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  #31  
Old Thu 11 December 2008, 21:35
Leko
Just call me: Leko
 
Kaukapakapa
New Zealand
Right off of a low end panel saw, sweet & simple!
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  #32  
Old Thu 11 December 2008, 22:05
Gerald D
Just call me: Gerald (retired)
 
Cape Town
South Africa
http://industrialbalancer.com/ - that looks about right!
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  #33  
Old Thu 11 December 2008, 22:58
KevinL
Just call me: Kevin
 
Kansas
United States of America
That looks like it contains a "constant force spring" that I referenced in an earlier post. I think this is an excellent solution, but my concern was that the springs I found were only good for 25,000 or 50,000 cycles. That doesn't sound like a lot of cycles if you're doing a lot of 3D work (complex contour). For stepping to various depths and holding there, it's probably more than enough duty cycles.
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  #34  
Old Sat 13 December 2008, 06:51
smreish
Just call me: Sean - #5, 28, 58 and others
 
Orlando, Florida
United States of America
Kevin,
The balancer I purchased doesn't dictate the cycle use...But, they are cheap enough. Around 50 dollars direct from the manufacturer. The McMaster Carr version is about 85-100 dollars.

And yes, I confirmed the idea when Leko and I were walking past the Panel Saw in our shop last week.
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  #35  
Old Thu 18 December 2008, 03:51
sprayhead
Just call me: Francis
 
sydney
Australia
another idea.

The Pullman Industrial Balancer is a very interesting thing indeed! It's compact. If it can withstand lots of cycles it might be a great solution.

Here is another idea for a counter balancing method... might be fiddly but just an idea...

Have you guys seen the typical "roller garage door" mechanism?

As the Garage door rolls up and becomes a big wide coil, to help this event, there is a counter-balancing spring that sits on a shaft with 2 pulleys in each end with steel cables attached to them and to the bottom ends of the Roller Door.

As the roller Door goes towards the floor (to close) the spring gets tighten and counter balances the weight of the Door.

I don't know what the name of that type of spring is... it's physical shape is helical and the action done to it is a rotational movement. The spring is vested in the shaft, 1 end is fixed stationary and the other end is fixed to the rotational shaft.

THE END.
-------------

There is always room for confusion in explaining a mechanism with words... But I think most guys have seen a Roller Door.

Francis

Last edited by sprayhead; Thu 18 December 2008 at 04:16..
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  #36  
Old Thu 18 December 2008, 04:43
Gerald D
Just call me: Gerald (retired)
 
Cape Town
South Africa
Francis, see the last sentence & link in post #28 above - that's where I tried to mention the garage door type spring/cable/pulley system.
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  #37  
Old Mon 08 June 2009, 19:38
smreish
Just call me: Sean - #5, 28, 58 and others
 
Orlando, Florida
United States of America
Quick update.
That spring balancer is doing just fine. 60 days of work, and not a hiccup.
...though, I think it could use a squirt of oil!
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  #38  
Old Tue 09 June 2009, 07:28
domino11
Just call me: Heath
 
Cornwall, Ontario
Canada
Sean,
Maybe you could post some pics of the new balancer on your build thread to update it?
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  #39  
Old Thu 11 June 2009, 06:52
smreish
Just call me: Sean - #5, 28, 58 and others
 
Orlando, Florida
United States of America
Ask and you shall see.
Here ya go.
Sean
mm_balance1.jpg

mm_balance2.jpg
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  #40  
Old Thu 11 June 2009, 08:17
domino11
Just call me: Heath
 
Cornwall, Ontario
Canada
Thanks Sean,
That balancer looks very interesting. Keep us updated as your usage of it increases, and if you have any problems.
I was just wondering on your opinion of how this was working for you compared to the gas spring solution.
If you could use the balancer or a gas spring for a particular application, which one would you choose now that you have used both?

Last edited by domino11; Thu 11 June 2009 at 08:31..
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  #41  
Old Thu 11 June 2009, 10:01
smreish
Just call me: Sean - #5, 28, 58 and others
 
Orlando, Florida
United States of America
Just depends.
The Spring balancer works very well and you can really tune the coil spring to match your load. Down side is it takes up a good deal of room and kills the area in the car for the dust collection. But you can make it work for dustcollection by putting in some elbows or flexpipe to go around the balancer.

Gas strut is just simple - really cheap and elegant.

Gas strut is the way to go unless you need some really long extension stroke.

