Author Topic: A fix for the shakes.  (Read 24802 times)

Offline ddmckee54

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Re: A fix for the shakes.
« Reply #30 on: September 10, 2018, 09:22:04 PM »
I got side-tracked on a couple of other 3D printing projects.  One of the side brackets that hold my desk lamp in position broke when I tried to move the light, the thing's probably over 20 years old by now.  I probably should just pitch it and get a different one, but it's like an old friend now so I keep it around.

I modeled new side brackets, printed them, and now the light's back in business.  They got a little screwed up, the round-over on the ribs got a little ugly.  I'll use them for now, even if they are blue.  I'll redesign them so they'll print better and print them in black so they match the rest of the light.

I also started printing test parts for an RC project that has been on the back burner for some time, an RC Bruder Cat tracked skid-steer loader.  Making parts for my RC projects was one of the reasons that I got a 3D printer in the first place.

I'll get back to this in a couple of days and get a small X-Y-Z table designed that I can then steal for use on the soldering iron project.

Don

Offline ddmckee54

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Re: A fix for the shakes.
« Reply #31 on: September 14, 2018, 07:32:07 PM »
Started work on the X-Y-Z table for the crimper last night.  It took me a while to figure out how I could import a component into a new design and then modify it in the new design without effecting the original component.  I've already got the rack and pinion designed and tested for the soldering iron, no need to re-invent the wheel if I could use that as a starting point.

The plan is to pre-load the terminal in the crimper, set the crimper into a fixed socket, insert the wire into the terminal, and squeeze the crimper handles to finish the crimp.  Then it's just a matter of lather, rinse, and repeat to crimp more terminals.

In my mind's eye I can "see" how I want the table to work.  I need to be able to clamp the wire to the table, some how.  I need to be able to move the wire in the "X" direction to insert the stripped portion in the terminal, less than 25mm.  I need to be able to move the wire in the "Y" and "Z" directions to center it in the terminal, probably a max of 10-15mm in each direction.  My crimper dies have openings for 2 different sizes of terminal, so I need to be able to get to either one with the crimper in one location.  I'm gonna make the wire go to the terminal, not the terminal go to the wire.

Now it's just a matter of making that happen in a printable design.  I figure I'll work my way up through one axis at a time.  Applying the lessons learned from the previous axis to the current one.  I also don't like post-processing the parts, I try to avoid any extra work.  So I print without supports and avoid overhangs like the plague.  That's probably one of the reasons my designs look so square and chunky.  That and the fact that both Designspark and I suck at blending surfaces.  Flat horizontal and flat vertical surfaces seem to print the best, at least for me and my printer.  I also don't use a brim unless it's absolutely needed to ensure print bed adhesion, and I use "elephant's foot compensation"  - shrinks the first layer a preset amount - for minimal part cleanup.  Once I get the design for the crimper out of my head and into the computer, then I can shamelessly steal that design for use with the soldering iron.

Don
« Last Edit: September 14, 2018, 07:36:07 PM by ddmckee54 »

Offline ddmckee54

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Re: A fix for the shakes.
« Reply #32 on: September 18, 2018, 07:43:48 PM »
Got an FYI for you if you use Designspark Mechanical for your 3D software.

I was working on the X-Y-Z table design and I've discovered a method that will turn the Designspark software into a gibbering idiot.  I was trying to come up with my own design for a sacrificial support piece.  When Slicer generates support it's sometimes a little hit-or-miss where it puts that support, so I was trying to add a part that I had designed.  I was trying to extrude a surface from a rather thin part along it's long axis, think cooling fins.  The part was about 0.4mm or 2 filament widths wide and the surface that I was trying to extrude was at a 45° angle to the direction it was being extruded.

Locked that sucker right up, my PC wouldn't even respond to the 3 fingered salute - Control-Alt-Delete for you non-geek types.  I had to power down the computer and start over.  When I started over naturally the file was not recovered - that would be too easy.  So I had to re-do the design from the last point that I saved it, and I'm terrible at remembering to save often. 

