The start of my plate and pipe beveling machines

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I picked up the beginning of my plate and pipe beveling machines yesterday.Victor rebuilt machine torch, rebuilt Harris/Radnor regulators, 1/4" x 25' R hose and quick disconnects from reg to hose and hose to torch.TOO MANY TOOLS & NO MORE SPACE
Reply:My concept for the plate beveling machine is going to be a mini gantry that utilizes two end plates and guide rails. A piece of 3/8" threaded rod will run between the rails and will have a handwheel or small motor to move the torch. The end plates were salvaged from a motor belt tensioning fixture. There is some 1/2" or 3/8" plate in my scrap pile that is going to form the base and two pieces of angle will attach the end plates to the base.I found some heavy rod ends that have a 3/4"-16 threaded hole and a 3/4" through hole. They will slide on 3/4" solid bar to make the moving part of the gantry. The little one is for the 3/8" threaded rod.Some other useful looking parts were thrown in. Might use them for the torch pivot or something.I'm still debating making the unit bench top or put it on a stand with a sheet metal enclosure to catch the slag and sparks. If it ends up a bench top model, I got some cool spacers and flanges that will make the feet.TOO MANY TOOLS & NO MORE SPACE
Reply:The pipe beveling machine is another project. It is based off a 14" 3-jaw lathe chuck and will be mounted on two pillow blocks. I picked up a stainless arm that will hold the torch over the pipe.TOO MANY TOOLS & NO MORE SPACE
Reply:What will power the pipe beveler ?  The ones I have used use a belt drive with a small variable speed motor, some thing like a sewing machine motor with a rheostat  will work, as for the cutting table I have seen some with angle iron frames and the surface was just some thin sheet metal strips sled into slots that were replaceable .Last edited by gxbxc; 09-23-2014 at 01:00 PM.
Reply:Originally Posted by gxbxcWhat will power the pipe beveler ?  The ones I have used use a belt drive with a small variable speed motor, some thing like a sewing machine motor with a rheostat  will work, as for the cutting table I have seen some with angle iron frames and the surface was just some thin sheet metal strips sled into slots that were replaceable .
Reply:Nice,  I cannot wait to see how it turns out.
Reply:I'm in. Looks like a cool project. I may try to borrow your design too. Teach Ag Mech - Mike At Home:Lincoln Electric AC225Miller Challenger 172Gas AxeWork:eclectic bunch of 90's vintage blue boxes
Reply:Originally Posted by hillbros_96Nice,  I cannot wait to see how it turns out.
Reply:You might consider a few lengths of drawn tubing to glide over the cold rolled round bar. The increased surface area will cut down on the chatter a little and as long as there's enough clearance you won't need grease or anything. You could always try some graphite or Teflon dry lube too. You can also try different threads for the drive rod to change the speed.For example 9/16-12 would be 25% faster than 3/8-16Teach Ag Mech - Mike At Home:Lincoln Electric AC225Miller Challenger 172Gas AxeWork:eclectic bunch of 90's vintage blue boxes
Reply:Originally Posted by teachagmechYou might consider a few lengths of drawn tubing to glide over the cold rolled round bar. The increased surface area will cut down on the chatter a little and as long as there's enough clearance you won't need grease or anything. You could always try some graphite or Teflon dry lube too. You can also try different threads for the drive rod to change the speed.For example 9/16-12 would be 25% faster than 3/8-16
Reply:keep the plate beveler simple just make a little buggy with  four ball bearing for wheels, put it on a simple track made from the smallest Angle iron you can find . power it with a small motor and a tire riding on one of the ball bearings  or just slide it along by hand .Oh and make the buggy from a heavy slab of metal so it doesn't vibrate the torch. I have one I will take a picture of and post tomorrow gxnbxc
Reply:Here is my simple plate beveler
Reply:If it's just for coupons, I vote to fix the torch stationary and move the work,  using any of a 101 ways.Drag/rotate the workpiece with a variable speed  "winch" arrangement?Last edited by denrep; 09-24-2014 at 05:01 PM.
Reply:Originally Posted by denrepIf it's just for coupons, I vote to fix the torch stationary and move the work,  using any of a 101 ways.Drag/rotate the workpiece with a variable speed  "winch" arrangement?
