DIY hydro bar feeder ?

[D.D.Machine]

ok hear is the deal. I have a traub screw machine (cam drive) and I hate the old rope and weight bar feeder.
so I was thinking about making a feeder that used a loose fitting piston .030 under DOM tubing id to drive the bar. with nothing more than a bearing at the front for the stock to ride against and just use the cutting oil to drive it. (no seals)

build a box at the end of the feeder to catch most of the oil going past the piston and stock then dump it back into the tank.

I could make a simple relief valve to keep the thrust were I want it and a valve to control flow to get the bar feed rate right.
I mostly feed 6' bars of 1/2" to 1 1/2" steel thrue the machine.

I shut down the machine to reload the bar feeder so I could just push the piston back and the oil would go past the relief valve and when its running the only time it would use a lot of oil is when its feeding stock so the tools would still get all they needed.
Has any one tryed somethang like this?

Thanks

[Geof]

We have three coolant operated bar feeds. I think unless you do something to boost the normal coolant pressure you will find it is not enough to drive the bar. On two of ours we have a secondary pump that can boost the pressure as high as 400 psi and the other is 120 psi air over coolant. We turn the secondary pump motor on or open the air valve with a relay operated by a M code. With the increased pressure we found it was necessary to use proper piston seals and we made our own rotary gland fixture so the barfeed can be pressurized while running to feed without stopping the spindle.

[gridley51]

Our Sameca and LNS barfeeds run at about 20 psi.The LNS does not have seals,just a solid steel pusher rod.The idea is the pump delivers a large flow and the oil leaks past the pusher centralising it in the bore and carries on past the bar which it also centralises and runs out the end of the tube into the collector from where it drains back to the tank.
The Sameca has two flows,one to the back of the pusher which has a simple nylon ring for a seal and an adjustable orifice which lets oil past to centralise the pusher and the second flow is ported into the tube about halfway up for centralising the bar.
These barfeeds run on hydraulic oil with their own pump units,the Samecas use 68 grade and the LNS 100 grade.
I have another lathe needing a barfeed capable of 3" diameter and if a barfeed does not turn up soon at the right price I will be making one.
I have a load of spare barfeeds but the biggest is only 2.5".I buy them on Ebay UK and the most I have paid is about $500.That is for Sameca Monosam and Multisams and LNS multi whatevers.
So I don`t see you having a problem making your own and the LNS would be the easiest to copy.
Mark.

[fizzissist]

Originally Posted by D.D.Machine ok hear is the deal. I have a traub screw machine (cam drive) and I hate the old rope and weight bar feeder. so I was thinking about making a feeder that used a ..........

Curious....Which model?

I ran A-25's, an A-42 and an A-56 for more years than I care to admit. The rope/weight system really can be a pain, but I actually came to appreciate the simplicity....and just how fast you can restock a fresh bar.

Don't know why the vertical bars on the pulley were so short...you always had to loop the rope as the bar got shorter....so I put taller bars in and stopped worrying about 330parts/hr makin' nuthin'. You know what I mean...

Sometimes I hated those machines...but gawd, did we make money with 'em!!

[gridley51]

I`ve got an A15 and an A25 and like you say seriously good machines and with the right part can make good money easily.
Mark.

[fizzissist]

We did a lot of repeat jobs, so that allowed me to cheat a little....You probably already know this, but for anyone who doesn't...

I had a degree wheel on the back of the main shaft on the collet cams, and half way between open & close was my zero. When almost done with a job I'd back off the cut-off tool so it left a groove and the last part stayed on the bar end.

Then I'd write on a 3x5 card which cams on which positions, what ratios on the vertical cross-slides, the top-of-the-cam timing, rpm & parts/hr, and other notes. Next, I'd pull the form tools out and tape them together with the part at the end of the bar, and stick it in that customer's job box for a repeat order....(we hoped!)

Most repeat jobs could be set up and running good parts in ~45minutes. Naturally, the 4station turret or the drill & tap machines took longer...and the back slotting kicked my butt.... , but since I never had any formal training, don't think I did too bad.

One of the biggest continual pains was the stock stop. It was always getting in somebody's way!!

Ran jobs as few as 200 parts, to runs of 50,000/order. All on a machine (the A-25) that you could pick up used w/tooling for about $1500-2500!

[tubeco]

After reading the descriptions, I thought I would mention that I am in the market for used Traubs with capacity over 7/8" OD - I already have A15, A20 and A25 - I'm looking for A36, A42, etc. I am interested in the auto magazine feeders as well; 12', 20' or 24' Please let me know if you are interested in selling - mshevela@juno.com
thank you -

[carlosandpeppes]

Anybody have an instruction manual for a traub a15?Dunno how to run it, calculate , etc.Thanks in advance

[fizzissist]

If there's a set of 4 gears on the back side of the machine behind a door, those set the parts/hr rate.

You need cams to actuate the tools. Those will be (english version) marked in inches/degrees..or...1/2-60 or 3/8-180, meaning 3/8" rise in 180 degrees total.

Unlike Brownies, you can use generic cams, eliminating the need to grind a cam for a specific job.

You loosen the cam holders and mount the cams, rotate them so that the tool starts when you want it to, and is at the top of the stroke and retracting just as the next tool is advancing. It's a dance that you coreograph.

The parts/hour rate, figured into the cam rate and rpm will give you the chip load. ....so...you select the cams to give you the slowest rise you can get away with and get the tools to clear each other, and the rise with rpms will dictate you parts/hr. rate.

There's two pin holes in the drives that hinge the cam drivers, giving you 2 different ratios to chose from which increases your cam options. With the vertical slides, you can adjust the feed ratio with the sliding nuts on the links.

These things are pretty simple, almost elegent in their simplicity...if we're talking about the older ones.

I figured out how to set up and run 'em when I was 16...and if I can do it, then anybody can.

[fizzissist]

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