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screen printing => Equipment => DIY - From master engineered marvels to cobbled together jury-rigged or Jerry-built junk! => Topic started by: mimosatexas on December 05, 2013, 10:54:07 AM
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I want to add a 90 degree auto rotation back and forth to my flash dryer and was wondering if anyone has made their own, or if anyone had any ideas on what components could be used. I have a foot pedal switch, which would be the easiest I think for turning it on and off, but I am at a loss as to the turning mechanism.
Any ideas?
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Every one I have seen has always been woefully underpowered and eventually ends up breaking.
Large mass to swing over a wide area and a small space to fit a motor.
If you have the juice for it, quartz is actually simpler.
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I know Mimo likes to build things but this is probably in the "not worth it unless you have an incredible amount of spare time and are will to experience early failure" category. That said the Hopkins models were some of the best out there. Optional foot pedal/motion detector, air flow options, time, and dwell time adjustments. I'd snap up a used one any day.
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I guess your search should start with "heavy duty stepper motors"
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I'm not adverse to failure, as long as it is cheap :D
There was a fully functional hopkins 20x20 auto for sale recently for $100 and the dude simply stopped responding to me as I was trying to nail down when and where to meet to buy it. Frustrating...
I'll look into the stepper motors.
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Out of curiosity, if I was going to buy new/used what brand/model would y'all recommend? Anyone happen to be selling one? :D
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This link is to workhorse build parts list.. So that you have an idea of what you may need.
http://support.workhorseproducts.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=5_8_30&zenid=2a79e3e4d4507b8986ee65113f6f69eb
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I had a Hopkins with the forced air. The tiny motor eventually quit. Then the leads to the panel started shorting.
That thing was a death trap. A very very hot death trap.
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I agree with Tony, I like to build stuff too and I'm a cheap azz, but some things are best bought already built and up to code from a reputable company, hate to see you burn your shop down, not that you will, but if it did happen your insurance company can't wrinkle out they claim.
Darryl
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I actually built my own flash using a custom built 18x24 IF panel from intek that works on 120V. They were really helpful with the build and it works really well. The panel and components were just over 300, and with sheetmetal and stand it came out to about $400 total for a huge flash with custom electrical requirements. The auto rotation shouldn't make the flash any more dangerous. If anything it will prevent danger by keeping the flash from sitting over the platen. I'm thinking there is probably a pretty easy way to do this, far simpler than the schematics linked above. I don't need anything fancy, just back and forth or a 90 degree turn.
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Give Roger Jennings a call..he was working on that a couple years ago..maybe he finished it?
Cant hurt to ask
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A DC gear motor with a clevis arm, two limit switches, power supply for the motor preferably adjustable to set the motor speed, tie rod to connect the clevis to the flash, adjustable timing relay, a latching relay and some creative engineering. Or make it chain drive and replace the clevis arm and tie rod with something like Morse #20 or #30 double roller chain and sprockets.
We had two M&R Acomas that worked nice, currently running two Vastex. One with the auto rotate modified so when you rotate the carousel it automatically rotates over the pallet (not using the foot pedal), the other has a long handle on it to swing it over the pallet.
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haha your comment about the long handle got me thinking. I could probably do something with some kind of line and pull system, and just pull one way or the other when I want to move the flash, and have build it stops for each position. would probably cost like 10 dollars. Of course it would probably look insane...:D
I was thinking some kind of reversible gear motor with a chain would be the simplest. I know some cheap rotisserie motors switch direction with every power cycle and have relatively high torque. Great ideas so far!
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Give Roger Jennings a call..he was working on that a couple years ago..maybe he finished it?
Cant hurt to ask
Make the call when you have a lot of free time...
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i replaced the bearings in our Acoma a while back - got it back together and i didnt notice that one of the reed switches wasnt set where it should be... stepped on the pedal and the flash started going around in circles without stopping.
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A DC gear motor with a clevis arm, two limit switches, power supply for the motor preferably adjustable to set the motor speed, tie rod to connect the clevis to the flash, adjustable timing relay, a latching relay and some creative engineering. Or make it chain drive and replace the clevis arm and tie rod with something like Morse #20 or #30 double roller chain and sprockets.
We had two M&R Acomas that worked nice, currently running two Vastex. One with the auto rotate modified so when you rotate the carousel it automatically rotates over the pallet (not using the foot pedal), the other has a long handle on it to swing it over the pallet.
That's basically how my Antec is. Hopefully I'll never have to take it apart again, but if I do, I will take pictures.
