parts for an old time genny.

[Kermit]

Dear Diary,
I don't like it.

It's Too Round!

There that's better.


Test fit the rotor shell.

Well, what do you know, it fits! ;D

 

[Kermit]

 

[Kermit]

Finished. Ready for service. Now if only the workshop was clean and ready to go...

I'm gonna clean up and tear down my rig and put the 4 jaw back up with the slitting saw centered up in it. Ready to go at it tomorrow.


What was I building again?
Kermit

 

[RobWilson]

Looking good Kermit Thm: very interesting post

Regards Rob

 

[Kermit]

up and down. up and down. Manual Lathe attachment? Wrist torture for an old man is more like it.

About half way done with the rotor shaping. I made some pretty ugly cuts in the practice piece while I learned to use the dividing jig I made. It isn't user friendly, but once I got used to using the jig, it seems to be quite accurate.

Here is the progress for today.

Kermit

 

[Kermit]

Any suggestions of a good treatment for sore muscles?

My forearm is screaming in pain with every move of my hand or fingers. It is all due to twisting the travel screw knob on that lathe milling attachment all day long yesterday.

Better yet would be a cure for the smoothness of travel on the attachment while keeping it tight enough to stop the twisting movement while in use.

To sore to start,
Kermit

 

[mklotz]

My forearm is screaming in pain with every move of my hand or fingers. It is all due to twisting the travel screw knob on that lathe milling attachment all day long yesterday.

Better yet would be a cure for the smoothness of travel on the attachment while keeping it tight enough to stop the twisting movement while in use.

It looks to me like you're using a Palmgren milling attachment. I have one of those and used it extensively before I bought a mill.

I made two improvements to it that made it much less onerous to use.

The knob used to effect the up/down movement is way too small in diameter. I fitted it with an aluminum ring approximately 2+ inches in diameter. This reduces the force you need to apply with your hand. Also, to this ring I added a speeder handle so I could rotate it quickly when making larger height adjustments.

[Aside: Even better than a speeder handle would be to fit it with an interface to a handheld, battery-powered electric screwdriver. I did that to the longitudinal axis on my Unimat and it works wonderfully.]

I replaced the gib screws with three shop made thumb screws so I could conveniently reduce the pressure on the gib when moving the slide.

A lathe milling attachment will always be a compromise but, with the suggested improvements it will be easier to use.

IMO, milling attachments are responsible for more milling machine sales than any other inducement.

 

[Kermit]

IMO, milling attachments are responsible for more milling machine sales than any other inducement.

:big:

Thank you Marv, I have no doubt you're right on this one!

I too, had looked at that knob and wished for a small hex rod extension on top of it, so I could chuck it up in my battery powered Ryobi Drill. The simpler, larger round wheel idea, never even occured to me.

Wishing for my RF45 mill even harder now,
Kermit

 

[Kermit]

Something almost as good as the mill arrived.

My Son! A fresh wrist to sacrifice to the twisting gods... :-\

:big: He can take it!

I did the one handed wrestling job with the jig and lined things up; he assisted by cranking the vise up and down. (It was new enough to him that he actually enjoyed it) Shhhhh...

Here is the pictorial synopsis

Time for some Sweet Iced Tea 8)
Kermit

 

[bearcar1]

AHA! *FINALLY* the light bulb in my head lit up :noidea: ;D I was trying to figure out where you were going during the later portion of this thread and NOW I understand!! Gees Louise, I was going nuts. The KISS : method is a true winner, your armature looks great, well done!!


BC1
Jim

 

[Kermit]

Well, I thought it was obvious where I was.

Lost in the underbrush but close enough to smell the hamburgers cooking. So I hack away at the overgrowth and create my own path to the picnic...

Clear as Mud ever was,
Kermit

 

[Krown Kustoms]

The indexing jig is priceless, I have already came up with a few things I could use it for, One of my million hobbies is high power rocketry, I use something similar to allign fins.
I have built a few generators but I have a feeling this one will be a lot nicer than any of mine.
-B-

 

[steamer]

OK....now I get it...