I did this exact same thing about 4-5 times before I realized that it was locking up at the same point every time and that I was causing it.  I'm a slow learner sometimes.  I don't know if it was because the part was so thin, or what.  I've extruded angled surfaces on thicker parts before with no problems.

You've been warned,
Don
« Last Edit: September 19, 2018, 03:58:01 PM by ddmckee54 »

Offline ddmckee54

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Re: A fix for the shakes.
« Reply #33 on: September 26, 2018, 03:19:24 PM »
Well, I WAS going to show the progress that I made on designing the X-Y-Z table for the crimper, but is seems that some dummy sent me the wrong PDF file last night.  What I got, the attachment, is a simplified model of just the crimper jaws and the holder that the crimper will sit in.  I didn't model the rest of the crimper because there was really no reason to, so I saved myself some time.

I've got the rough design for the table done.  I used the rack and pinion from the soldering iron as the basis for the table positioning.  It won't be stable enough to use for any truly accurate positioning, but it will be good enough to put a wire in a terminal for crimping.  I still have to come up with a way to clamp onto the wire, but that should be fairly easy.  I did leave a place where I can put that clamp though.

I've got to get this thing built, I've got some cables that I will need to build for another project and this should make it easier to build those cables. 

The plan for using this monstrosity will be as follows:
1 - Pre-load the terminal in the crimper.
2 - Place the crimper in its' holder.
3 - Load the wire in the wire clamp.
4 - Use the X-Y-Z table to position the wire in the terminal.
5 - Crimp the terminal.
6 - Lather, rinse, repeat until done.

It'll make more sense tomorrow when you can actually see the drawing.

Don
« Last Edit: September 26, 2018, 03:23:58 PM by ddmckee54 »

Offline Admiral_dk

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Re: A fix for the shakes.
« Reply #34 on: September 26, 2018, 08:52:44 PM »
I don't know why but I thought that having something holding the fiddly bits while "operating the handle" would be that way to go ...  :thinking:
It never occurred to me that holding the tool instead would be the solution .... except if the tool was foot operated  :noidea:

Offline ddmckee54

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Re: A fix for the shakes.
« Reply #35 on: September 26, 2018, 10:11:48 PM »
Admiral_dk:

I have a tremor in BOTH hands, so I'm trying to hold everything steady without using my hands to do it.  Right now I rest my hands on a steady surface to try and minimize the tremor.  But that only works so-so, especially when you're working with some of the itty-bitty signal wires used now.  That's why soldering is almost impossible.

Taking decent pictures can be an adventure too since I don't have a tripod, camera always seems to move for some reason.  It usually takes me 2-3 tries to get a keeper.

Don

Offline ShopShoe

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Re: A fix for the shakes.
« Reply #36 on: September 27, 2018, 03:34:17 PM »
FWIW,

May not work for your photography, but some YouTubers are using NOGA indicator holders to hold their cameras.

Just a thought,

--ShopShoe

P.S.: Manfrotto (Who make tripods) also make a lot of different brackets, adapters, arms, etc. that one can adapt for all types of camera holding.

Offline Admiral_dk

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Re: A fix for the shakes.
« Reply #37 on: September 27, 2018, 04:51:03 PM »
Quote
I have a tremor in BOTH hands, so I'm trying to hold everything steady without using my hands to do it.

Yes I get it - you got much higher motivation than me (or at least for now). My problems so far is when trying to place 0603 SMT components on a prototype PCB's ….

Best wishes

Per

Offline ddmckee54

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Re: A fix for the shakes.
« Reply #38 on: September 27, 2018, 07:39:56 PM »
OK, this time I've got the right PDF.  I've attached a screen-print of the 3D PDF, and the PDF itself.

If you look at the PDF, ignore the rack and pinion floating off in space.  Apparently when Designspark generates a 3D PDF, it includes EVERY component, even if they are turned off in the structure tree.  I erased the extra at bits out of the screen-print.

