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Bridgeport Mill Tachometer
- Thread starter Susquatch
- Start date
I like the variety of lengths in this set, but I also like the variety of connections in the set that @whydontu linked to on Amazon.
Someplace in my electronics shop I have a shoebox of wires (all male both ends) that I used to use for breadboarding. I think all my breadboards are gone though - loaned to various people over the years - usually as completed protype projects for evaluation and never returned. But who knows, I might get a surprise when I look. I'll have to watch the nostalgia hormone levels when I do that.....
Anyway, if you think about the price per wire, neither set is all that expensive.
As a bonus, you can also cut those wires in half and use the ends separately - they are solid wire not braided.
If you do plan to do any prototyping, a small breadboard will save a crapload of soldering.
But, I think it's time that you grew a pair and took on some soldering...... If you can run a mill, a shaper, a lathe, and lord knows what else, you can solder. It's WAY EASIER than you think.
Buy yourself a decent soldering iron for electronics, some fine wire (0.6mm) rosin core solder, some braided copper ribbon for solder removal, a magnifying glass, and a parts holder with tiny alligator clips on a stand.
Here is a Soldering Iron Kit that even includes a Digital Multimeter, Rarlight 60W 110V Adjustable Temperature Welding Tool with ON/OFF Switch, Soldering Iron Tips, Desoldering Pump, Solder Wire, Tweezers, Stand, Screwdriver, and Wire Stripper Cutter.
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07L3VNMKX/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_i_BAT62BACA83ATH55XVX5?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Here is some desoldering braid - you will love this stuff - it beats a vacuum solder sucker all year long.
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B008O9VQ5M/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_i_M30965WWDRXRTZYMV3X9
Here are a few parts holders with stand and magnifying glass. Some even have a soldering iron holder. I like the last one cuz it has a third hand.
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B08FCK33HF/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_i_P6HMMWJXP9EYYNKTS7Y6
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B08V4B554Y/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_i_6TZM3QWJ9DY5509G2QAR
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07JD935J6/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_i_T2H4B3F0PQ4Z9785PAEH
There are lots of choices. That's just what I found on Amazon in a few quick searches. It seems funny that a place called Canada Solder doesn't have much - or I don't know where to look!
Actually, I pretty much have everything you linked to already, but not to worry there will be some soldering to do before this endeavor is finished
That wasn't my first soldering adventure, but I had one of those too!
Can you imagine? And @YYCHM actually thinks this endeavour of his will be finished some day....
The adventure is just beginning!
For velocity, the FPM of the ram on my shaper.
For distance, the horizontal displacement of the table on my shaper.
I realize scales are not cheap, but what about two dro scales and read em with the Arduino instead of a DRO monitor? The Arduino can calculate velocity from displacement.
Just suggestions - I am not familiar with what your shaper looks like.
If scale level precision is not required, maybe an ultrasonic distance sensor could be calibrated to provide your desired accuracy. Canada solder sells them.
https://www.universal-solder.ca/pro...-measuring-sensor-hc-sr04-arduino-compatible/
Here is the same thing at Amazon with mounts and wiring - cheaper if you have prime free shipping.
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B071P91YDS/ref=cm_sw_r_awdo_navT_g_2488YYTN2JWCFVNRQ78X
Just suggestions - I am not familiar with what your shaper looks like.
If scale level precision is not required, maybe an ultrasonic distance sensor could be calibrated to provide your desired accuracy. Canada solder sells them.
https://www.universal-solder.ca/pro...-measuring-sensor-hc-sr04-arduino-compatible/
Here is the same thing at Amazon with mounts and wiring - cheaper if you have prime free shipping.
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B071P91YDS/ref=cm_sw_r_awdo_navT_g_2488YYTN2JWCFVNRQ78X
A DRO scale would be impossible (or should I say very difficult) to mount for the table displacement and that's the measurement where you would want 0.001" or better resolution. The US sensor might work for measuring the RAM velocity, I'll have to think on that one.
I think if you really need one thou direct precision, you are probably stuck with scales of some kind. However, I'd be tempted to take a real good look at the table actuating mechanism. Maybe some other kind of scale could be used there instead. In fact, if there is any leverage (gearing, timing belt, etc) built into the drive, you might need less precision there to get what you need at the table itself.
Again, just me trying to generate ideas for you.
FPM would be fairly simple. Two Hall effect sensors or even mechanical limit switches spaced a fixed distance apart, count ten pulses from each, calculate the time span, convert to FPM with a little math. Ideal for an Arduino. How fast does the ram travel?
I don’t think 0.001” is possible using any type of IR or US sensor.
Other than the backlash was a pain in the bum, I used to have a 7x12 mini lathe with a dro using a rotary encoder.
https://littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=5675&category=-1536942993
I don’t think 0.001” is possible using any type of IR or US sensor.
Other than the backlash was a pain in the bum, I used to have a 7x12 mini lathe with a dro using a rotary encoder.
https://littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=5675&category=-1536942993
Hey I had those rotary encoders on my 7X12 as well. The cross slide DRO worked ok but the compound DRO was totally useless.
