Thread: Pyrography machine home built

Hi all,

I have added another 2 terminal sockets to the front panel of the power supply for the heavier gauge wires , this has helped and now the machine works to all my needs.

I will take the time to wish you all,

A MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR


Cheers,

Jeff
vk4

Originally Posted by vk4

Hi all,

I have added another 2 terminal sockets to the front panel of the power supply for the heavier gauge wires , this has helped and now the machine works to all my needs.

I will take the time to wish you all,

A MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR


Cheers,

Jeff
vk4

Are these just 2 more coming off the first set?
Or do you have something else in there to up the power for the heavier guage.
Better take some pictures so I'll know what to do with mine.
Peter

Fly,

I just bypassed the big green resistor and took the power feed from the controllers' out put terminals.

I will post a pic or two shortly.

Jeff
vk4

Originally Posted by vk4

Fly,

I just bypassed the big green resistor and took the power feed from the controllers' out put terminals.

I will post a pic or two shortly.

Jeff
vk4

I thought thats what you may have done.
No use just running a second set of lines with same voltage.
How often have you turned it up for the resistor side and forgot there is a pen in the direct line?

I'm making mine right now.

OK, Machine made and it turns on.
No shorts or blown fuses.

Getting 11.5 to 11.8 volts.

Now to make tips for it. There was a guy selling the wire on ebay and he basically lives directly behind me and a few doors up.
so I got 2 different thicknesses.
No I need to read how to make my own, If it works I'll get some Nichrome wire direct from a company in Bendigo...

Thanks for the Info jeff.
This will be fun....

Results:
OK Made a plain nib (1mm wire) and put it in.
It didn't get hot enough to burn paper.
Might need to try the .8mm wire and then bypass the resistor?
Or cut the wire down from 86mm long to something shorter.

Update time:

Ok put the controller and Resistor in one of those plastic kit boxes.
I also cut the nichrome wire down by 1cm to about 75mm.
You guessed it the resistor got so hot it melted it all.
Now I know why Jeff used the second fan...

So I thought, OK if jeff can bypass the resistor so can I while I wait for it to cool.

Now the 1mm wire gets just right temp wise on the lowest setting on the controller with resistor bypassed (maybe should have left the extra length).

I'll also put in the 2 sets of connectors.
I found an old cpu heatsink thats quite large so I'll put the resistor onto that if I can work out a way to mount it.

I used old MB stand offs for the controller, may use then on the heatsink/resistor as well.

Fly,

!mm wire is awfully thick, I use .5mm, and the tips are generally less than 3cm, total length,

There is a seller on e-bay selling 8 piece packs, of lighter wires, it might be an idea to get 1 of his packs.
Wires I use are 20,21.22.24 Gauge, I also got a small roll of ultra thin wire from Jaycar and you will need the resistor in line to use it.

Did you keep the power supply fan on the machine ,???

Cheers,

jeff
vk4

Originally Posted by vk4

There is a seller on e-bay selling 8 piece packs, of lighter wires, it might be an idea to get 1 of his packs.
Wires I use are 20,21.22.24 Gauge, I also got a small roll of ultra thin wire from Jaycar and you will need the resistor in line to use it.

Hi Jeff

The guy on ebay is the one I got the wire from. 10 sticks, he's lives just over my back fence.

I got those just to see if the machine would work for me,
Now I can get a few rolls of 100gms from these guys in Ballarat
Wiltronics - Catalogue

I left the PS as is, I'm going to screw a second EMPTY PS case to it for the controller and the resistor, with a second Fan in that Box.
I mounted the resistor to a cpu heatsink with some 3mm aluminium between then so I could mount to inside of second PS case.

I'll need to make another pen as well.

Of to jaycar for banana plugs and posts.
Pete

Pete ,

Excellent, I have my unit all with in the original PS box, 1 fan pushes air in , & the other pulls it out,
I am thinking of mounting an led work light to the unit as well, could be interesting, there is enough power to carry the small extra load.

Cheers,

Jeff
vk4

Originally Posted by vk4

Pete ,

Excellent, I have my unit all with in the original PS box, 1 fan pushes air in , & the other pulls it out,
I am thinking of mounting an led work light to the unit as well, could be interesting, there is enough power to carry the small extra load.

Cheers,

Jeff
vk4

OK,
I went with speaker connectors for the pen. 2 bucks for a banana plug and another 3 bucks for a post. and I wanted 4 sets!!!

These were 2 bucks each.

The top switch and set of connecters by-pass the resistor and the bottom switch and connecters go thru the resistor.
These set won't fire my pen up high enough, so been using the bypass at a low setting.
I put the switches in so if I leave a fine pen in one side and turn up for the second pen I won't fry it.

I also made the pen, just screwed a connector block to the end of the pen that I drilled down the length. Need to make another so I can have 2.
Under the big heatsink that is connected to some 3mm aluminium is the resistor.
The fan sucks directly across it.

The picture also has my first attempt to see how it all goes.
I'm no picture person, can't draw for peanuts or cash. Thought shells would be easy enough to do.

So there ya go, Now to make a few other tips and then find something to try and do.

Pete

Right after taking the pictures and posting I thought I'd add one more shell to the strip.
Turned on machine and was just about to start and it turned itself off?

turned it all off and waited a tick and it turned back on.
was just about to start again and it turned itself off again?

Any idea's?
It worked for about 40 minutes before with no trouble and it does turn back on, but only stays there for about 5 seconds?
mmm.

check where you earthed out the GREEN WIRE, sounds like it has come adrift??

I have removed all the unused wires from the power supply , this reduces the number of LIVE wires floating around.

Jeff

The PSU is totally standard.

All I did was move the fan outside and then short the connection plug so the switch on the PSU would turn it on.

I was going to go internal but there would not have been enough room, thats why the rest went into the other case and I left the fan external on the PSU.

I shouldn't need to earth the second case as its only using the 12 volt rail.

mmm, I will check the earth internet to the PSU,

Might try a 7amp CB radio supply I have somewhere or another PSU

Looking good Jeff, well done.
Sandy

Fly,

you need to earth the second case to the first , however i was referring to the green switch wire only.