I'll probably have to support the connection between the X-axis rack and the Y-axis rack.  Right now they will just be bolted together, even though I don't show the bolts.  I've got a feeling that connection is the weak point that will allow the Y and Z axis to flop around.  Just giving that connection something to slide on should make a big difference.  I'll finish up the design and start printing parts tonight.

Don

Offline Admiral_dk

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Re: A fix for the shakes.
« Reply #39 on: September 27, 2018, 09:17:10 PM »
Thank you for the 3D pdf - that really helped "getting the whole picture", when you can "turn" the model and see it from different angles  :ThumbsUp:

I can't guaranty that this version will be the perfect one - but it certainly makes sense to try it, as it appears to give you a fine control over the wire and the crimper  :ThumbsUp:

One question - will the crimper it self hold the connector part to be crimped onto the wire ? ... I know that some of the do ... and will your design allow you to place it in the crimper too ?

Offline ddmckee54

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Re: A fix for the shakes.
« Reply #40 on: September 27, 2018, 10:26:56 PM »
Per:

The crimper has a ratcheting mechanism on it as the jaws close.  I've found that 3 clicks locks the terminal in position, but isn't crimping it shut yet.  The blue block in the PDF has a pocket that the crimper slips into holding it in location side to side and fore/aft while the wire is being inserted - I hope.

At least it looks like it will work on the model, we'll see about real life.  I may need to modify the blue block to keep the crimper more stable, time will tell.

By changing out the blue block I should be able to use this same set-up with my crimper for the black Dupont connectors.  That's one of the reasons that I've got so much travel in the X-Y-Z directions, to allow for using this with multiple crimpers.  The Dupont crimper has 3 or 4 crimping positions in the jaws for the various terminal sizes due to different pitches of the connectors.

Don
« Last Edit: September 27, 2018, 10:32:32 PM by ddmckee54 »

Offline ddmckee54

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Re: A fix for the shakes.
« Reply #41 on: September 28, 2018, 03:07:53 PM »
I was able to actually USE my soldering iron rig last night.  Not in the manner that I originally intended, but I was able to use it none the less.

I needed to put together a battery adapter cable for an RC project I'm working on and I was thinking about crimping it together with butt splices - EEEEEWWWWW....  Then I saw the soldering iron sitting there in its' holder - Hmmmm....

I used the soldering iron rig, that I've got partially completed, to hold the soldering iron steady.  I clamped the wires in position to solder using an El'Cheapo special 3rd hand clamp.  You know the kind I'm talking about, 2 alligator clips mounted on an adjustable bar.  I then slid the wires to the soldering iron and used my ever-so-steady hands to apply the solder to the heated joint.

10-15 minutes worth of set up/head-scratching time, and a couple of minutes soldering time later and I'm heat shrinking the insulation over the successfully completed solder joints in the battery adapter cable.  I can sorta solder again.

I can see the light at the end of this shaking hands tunnel and it ain't no stinkin' train.

Don

« Last Edit: September 28, 2018, 03:17:45 PM by ddmckee54 »

Offline ddmckee54

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Re: A fix for the shakes.
« Reply #42 on: September 28, 2018, 03:24:32 PM »
Almost forgot, I printed out a couple of parts for the crimping jig last night, the crimper holder and the X-axis rack mounting block.  Family photo is attached.

The crimper fits in its' holder, almost as if the holder was designed for it, imagine that!  I'm going to have to add an additional support somewhere under the handle though, the crimper will NEVER remain steady enough to complete the crimp as things are now.  It's blocked up in the picture by an Exacto knife handle.  I guess I'll have to model at least part of the crimper handles after all.

Don

Offline Admiral_dk

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Re: A fix for the shakes.
« Reply #43 on: September 28, 2018, 08:08:56 PM »
Glad to hear that you had some useful success   :ThumbsUp: that always feels good :cheers:

Offline Mosey

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Re: A fix for the shakes.
« Reply #44 on: September 29, 2018, 01:59:14 PM »
Awhile back reference was made to JST Connectors. It is my understanding this means "Japanese Standard Terminal, and does not specify one particular size of terminal, rather a whole set of them. Am I correct?

 

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