The shaper challenge is that the ram can be set for length of stroke and start of stroke, so kind of hard to set a fixed distance relative to a fixed sensor (if that makes any sense). A timed ping of ram distance no matter where it is from a fixed sensor might work I think?
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If I understand what it is you are asking, the ram stroke distance is the same going forward and backward, but apparently the ram velocity is faster going backwards on most shapers (I don't about all). So, a good point, only sample distance and time on a forward stroke. Obviously the ram is accelerating and decelerating for part of the stroke so a running average velocity would be in order.
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This is good to hear. I was worried about you......
As promised.....
Tonight I soldered leads onto a 9V battery holder I intend to use
I’ve never run a shaper, but am I right that it only cuts on the extend stroke?
So - one sensor, two triggers. On trigger at full retract, one trigger located rearward at a point that would trip the sensor at the shortest forward stroke. Time between the two trigger would be proportional to speed. My tach can read 11,000 RPM with 10 reflectors, equal to 180 pulses per second. Calculating from this, assuming using the same hardware & software.
If the sensor triggers are spaced 1” apart, 1” in 0.006 seconds, 1 foot on 0.07 seconds, 15 fps, 900 fpm. Space the triggers 2” apart and it could easily read 1800 fpm.
So - one sensor, two triggers. On trigger at full retract, one trigger located rearward at a point that would trip the sensor at the shortest forward stroke. Time between the two trigger would be proportional to speed. My tach can read 11,000 RPM with 10 reflectors, equal to 180 pulses per second. Calculating from this, assuming using the same hardware & software.
If the sensor triggers are spaced 1” apart, 1” in 0.006 seconds, 1 foot on 0.07 seconds, 15 fps, 900 fpm. Space the triggers 2” apart and it could easily read 1800 fpm.
As promised.....
Tonight I soldered leads onto a 9V battery holder I intend to use
Looks good!
The trick with most soldering is to apply enough heat to melt the solder and fuse it to the part without melting everything else around it (plastic, wire insulation, etc).
There are many ways to skin a cat but I find that a smaller iron works better for electronics. 20Watts is more than enough but you will find some who say that is too much and some who say it's not enough.
If you want, a better option is a temperature controlled iron. They have lots of heat but never too much!
Plug the iron in (or turn it on) and let it heat up on its own until it will melt a thin solder wire, then let it heat up some more! When you run out of patience, clean the tip off with a sponge or paper and tin the tip so it is covered in solder, then clean it again. The idea is to get a tip that is covered in wet melted solder but not dripping. Wet solder will help the iron tip transfer heat to the work faster.
Avoid the temptation to use the tip to transfer solder to the work. Use the tip to heat the parts. Apply the tip and the solder wire together to the part a tiny bit apart. For example, put the tip on one side of the joint touching both parts and the solder on an adjacent side. That way, the solder will flow as soon as the part heats enough to take it, but well before other stuff in the area gets too hot.
Also, a good rosin core fine wire solder is a blessing. I like 0.6mm but 0.8 works too. You will use it up faster but you will be happier with the results on small parts because it's way easier to control how much solder you get on the joint. Too much no good. But when it does happen, that's when a little de-soldering braid comes in really handy! Suckers suck - which is bout all I can say about em. I put my soldering vacuum away the first time I used braid and I've never touched it again since.
As you probably already found, bigger parts and heavier wire require a bigger iron. For really big parts and big wire, a gun is required and I like to use paste separately with the wire (which can still be rosin core but can be plain solder too and also much thicker wire.
Large joints are actually harder to do because it's easy to get cold joints. A cold joint is when the solder doesn't fuse to the part it just sits on it like a sticky gob of snot. Not good.
I wish I knew more about shapers.......
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So, as you have alluded, the problem with close sensors is resolution. Resolution error arises from many sources - errors in the spacing, errors in the trigger edge from one sensor to the next, the difference between one count and the next, the impact of the clock input, and of course the speed of the processor and program - to name the big ones. You can control some of these, you can calibrate some of these, and some you just have to live with.
One of them is king - that is spacing - the bigger the better.
Does your shaper get driven by an eccentric of some kind to move the ram? If so, you could do the math to translate motor speed into ram speed. It will be mostly sinusoidal. But it should be easy to write a formula for cutting tip speed based on motor speed. Motor speed is more constant and therefore MUCH easier to both measure and calibrate.
If you can trigger the Arduino on any point in the rotation of the eccentric, you can then write a formula and then a program to calculate position and velocity of the Cutter as they are totally dependant on the position of the eccentric and the rotational speed of the drive motor.
Exact positioning of the table to a thou is a whole nuther kettle of sardines. If you can't get a DRO scale in there someplace, could you use a rotary scale on the position adjustment crank? Sorta the same as what I'm trying to do with my rotary table?
If you can trigger the Arduino on any point in the rotation of the eccentric, you can then write a formula and then a program to calculate position and velocity of the Cutter as they are totally dependant on the position of the eccentric and the rotational speed of the drive motor.
Exact positioning of the table to a thou is a whole nuther kettle of sardines. If you can't get a DRO scale in there someplace, could you use a rotary scale on the position adjustment crank? Sorta the same as what I'm trying to do with my rotary table?