Gas strut - 20 dollars
spring balancer - 80 dollars.
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  #42  
Old Tue 29 September 2009, 19:40
MAC2009
Just call me: MAC
 
West ST Paul, MN
United States of America
gass spring??

Don't these things tend to push or to push down the spindle, not a lifting motion???
MAC
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  #43  
Old Tue 29 September 2009, 20:41
Gerald D
Just call me: Gerald (retired)
 
Cape Town
South Africa
The gas spring naturally wants to extend/lengthen itself. The top of the spring is connected to the z-axis/spindle. The bottom of the spring is anchored/static.
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  #44  
Old Tue 29 September 2009, 21:40
MAC2009
Just call me: MAC
 
West ST Paul, MN
United States of America
gass spring??

YES YES I was looking right it and it didn't sink in the brain fast enough!!

thank you

Mac
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  #45  
Old Fri 12 February 2010, 09:25
jkountz
Just call me: Jim
 
Augusta
United States of America
Would this not work??

http://www.mcmaster.com/#9432k64/=5sbzb1
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  #46  
Old Fri 12 February 2010, 12:01
Gerald D
Just call me: Gerald (retired)
 
Cape Town
South Africa
That is far too short for the z-axis.
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  #47  
Old Tue 15 June 2010, 05:01
AuS MaDDoG
Just call me: Tony #71
 
Brisbane
Australia
Hi Guys,

I have weighed my Spindle and ally spindle mount which weighed in at
4.737Kg's. I then weighed the machined tool steel spider slide plate with 50x25x3 RHS, rack & Gas strut bracket as well as 4 x bolts, 2 being for the Z stops and 2 for the bracket, weighing 4.668Kg's giving a total of 9.405Kg's.

What I could not weigh was the quick release Steel mounting plate if we use it, as I do not have it yet.
We will also be adding a little more weight with regards to the spindle wiring + spindle cooling + Z axis E-Chain and dust collection, I'm wondering if I should round it up too say 12 Kg's and would this be enough or too much? Would it be too much to also allow for upgrade further down the track for a larger spindle ? or would that exert to much force back onto the motor ? I'm also trying to get my head around what length the gas strut needs to be, to provide maximum travel up and down to suit the 250mm Z axis or is it just a case of measuring the the max and min travel between the tabs?

Any help appreciated!!
Cheers
Tony.
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  #48  
Old Tue 15 June 2010, 05:58
rotorzoomer
Just call me: Account - DISABLED
 
Account - DISABLED
Australia
Struts

I will be designing for a 250mm Z-Axis and therefore will be requesting a 250mm Stroke gas strut rated at 15kgs to be on the safe side as per the MM plans. The gassing of these struts to my knowledge is not an exact science so anything in and around 15kgs of force will do.

The issue i am finding is good old Australia is not making these things cheap and it seems that it will cost me around $ 40.00 for one unless someone can give me a heads up on a cheaper alternative.
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  #49  
Old Sat 25 September 2010, 01:19
fabrun
Just call me: fabrice
 
france
France
no gas-spring needed with something like this
Attached Images
File Type: jpg COUNTERWEIGHT.jpg (63.6 KB, 568 views)
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  #50  
Old Sat 25 September 2010, 02:49
KenC
Just call me: Ken
 
Klang
Malaysia
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  #51  
Old Sat 25 September 2010, 11:14
Kobus_Joubert
Just call me: Kobus #6
 
Riversdale Western Cape
South Africa
Send a message via Yahoo to Kobus_Joubert Send a message via Skype™ to Kobus_Joubert
Could be used to soften a piece of tough steak
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  #52  
Old Sat 25 September 2010, 13:48
sailfl
Just call me: Nils #12
 
Winter Park, FL
United States of America
How much more expensive is that???????
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  #53  
Old Sun 26 September 2010, 11:31
PEU
Just call me: Pablo
 
Buenos Aires
Argentina
poor roller bearings
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  #54  
Old Sun 26 September 2010, 20:58
KenC
Just call me: Ken
 
Klang
Malaysia
CNC Oil Rig!
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  #55  
Old Sun 30 August 2015, 04:31
AuS MaDDoG
Just call me: Tony #71
 
Brisbane
Australia
Hi All,

Just for the record, very little MM use over the last 5-6 years but my gas strut failed just the other day by leaking some oil out onto the job I was cutting. Once the file had run and I parked the machine and turned off the power the spindle slowly dropped to the table.
Not a bad lifespan me thinks :-) off to get a new one in the morning.

Cheers
Tony
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