Recent content by Ryoko

I don't know the old pump's specs. It was extremely noisy. The unloading valve is built into the pressure switch. I already have a radiator on the pump outlet which works quite well.

I think you're right. I looked up the specs again on the motor and it says 230v @ 15A and claims to be 5HP. The power specs work out to 4.6HP. So they rounded up. But that also assumed 100% efficiency. Since this is an induction motor, I'm guessing the actual HP is around 80% of the ideal figure...

I replaced the pump on my air compressor with a Harbor Freight unit. The new pump says it requires 1050RPM and 5HP to drive it. The compressor has a 5HP motor which is supposed to be rated for continuous duty according to its spec plate. But it's unable to drive the new pump for more than a few...

I need to anneal 5052 aluminum for a home project. Google has given me mixed results on how to do this. Short version is that I'm doing some heavy forming on a piece of 5052-H32 and I'm running into issues with it work hardening. I've tried the Sharpie trick with a propane torch. But I'm not...

I tried something similar to that. The device held the strip in place while interchangeable rollers "massaged" it into shape. It almost worked. But it was prone to twisting the work piece..

The problem is each needed piece is 80" long. That's a pretty big press brake. I made a test brake that could do 12" test strips and it mostly worked. The problem it had was that the material wanted to shift producing uneven flange height from one end to the other. But I agree, a press brake...

Not an issue. This is for a very small run (less than 100 feet). Scuffs are not a problem as long as the aluminum isn't gouged. There's a bunch of additional forming to be done after the u-channel is made.

Actually, the paper wasn't entirely clear. It suggested that the first 3 stations increase the diameter of the driven roller by 0.050" each for working with thinner materials. Latter stations would use smaller increments under the assumption enough form would be present to resist column...

A paper I read says that each successive roll station in a roll forming line runs at a slightly higher speed than the previous station to prevent buckling. In order for each successive stage to run slightly faster, either the drive speed would need to increase or the rollers would need to be...

In theory, that's true. But it's a Chinese mini lathe which is not known for precision. Plus the rollers need to be carefully dimensioned so the male and female dies fit together well, otherwise bad things happen. If it had a DRO, it would be more feasible. I've made a some test rollers in the...

I believe I have the rollers worked out. But finding a CNC service to make them is proving to be difficult. Services in the US are extremely expensive. And the Chinese shops are getting priced out because of the steep tariffs. Is there a solution here? The rollers are 2" diameter and about 2"...

The first link was very helpful. It looks like I'm on the right track. It appears I can increase the bend amount to reduce the numbers of rollers needed ... maybe.

I have bent samples that tight using a die in a press brake without issue. But it's an easy change. IIRC, the recommended minimum bend radius for 0.040" 5052-H32 is 1t, so it should be good.

Quick and dirty drawing. Dimensions are for the outside. The aluminum is 0.040" thick.

I would really like to get it right or at least near right the first try. This project is getting expensive.