Mine works with an off set circle that hits the switch. When the switch is hit it turns on a timer, then after the timer is done it continues on until the switch is not pressed any longer. That is how it knows where to park itself. It's also the way to make it one directional as it just keeps rotating and the shaft is connected to that off set disc as well... so it works like a crank shaft and piston rod essentially.
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A DC gear motor with a clevis arm, two limit switches, power supply for the motor preferably adjustable to set the motor speed, tie rod to connect the clevis to the flash, adjustable timing relay, a latching relay and some creative engineering. Or make it chain drive and replace the clevis arm and tie rod with something like Morse #20 or #30 double roller chain and sprockets.
We had two M&R Acomas that worked nice, currently running two Vastex. One with the auto rotate modified so when you rotate the carousel it automatically rotates over the pallet (not using the foot pedal), the other has a long handle on it to swing it over the pallet.
Thanks for the great post Bink. I was just going to mention a stepper motor is way more money, the control electronics are way WAY more money, and a DC motor, two limit switches, and circuitry to support it is within the reach of all but the least experienced electronics hobbyists.
Before I scored an AL-53 I was going to make a shutter for a DIY exposure unit the same way, but with a lead screw.
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Yea the motor/limit switches idea is probably the way I will end up going. I'll have to look into it a bit more, but being a one man operation, having an auto flash is pretty much crucial for efficiency right now, especially when setting up jobs. Having to monitor the flash so much right now and actually physically move it on occasion is slowing me down more than it should...
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If you have air, a sliding flash ala the OmniFlash is a lot easier to cobble together, and likely much more robust.
One valve controlling an air cylinder.
But seriously, quartz is so much simpler if you have the juice.
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think a little bit out of the box in as much as the flash does not have to swing away as much as it needs to move away OR BACK away.
A quality pair of full extension cabinet slides would allow you to move the flash in a linear motion fore and aft movement.
here is a real low cost example of a full extension slide rated for 100LBS cantilevered load.
http://www.wwhardware.com/kv-tt100-economy-100-lb-full-extension-drawer-slide-kvtt100 (http://www.wwhardware.com/kv-tt100-economy-100-lb-full-extension-drawer-slide-kvtt100)
The motive force to move this forward and back would be very very little as the slides work quite effortless even under heavy load.
How you would actually motivate the unit has endless possibilities ...... a trained monkey could work for just bananas.
Rube Mooseberg ::)
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I do like the idea of the slide. I'm pretty close to figuring out the end result. I'll be sure to document and post when I have it completed. I should be able to build it over the Christmas break.
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haha your comment about the long handle got me thinking. I could probably do something with some kind of line and pull system, and just pull one way or the other when I want to move the flash, and have build it stops for each position. would probably cost like 10 dollars. Of course it would probably look insane...:D
I was thinking some kind of reversible gear motor with a chain would be the simplest. I know some cheap rotisserie motors switch direction with every power cycle and have relatively high torque. Great ideas so far!
I can see this now. One string tied to left belt loop and another to the right belt loop. Hey, you could even get your exercise while printing, lol.
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I have a black body flash and i think they sell that extension arm so you can manually swing flash from your printing station. I think they sell an auto box too....i totally forgot about all of those options..i may look into it...maybe an end of year Christmas gift to myself.
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here is another homemade flash auto rotater idea from RubeMooseberg....
never built this as I can easily reach the flash from my print station which is smack between the flash and dryer...hotter than hell but we been working it this way for years now ::).
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Moose, just fire off both cylinders with one foot pedal... No matter which position just smash the button.
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here is another homemade flash auto rotater idea from RubeMooseberg....
never built this as I can easily reach the flash from my print station which is smack between the flash and dryer...hotter than hell but we been working it this way for years now ::).
Interesting concept but I don't think that would work well, or long.....
Looks like the pistons would activate to (rapidly) push each direction so you would have a clunk when they hit (annoying at best) and eventually incomplete pushes leaving flash hanging mid-stream or from the constant banging, eventual failure of one of the pistons or the bracket.
imo.
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Moose, just fire off both cylinders with one foot pedal... No matter which position just smash the button.
BRILLIANT........I seem to always to cut two holes in the door one for the big dog and one for the little dag only to find the little dog uses the big dog door :o
rube.....
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or..... use one cylinder. Extended to flash, retracted to idle position.
You'd need swivel mounts on the both ends of the cylinder to allow it operate in an arc fashion.