- Joined
- Nov 27, 2015
- Messages
- 603
You could use PEM insert nuts or rivet nuts. No welding needed.
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Erl-1340
- Thread starter pstemari
- Start date
Lots of holes in the extra control cabinet this weekend. Those rivet nuts really worked well.
Rivet nut setter, rivet nuts, and installed on panel:
Front panel holes, drilled with a Lenox step drill:
Wiring holes between the boxes. I used a step drill to make the pilot holes and then used Greenlee punches to make the final holes. This made it easy to line them up with the existing knockouts on the original lathe wiring cabinet. I'm using insulated conduit nipples to join the boxes. They have a nylon inner sleeve to protect the wires.
And attached to the lathe. The oil plug interferes with the door a bit, but I can always just unscrew it. Adding a spacer under the box would be another option, but probably not worth the bother.
Rivet nut setter, rivet nuts, and installed on panel:
Front panel holes, drilled with a Lenox step drill:
Wiring holes between the boxes. I used a step drill to make the pilot holes and then used Greenlee punches to make the final holes. This made it easy to line them up with the existing knockouts on the original lathe wiring cabinet. I'm using insulated conduit nipples to join the boxes. They have a nylon inner sleeve to protect the wires.
And attached to the lathe. The oil plug interferes with the door a bit, but I can always just unscrew it. Adding a spacer under the box would be another option, but probably not worth the bother.
- Joined
- Dec 1, 2014
- Messages
- 56
Wow, I've never even heard of rivet nuts. I learned something new today. But do those things ever look super handy. I could've used those on a few occasions.
Beautiful job so far though on the new control box. Truly professional looking work.
Beautiful job so far though on the new control box. Truly professional looking work.
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2013
- Messages
- 498
Looking great!
It would look better if I had a PM logo on the front of the box 
Not yet totally satisfied with the control layout. Top row is power/vfd ok light, jog direction, jog button, speed pot (still on order); lower row is master lockout, e-stop, and coolant pump. Maybe swap the coolant pump switch and the ok light?
Alternatively I could put the e-stop over the key switch, then the ok light, jog dir, and speed pot, and then put the coolant switch and the jog button on the bottom row. About the only thing I'm certain of is that the key should be on the lower left and the the speed pot on the upper right. The upper right quadrant will get a panel meter; I just cut the hole for that w a Lenox hole saw.
Not yet totally satisfied with the control layout. Top row is power/vfd ok light, jog direction, jog button, speed pot (still on order); lower row is master lockout, e-stop, and coolant pump. Maybe swap the coolant pump switch and the ok light?
Alternatively I could put the e-stop over the key switch, then the ok light, jog dir, and speed pot, and then put the coolant switch and the jog button on the bottom row. About the only thing I'm certain of is that the key should be on the lower left and the the speed pot on the upper right. The upper right quadrant will get a panel meter; I just cut the hole for that w a Lenox hole saw.
Yes, analog panel meter in the upper right quadrant. Can't put anything in the upper left because the vfd doesn't have a lot of clearance; maybe an inch or so between the back of the door and the front of the VFD..
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
A few more holes. The pilot on the hole saw bent when it went though the front panel, so there's some scratches, but nothing the panel meter won't cover. The disconnect switch went in without a hitch.
Finally got the revised schematics drawn up in Eagle. This is the original wiring:
With the VFD added, these are the power circuits:
and the control circuits:
Finally, adding in the terminal and rearranging by cabinet, I have the lower original cabinet:
and the added upper cabinet:
X6 doesn't have the terminals arranged strictly in physical order, but it was a bit easier to draw with 8, 14, and 15 pulled over to the side.
Next up is printing wire labels on heat shrink and then a whole bunch of crimping and wiring.
With the VFD added, these are the power circuits:
and the control circuits:
Finally, adding in the terminal and rearranging by cabinet, I have the lower original cabinet:
and the added upper cabinet:
X6 doesn't have the terminals arranged strictly in physical order, but it was a bit easier to draw with 8, 14, and 15 pulled over to the side.
Next up is printing wire labels on heat shrink and then a whole bunch of crimping and wiring.