Reply:Originally Posted by gxbxcHere is my simple plate beveler
Reply:No Chris  you actually use a small machine torch like you have pictured  and clamp it on with two hose clamps . I didn't show my torch but is is just like yours only with an ajustable  angle tip.. but yes you just push it along a guide or track. I am pretty sure it isn't made any more ,I did a search of Thermo , found ever thing but. You can even bevel larger dia pipe ,with some kind of a guide . maybe like 1/2" flat stock rolled to the OD of the pipe and clamped with vise grips gxbxcLast edited by gxbxc; 09-24-2014 at 09:08 PM.
Reply:Originally Posted by gxbxcNo Chris  you actually use a small machine torch like you have pictured  and clamp it on with two hose clamps . I didn't show my torch but is is just like yours only with an ajustable  angle tip.. but yes you just push it along a guide or track.gxbxc
Reply:Originally Posted by Chris T.. . .That is a different way of looking at it. Since you know a lot more about engineering/design than me, what is the advantage to moving the work vs the torch?
Reply:You know you got me thinking (some thing I rarely do before speaking) a small HF type lathe would also make a good torch drive .Mount the torch on the tool post and move the carriage to cut the coupons  .gxbxc
Reply:Denrep, no harm done. I have learned so much from people like you on this site and have started alot of projects that don't exactly work out because I rushed into them without thinking things through so I'll take any advice I can get get. Sitting here thinking about a set of heavy duty ball bearing drawer slides with about 14"-16" of travel that are sitting in my box right now. Laying them both flat to make something like a sliding table saw and a simple bracket to hold the torch would work. Put a brakcket underneath them with a threaded rod for movement to a small variable speed motor.The nice thing is now that I have the machine torch, anything is possible.TOO MANY TOOLS & NO MORE SPACE
Reply:Originally Posted by gxbxcYou know you got me thinking (some thing I rarely do before speaking) a small HF type lathe would also make a good torch drive .Mount the torch on the tool post and move the carriage to cut the coupons  .gxbxc
Reply:well the first cut can take care of that . actually I had forgot those small lathes have the back panels on them! But I was assuming the lathe would be modified in some ways . gxbxc
Reply:You can also mount a chuck to an old electric motor or any simple bearing spindle setup you can quickly throw together. Sent from my SCH-I545 using TapatalkCRIME SCENES, COURT DATES, FUNERALS, RIDING THROUGH THE CITY WITH A BITCH THAT IS JUST BEAUTIFUL IT'S JUST BUSINESS AS USUAL.
Reply:Guys I think some of you are over engineering this . If you already have the lathe chuck  mount it to the bearing you showed  ,use four V belt pully s  with a jack shaft  and a hand crank  .Build the simples first and up grade as needed .gxbxc
Reply:Originally Posted by gxbxcGuys I think some of you are over engineering this . If you already have the lathe chuck  mount it to the bearing you showed  ,use four V belt pully s  with a jack shaft  and a hand crank  .Build the simples first and up grade as needed .gxbxcOriginally Posted by Chris T.Do you mean use the drivetrain form a small lathe or use it to cut the bevel?I have a couple 16" lathes that I use to bevel up to 8" pipe. Have been wanting to build one for pipe after the plate beveler because it is quicker (1 cut pass + hit with flap wheel) than the lathe & sometimes the larger pipes become "interesting" at lathe speeds without indicating them.Sent from my GT-P3113 using Tapatalk
Reply:Originally Posted by mikecwikI was saying just use the lathe conventionally.
Reply:I have worked with a lot of college grads who got the job because of paper ,but they had no mechanial ablity , every thing they did started out inventing the wheel. so over engineering can be a pain.
