Thread: Alpha Zoot ... new aussie machine on the way!

Hi Alan

I'm no electronics expert but I reckon you could just use a 7812 voltage regulator to drop your voltage down to 12V at up to 1 amp. Plenty of current to drive your fan. Will cost less than $2 at Dick Smiths or Jaycar.

If you can get hold of a current copy of a Dick Smiths catalogue, page 248 will show you how. You won't have a transformer and bridge providing your power source, but you can use your 24V supply straight into the regulator. Put a small heatsink on the regulator

Otherwise, if you know the current draw of the fan you could work out a suitable value for a series dropping resistor.

If you PM me, I'll send you some details.

Alan,

Add a second fan in series with the last and it will draw 24v. Simple and moves more air, plus those fans are easily salvagable from different places. lol.

I've been looking at my enclosures for the past week and thinking about starting but don't want to get ahead of myself. I know i need to fix my current problem. lol. Too many things, too little time. lol.

Daniel

Great idea guys ... I went to our local "Resource Recovery Centre" (read Tip) today and bought another 12v fan for $2.00!

Cheers,

Alan

Hi Alan
Your machine looks great any chance of getting a look at it, I live in Robertson and am very interested in it, I also have an extensive machining workshop if you need a hand with anything. I haven't been on here for long, but I presume you can send a PM, if not you could ring Robertson Pie Shop after 4pm and ask for Will.
Regards
Will

G'day Zoot and co.

Wish I'd found this site a couple of years ago!

Don't know if you got an answer re your LED indicators, so hope the following will help.
It's a question I encounter often from machining or auto type mates.

The 2v is just typical voltage drop across the LED and 20 mA is typical current for reasonable brightness.

So, let's say you have 12v supply, you knock 2V off that that for your LED voltage, leaving 10.
You need 20 mA through your LED, so using Ohm's law, R = E/I (resistance = voltage/current)


so... required resistor is 10/ 0.02 (10V over 0.02 A or 20 mA)
or 500 ohms.

I usually under-rate leds, so call it 560 ohms. You'll stilll see about the same brightness and have a much longer life (the LED's that is, can't speak for yours)

so by the same calcs, if you want to run from 24V, it's 24 - 2 = 22
then 22 /0.02 so 1100 ohms.
Go up to the next preferred value resistor and call it 1k2 (1200 ohms)

Hope my ramblings haven't muddied the waters too much.

edit to add, NEVER reverse the voltage to a LED, they do not tolerate any reverse voltage.
If that situation is likely to arise, use a small signal diode in parallel with the LED, but reversed polarity.

If that doesn't make sense, ping me and I send a sketch.

Cheers,
Lin

Well you guys out west had a nice afternoon tea talking CNC, so not to be outdone, one of our new forum members, wbleeker, came and had a visit this morning in the cool of the Southern Highlands. Will runs the Robertson Pie Shop and any local from around here will tell that their pies are legendary!

The really good thing though is that Will has not always been a pieman, but trained as a fitter and turner and has a workshop to die for (so I have been told). With twistedfuse just down the ditch from us, I don't think it will be too long before we have a Highlands CNC BBQ! It won't be long before I make a return visit to Will's workshop and I just might indulge in a pie whilst I am there!

Cheers,

Alan

Talk about being spoilt - a Highlands gig with catering.

If you don't mind a freeloader from down the Hume Hwy, I'd be interested in any CNC BBQ.

Alan,

good to see our CNC BBQ are well on thier way. As soon as i get a chance to settle it will be good to catch up and enjoy the highlands view.

Daniel

Yes it was good to meet Al and have a good look at his machine and workshop,as well as look at his top class workmanship. Al is the first Australian forum member whose place I have visited, I have visited two of the Home Shop Machinist forum members though, one in NZ and one in England.
Will

Progress of sorts!

What with weekend SES training, assisting at funerals, making 150+ name tags, farm work and the like, it seems ages since I actually did anything really constructive on my machine, but yesterday I completed one of my reduction drives for the X axis. It seems strange to have the r&p engaged as I used to play "pushing the x axis to see how far it ran with such little effort" (a special Highlands game!!)

Anyway I have attached a couple of photos to show what is happening ... I have resisted taking photos from too far away so you can't see my horizontal filing system on every horizontal surface in the workshop. I like to call it a horizontal filing 'system', but 'system' may be a bit of a stretch of the imagination as I can never find anything once it is logged into the system!!!!

It is great to see all the progress on so many other machines. BTW what is the name of the flexible connectors that have 2 thingies and some gunk between them ... is it Lovejoy or something?

Cheers,

Alan

Looks great. Alot nicer than my initial setup. Keep up the good work, i'm sure the excitement is starting to kick in on finishing the machine. Must be great to have the two main axis on R&P. The little widgitmaster worked well. lol.

Anyway, can't wait to see your machine making dust and your horizontal filling system used for better purposes. lol.

Daniel

Looks Great Al, Oldham couplings are what you are talking about, I got some from www.arceurotrade.co.uk but I am sure someone will come up with an Australian supplier
Will

I'll add my "Looks Great" comment.

Peter Homann has helical couplers.

Greg