Glad it worked out for you Kermit.

Dave

 

[Kermit]

Thanks for following along with me. Or trying too! I didn't know everyone, but me, had gotten lost on my "jig" excursion.

At this point I'm sorely tempted to keep working on this rotor, First would be to pack it with iron fillings, magnetic sand. Then seal and close it. The shaft has to be inserted before the insides are filled.

However I need to use the shaft to set the alignment of the axle supports and bearing housings. Putting it all together with the iron inside would make it a true pain in the rear around those strong magnets. So I'll set up the stuff that hold the rotor shaft before I finish it.

I am going to be getting the copper wire for it soon, and I'm still working out the winding scheme. The 30AWG magnet wire I said I had turns out to be 38AWG. Big difference! I may go with 28 gauge wire. The gauge and length of the wire determine voltage. Field strength determines voltage, and RPM's determine voltage. So everything in the generator has a noticeable effect on the voltage developed.

I want to be able to charge a 12V battery with this little jewel, so I'll have lots of wire loops in parallel to increase current, but I'll still need to keep the wire small enough to have enough serial length to get up to 12V. It will be interesting to see how close I can get to 12V on my first try. ;D That's right! To do this properly I'll need to be prepared to tear it all out and do it over with either smaller wire or with more windings in parallel.

Thanks again to everyone who has helped along way. Next stop will be two stanchions of some sort, for support of the center shaft. Two bearings will used. Roller pin type. Since I've got two of those. ;D


Kermit

Kermit

 

[Kermit]

Found a 2 foot length of 2024. 1 1/4 by 2. I cut off two 4inch long pieces and brought them with me to work.

I guess you know what comes next. ;D Two main bearing supports. I like to call them stanchions. I decided to add a little angle to the faces for artistic reasons. The two rectangles standing there like those black monoliths in that movie2001. Way to overpowering next to the shorter generator frame.


Kermit

View attachment Genny_Main Bearing supports.pdf

 

[Kermit]

Hot off the presses - so to speak.

Raw material.

The resulting part after its date with the mill...

With some other parts for scale...

The bearing will be a press fit. Mostly because it doesn't go in by hand! ;D



I don't have any pics of the processes on the big old Bridgeports at work. Sorry. It is kind of hard to explain a camera in the machine shop of a defense contractor at my current paygrade. I don't want the hassle or the attracted attention to my use of shop time.

enuff said.

Kermit

 

[CrewCab]

The bearing will be a press fit. Mostly because it doesn't go in by hand! ;D

The above quote ;D ........... plus the bit about the job / camera / pay grade etc really made my day Kermit, I did laugh out loud ........... thanks .......... ;D

Frivolity aside for the moment, good thread, very enjoyable, particularly impressed with the indexing of the rotor ....... that's a first class job :bow: it is nice to get a little payback from the kids now and again though ain't it 8)

CC

 

[Krown Kustoms]

I would love to find a piece of raw that size- well any size.
I have steel like that but I have trouble picking it up, and no way of cutting it.
Looking good I like the supports.
-B-

 

[Kermit]

Have to come up with a dimensioned dwg., but first I need an idea of what I'm building should look like.

I've come up with a few and would welcome suggestions from other members on artistic aspects, or anything else you see fit to impart...

Here is a close up from my quick sketch showing the brushes and brush support

The whole generator as I currently have it envisioned is in the uploaded .pdf I think the brush holders will end up being my waterloo! ,
Kermit

View attachment Genny_prototype 1.pdf

 

[Krown Kustoms]

If I see it correctly your commutator is three solid rings around the shaft, you will have to insulate the wires going to the outer 2 rings somehow under the others since they are coming from the center (armature).

A split ring comm and brushes in a 60 degree seperation might be simpler.

Still I am not sure I am looking at the drawing correctly (forgive me if I am way off), and there may be a easy way to wire up the way you show.
I hope I have helped at least a little bit
-B-