that was were the blade hit.

Lots easer that a back stop.

Paul

 

[Ian Bee]

The one we had in the shop years ago had a wire between the hold downs and the blade with back lights and that was were the blade hit.

Lots easer that a back stop.

Paul

Never been a fan of Shadow Line cutting, used a few, and wasn't ever happy, because of slight blur, and chance of parallax.

Still want my back stop, because of repetitious cutting. We front stop a lot, VERY accurate, but back stopping, with thin sheets is doing my head in...