FILENAMES: wireedm2.jpg wireedm3.jpg wireedm4.jpg wireedm5.jpg wireedm6.jpg wireedm7.jpg wireedm8.jpg wireedm9.jpg wireedm14.jpg DESCRIPTION: These are pictures of a home made wire EDM machine. Posted by James Glass . The following description was provided: ================================================================= Got the home built bench-mounted wire EDM working 2 nights ago? Is this thing neat! A month ago I posted questions about some problems and thanks to some pointers received here, I got it working. I'm using a power supply from Robert Langalois's book, "how to build an EDM". The greatest problem was the wire breaking. Got a Varian (varies AC output) so I could vary the AC voltage in, hence vary the DC out. Originally I used full power (70 volts) but with the Varian 55 Volts does a good burn w/o breaking the wire. The x/y axis is controlled by 24 v DC gearmotors, also home made One of the reducing gears double as an encoder with 50 holes drilled eq space. 1/2-20 threaded rod acts as a feed screw so each drilled hole in the gear is .001" movement. The counts go to a Micrologix PLC which starts/stops/reverses the appropriate motor to make rectangular movement. There are also manual switches for freehand burning. Already made some key chains for buddies. Holes and angles will be next. I'm posting only one PIC because they slow the message board. Other Pics are at metalworking.com, DROPBOX. Even the wife was impressed? Wireedm2.jpg; power supply Wireedm3.jpg; machine Wireedm5.jpg; Wire Burn Wireedm8.jpg; Encoder/gearmotor Thanks for the help, Jim ------------------------------------------ This is my attempt at building a wire EDM. Tried it out just now with a proven power supply but the wire seems to have very little spark. I don’t think the wire is properly electrified. I’m trying to electrify the carbide wire guides thinking that would also electrify the wire. The wire and guides are electrically insulated from the rest of the machine. The cnc controls are homemade using dc powered gear motors and an encoder sending counts to a programmable controller. The controller starts/stops/reverses the x/y axis motors. The down side is only rectangular moves can be made. This will be great to play with if I can get the wire to make a good spark. The x/y axis controls already work very well. Is there a better way to get the wire charged electricaly??? Maybe through a pulley??? Thanks Jim Glass