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  1. #1
    Wal's Avatar
    Lives in Stockport, United Kingdom. Last Activity: 30-03-2023 Has been a member for 9-10 years. Has a total post count of 491. Received thanks 71 times, giving thanks to others 29 times.
    Hi all,

    Just wondering if anyone has any experience with building an etch press - something along the lines of this:



    I've started to design one and have begun collecting odds and sods that I'll be using along the way (take-up bearings, flange bearings etc.)

    One thing that's got me a bit stumped, though, is how to get my hands on a pair of live shaft stainless rollers. I'm attaching a .pdf of what it is I'm after. Dimensions are approximate at the moment, but won't be far off that. The long 60mm shaft will need a flat on it for the hand-wheel grub-screw to bite on.

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	rollers.pdf 
Views:	233 
Size:	170.3 KB 
ID:	24223

    Ok, there's the obvious way, pay someone to turn 'em - I imagine this will be pretty pricey, given the chunkiness of what I'm after, but if you know any different then let me know..!

    Or I could fabricate 'em from a steel pipe with a steel shaft passing through it held central by a couple of alu caps made on the mini-mill. (All probably glued up with the strongest epoxy I can find...)

    Any other ideas..?

    Wal.

  2. #2
    Even with a lathe I'd be temped to centre drill stock 50mm stainless bar pre-cut to length, bore out (or drill) then ream to 15mm dia and maybe 40mm depth, then tap some 15mm dowel into the reamed holes with some loctite.

    I wouldn't bother trying to turn down the 50mm bar. At least with my ML7 (small spindle bore) I'd have to turn between centres.

    I guess there's a reason it has to be stainless?

  3. #3
    Wal's Avatar
    Lives in Stockport, United Kingdom. Last Activity: 30-03-2023 Has been a member for 9-10 years. Has a total post count of 491. Received thanks 71 times, giving thanks to others 29 times.
    Having just read a bit more on the topic, the drive roller would be fine in 7075T6 with the idler in mild steel - had stainless in mind as it's what (little) I remember from the college art room... The crucial bit is that the rollers run absolutely parallel to each other (this can be tweaked via the take-up bearings) and that the running gear can withstand high pressures.

    I may well have to consider increasing the shaft diameter to a more substantial 20mm and have a closer look at using self-aligning bearings to accommodate said tweakage... This could get a bit pricey...

    Wal.

  4. #4
    Hi Wal,

    This build uses tube for the rollers

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhlSZU63S7g

    and these for the pressure adjustment

    http://www.arceurotrade.co.uk/Catalo.../Take-up-Units

    Interesting project, but not for me (too many projects stalled on the bench )

    Cheers, Rob

  5. #5
    Wal's Avatar
    Lives in Stockport, United Kingdom. Last Activity: 30-03-2023 Has been a member for 9-10 years. Has a total post count of 491. Received thanks 71 times, giving thanks to others 29 times.
    Cheers Rob - that clip makes it look too easy..!

    Wal.

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by Wal View Post
    Cheers Rob - that clip makes it look too easy..!

    Wal.
    If you made a cock-up, would you edit it out of the video - Just asking

  7. #7
    If you could find an old number plate machine you'd have no work to do, they're effectively a heavy duty mangle with geared steel rollers.
    You think that's too expensive? You're not a Model Engineer are you? :D

  8. #8
    Wal's Avatar
    Lives in Stockport, United Kingdom. Last Activity: 30-03-2023 Has been a member for 9-10 years. Has a total post count of 491. Received thanks 71 times, giving thanks to others 29 times.
    Or indeed a (somewhat modified) beeswax foundation roller:

    https://www.amazon.com/Beeswax-Found.../dp/B01LZE05HU

    (Chances are my grandad had one of these - long gone now..)

    Unfortunately none of this hardware's cheap - hence the DIY approach. Still won't be cheap, but it'll keep me occupied..!

    If you made a cock-up, would you edit it out of the video - Just asking
    True that, Rob. It's why my vids tend to be short and finish abruptly...

    Wal.

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Wal View Post
    Hi all,


    I've started to design one and have begun collecting odds and sods that I'll be using along the way (take-up bearings, flange bearings etc.)

    One thing that's got me a bit stumped, though, is how to get my hands on a pair of live shaft stainless rollers.

    Or I could fabricate 'em from a steel pipe with a steel shaft passing through it held central by a couple of alu caps made on the mini-mill. (All probably glued up with the strongest epoxy I can find...)

    Any other ideas..?

    Wal.
    Hi Wal,

    Don't know if this could be what you need but I have a 610mm x 50mm dia with a 30mm bore through it Stainless steel rod, I also have a piece of 465mm x 32mm dia solid stainless bar which would turn down for the ends.

    All you would need then is someone with a large enough lathe to turn down the ends to fit into the tube then skim off true the tube and away you go, easy!

    Phill

  10. #10
    Wal's Avatar
    Lives in Stockport, United Kingdom. Last Activity: 30-03-2023 Has been a member for 9-10 years. Has a total post count of 491. Received thanks 71 times, giving thanks to others 29 times.
    Hiya Phil,

    Thanks very much for the heads-up on those materials.

    I think I'm leaning more towards the 'one-piece' solution as it'll probably end up easier communicating what it is I need doing to a shop (and will result in fewer steps for them to take to get it made). From a strength point of view: these rollers need to take around 40Kpsi - I'm guessing that by sliding the shaft through the middle like that you'd be talking about a fairly substantial non-slip interference fit along the length of the roller - not sure what kind of stresses that would introduce and how they'd interact with additional stresses that the printing process will put 'em through...

    Wal.

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