Making a PID controller box for a 20lb melting pot

[WobblyHand]

I've downloaded several different STEP files from McMasterr for use in FreeCad. Mostly bearings and seals. Haven't specifically checked tools/drill bits. You have to go into the "Product Detail" link in the same pop-up that you specify quantity to buy.

Got it to work. That's a little more useful!

 

[WobblyHand]

Progress of some sort. It may not be obvious, but I'm using a 32mm collet. It's a skinny weird collet, but it's surprisingly pretty good. It's the largest collet I have, it just fits 1.25" stock (31.75mm). Bought it on AliExpress a while back.

Made the bar that holds the bit, at least the lathe parts, but no pictures of that. Had to rush off to dinner out.

Made an on the fly change to the design. Made the arbor 3/4", rather than 5/8". Hit the diameter of 0.7495", so good enough for the R8 0.750" collet. The bar is 5/8". Tomorrow I will do the milling. Happy to be able to get back into the shop.

 

[WobblyHand]

Almost done with the tool. Some pictures along the way.


Have to shorten the set screws a little, and need to mill the flat on the bar. The 5/8" end mill in the previous picture was slightly undersized, which was a pain. The bar was 0.62485". Turns out I don't have any 1/4" HSS, thought I had some, but nope. So I have to wait for the HSS to show up. I have 8mm, 3/16", 1/8", and 3/8", but no 1/4" stuff. Oops.

 

[WobblyHand]

Also milled a flat on the cross bar. That was kind of fun lining everything up. Chose to do this using my tool makers vise. I made a close fitting rod (on the opposite side of the vise) that just fit the hole in the cross bar and indicated it for level.

 

[Larry$]

Chose to do this using my tool makers vise.

Those little vices are handy. My most common use is clamped in the main vice to cut angles.
Your lathe looks so clean. How do you keep it that way?

 

[WobblyHand]

Those little vices are handy. My most common use is clamped in the main vice to cut angles.
Your lathe looks so clean. How do you keep it that way?

I just recently painted the back splash on my lathe. I try to clean up after I use it. I have a vacuum cleaner underneath the lathe stand, so it makes it easy to keep things under control. I had put in a DRO and needed to slightly offset the back splash, so after that rework it was a good time to give it a fresh coat of paint.

 

[WobblyHand]

Ok, the 1/4" HSS tool bits came in. So did the 800C thermocouple wire. Have everything that I need, save for some miscellaneous hardware.

Tested the thermocouple wire by twisting it together and wiring it to a type K plug. Then plugged it into my thermocouple meter. Reads room temperature. Touch the thermocouple, and the temp goes up. Good enough for me. I will try spot welding the wires together. This will require a light touch on my spot welder, as it isn't made for this use. Hope a light tap on the toggle switch doesn't blow through the wires.

Need to grind the tool bit. Going to wing that. Shouldn't be too hard to come up with something.

Put the ammo box on the mill. Will be interesting clamping this in place...

 

[WobblyHand]

Haven't done much except attempting to clamp the ammo box. Those 246 blocks I bought turned out to be useful. I need to get rid of the steel plate and substitute some plywood or MDF. You can see the cutter in the mill. Still need to grind the tool bit - that will be tomorrow.

 

[markba633csi]

Happy trepanning!

 

[Larry$]

I've used AutomationDirect for PID controls, thermocouples, relays, switches, PLCs etc. All their instructions are available on line and they have phone tech service that I've only had to use once. Great service good prices & products.