Reply:I started on the gantry design last night just to see how it would work. I am going to pick up some plate this morning and if the rails would not slide than I needed a different size plate.Went to Lowes and picked up some 3/4"id x 1"od x 1"l steel bushings because the counter bored holes in the end plates were 1"dia and the guide rails needed to be 3/4" to go through the rod ends.Next I cut some 3/4" solid round bar at 24"l to form the guide rails. Both ends were faced off, drilled and tapped 3/8"-16. To get a nice even finish vs using a flap wheel I put 2 centers in the lathe to hold and spin the bar from the end holes. Proceded to sand the bar from 120g to 600g using WD-40 from 320g+ to get an almost ground finish. Made a few passes with coarse, med and fine Scotch-Brite pads and then applied some AmsOil heavy duty metal protector.I did not realize the holes on the rod ends were either ground or polished. After installing the rod ends on the guide rails I bolted the end plates on. The rod ends slide with almost no resistance on the rails and I have a good feeling that it will work nicely. (Lets hope so because it this doesn't work the entire framework would have to be cut apart to use with a fixed torch system.Was sitting in the shop untill 12:30 last night just brainstorming. Came up with a top plate design that will hold the guide rail setup and have a hole with adjustable bars to support the material. There will be a 4"-6" deep tray under the bars to catch the slag.I am still wanting to build one with a fixed torch after this just to compare how the two cut. It will be WAY cheaper too!Phone was dead so no picsTOO MANY TOOLS & NO MORE SPACE
Reply:Picked up some 1/4" & 1/8" plate,4- 12' pcs of 1-1/2" x 1/8" square tube1- 10' pc of 1" x 1/4" angleAnd a ton of other stuffStarted cutting the top plate out of the 1/4", overall size is 28" x 22". Also cut out a bunch of gussets that are more for looks than function.I'm now up to about $700 for the torch, regulators, hosed, Q.D.'s and raw material.THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A SIMPLE PROJECT!!!TOO MANY TOOLS & NO MORE SPACE
Reply:Did some more work on the gantry this morning. Got the rails bolted in place and and made sure they were parallel.Set up the mag drill to put 2- 13/16" diameter holes in a piece of 3/8" x 2-1/2" for the 3/4"-16 bolts that go into the rod ends. The bar will hold the sliding arm for the torch. I left the back side of the bar sticking over the rails because I might need to add some weight to balance the torch and make sure it still slides freely.TOO MANY TOOLS & NO MORE SPACE
Reply:This is the top plate that everything will attach to. The gantry sits in from the sides and back and the end plates will sit 1-1/2" below the top plate on some angle to bring the torch a little closer to the table. The end plates are 8" tall and I don't want to cut them and have to mill new slots so recessing it with angle should work. The cutting area (large rectangular hole) is going to have two pieces of flat bar running on the sides to make a lip for the adjustable material support bars. I'm also going to plasma out some sides and a bottom for the slag box once I figure out the finished dimemsions.The underside will be framed out in 1-1/2" x 1/8" square tube to prevent any possible warping and the legs will attach to that.TOO MANY TOOLS & NO MORE SPACE
Reply:This is a dialed project. All from napkin drawings (similar to how ALL my projects are born).I don't weld for a living but I sure feel like I'm living when I'm welding.
Reply:I am anxious to see the completed plate bevler ,still wondering about the pipe one
Reply:Nice work.
Reply:Originally Posted by SuicidekingThis is a dialed project. All from napkin drawings (similar to how ALL my projects are born).
Reply:FINISHED THE GANTRY TODAY!!!!I drilled the end plates for 5/8" threaded rod instead of the 3/8" originally planned. It is a whole lot more stable and has more "pull" than the smaller diameter.Picked up a cast iron handle from the surplus yard and machined a bushing to go from the 7/8" bore to the 5/8" threaded rod. The handle had a pin hole so I drilled the threaded rod to accept one.TOO MANY TOOLS & NO MORE SPACE
Reply:Cut a piece of 1/4"x2" flat bar and punched a 5/8" hole for the rod to pass through. Welded a nut to the bar and threaded it on to ensure correct alignment before tacking. Removed everything and fully welded it.(FYI I did not pay $20 for the rod ends)TOO MANY TOOLS & NO MORE SPACE
Reply:Cut 2 pieces of 3/8" x 2-1/2 flat bar to hold the sliding torch arm. I punched 1-1/16" holes in them and tacked on some shaft clamps. Put both bars on the shaft to get them straight enough to tack onto the gantry.After tacking I removed the shaft and welded the clamps and the bottom of the bars.I now ran into a serious problem, welding of the outside corners caused the bars to pull and the shaft was now a long way out from going through both ends.I really would like to thank anybody who posted about flame straightening because that info saved my afternoon.Lit up the torch and made passes at the base of the weld on the inside untill it just started to turn glassy. You can still see some red glow in the pic.Did that a couple of times and the shaft was back into horizontal alignment. The vertical was about 1/32" out so I heated one side and tweaked it with a 24" adjustable wrench. The shaft now slides freely like it did before welding.TOO MANY TOOLS & NO MORE SPACE
Reply:This is the completed gantry sitting on the top plate. I have to chuck up the sliding torch bar (1" SST) and drill/tap for a bolt to hold the torch mounting bracket on. I'm probably going to order some shafting with a keyway milled into it so the vertical alignment of the torch does not have to be reset after sliding it in or out. The set screws on the shaft clamps will slide in the keyway groove and the bolt on the end could be loosened to adjust a lead angle on the torch if needed.Now that the gantry is done I can start on the stand.TOO MANY TOOLS & NO MORE SPACE
Reply:IT GREW LEGS!!!I was finally able to get the frame for the stand 80% completed tonight, it is all 1-1/2" x 1/8" square tube.I'm debating enclosing the stand with thin sheet metal and making an internal shelf with a door to store pre cut coupons. The door would also cover the slide out slag tray.TOO MANY TOOLS & NO MORE SPACE
Reply:Or a slight chute and box. Are you going to put slats in the opening?Teach Ag Mech - Mike At Home:Lincoln Electric AC225Miller Challenger 172Gas AxeWork:eclectic bunch of 90's vintage blue boxes
Reply:Originally Posted by teachagmechOr a slight chute and box. Are you going to put slats in the opening?
Reply:just a thought, a bellows to cover that threaded shaft might be a good idea.  Spatter from cutting torch will make a mess of those threads in no time flat.Benson's Mobile Welding - Dayton, OH metro area - AWS Certified Welding Inspector
Reply:You can hit the area with nozzle dip or anti spatter and the any spatter that gets on the shafts or all thread will clean off easily .gxnxc
Reply:Originally Posted by A_DAB_will_dojust a thought, a bellows to cover that threaded shaft might be a good idea.  Spatter from cutting torch will make a mess of those threads in no time flat.
Reply:Made more progress tonight.Punched holes in the 1/4" plate for the caster flanges.Set them in 1/4" from the botton of the frame to get a nice hidden weld.Attached the 4" steel wheel casters,Welded two strips of 1/4" x1" angle for the sliding material support bars. Ground the welds so the top would sit flat.TOO MANY TOOLS & NO MORE SPACE
Reply:Here are the 1/4" x1" material support bars.Tacked two 1/4" x 1-1/2" angles that hold the gantry to the frame. Once the alignment is correct they will be welded.Going to the surplus store in the morning to pick up sheet metal to skin the sides and see what kind of gear reduction motors they have.TOO MANY TOOLS & NO MORE SPACE
Reply:Found this 3ph motor last nighthttp://www.surpluscenter.com/Electri...FC-10-2844.axdAnd I have had good luck with TECO VFD'S to vary the speed of the motor.http://www.factorymation.com/Product...M50-101-C.htmlVFD control pendanthttp://www.factorymation.com/Product...12-206-AS.htmlI still need to look for a gear reducer. If I can't find one for a good price a 1.5" sprocket on the motor and a 8" sprocket on the shaft will give me the right rpm range at the threaded rod. A 5:1 or 6:1 reduction should work so the motor does not have to go lower than 30hz with the VFD control. I based the speed range on the IPM's required for cutting 1/8" up to 2" but might change the gearing instead of going so low on the hz. I really am only going to cut 1/2" - 1-1/2" so it would be real easy to change gears.TOO MANY TOOLS & NO MORE SPACE
Reply:I think something like this would be better than what you are looking at;   http://www.surpluscenter.com/Electri...TOR-5-1817.axd  or This one   http://www.surpluscenter.com/Electri...R-5-1820-9.axd gxbxcLast edited by gxbxc; 10-11-2014 at 11:55 AM.