RE: Van de Graaff generator safety question (fwd)

[Steven Roys <sroys@xxxxxxxx>]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 2 Jan 2004 23:20:06 -0800
From: Dave Halliday <dh@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: 'High Voltage list' <hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: RE: Van de Graaff generator safety question (fwd)

A local manufacturer:
http://www.flowcorp.com/newsite/Products/products_index.htm
does trade show demos where they put a cake on top of a steel plate and
proceed to cut both of them perfectly.  The water is flowing so fast and
with so much force that the cake doesn't absorb much - stays dry and
edible.

Cool stuff!

> -----Original Message-----
> From: High Voltage list [mailto:hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx]
> Sent: Friday, January 02, 2004 10:16 PM
> To: hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: RE: Van de Graaff generator safety question (fwd)
>
>
> Original poster: Steven Roys <sroys@xxxxxxxx>
>
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> Date: Thu, 01 Jan 2004 20:46:04 -0700
> From: Terrell Fritz <terrellfone@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: High Voltage list <hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: RE: Van de Graaff generator safety question (fwd)
>
> One could perhaps just use a power belt sander and just grind
> the whole thing too.  Belt sanders can be awesome tools in
> crazy hands %:-))  But gotta watch the dust with all those
> odd metals in it...
>
> The waterjet guys here just blasted $500,000 into a new
> machine that has a six axis articulating jet.  It could cut
> the hole while maintaining the jet at 90 degrees to the
> surface.  Projects like this give them that big toothy grin
> as they contemplate how they will program the beast!!  Water
> jets has zero heat, 10mil accuracy, smoothed edges, and only
> about 2 pounds of force on the work...  It would probably
> come right off the machine ready to install...  30 mil super
> hard stainless would cut like "air" in that puppy...  They
> are pretty cheap, especially on "cool stuff" that they can
> brag about doing ;-))  In this case, they could do a little
> sphere first and I would just let them keep it for their demo
> collection.  It would be perfect to show off the advantages
> of their new toy!!  Such things make them real friendly when
> it comes to price ;-))  I don't have any good welding
> contacts, but I try and keep the waterjet folks as close pals
> these days ;-))  It would be fun just to give them a "challenge"!!
>
> BTW - If you have never seen a waterjet cutter do it's stuff,
> it is a "must see"!!  A 30-mil jet of water with garnet
> powder added to give it cutting bite.  The water stream
> travels at about a mile a second (5 times the speed of
> sound!) at 65,000 PSI driven by about 40HP!!!  It can cut 8
> inches of mil grade titanium!!! and everything lesser...
> Pretty scary machines to watch!!  I have used them to cut 6-4
> military titanium which is super hard and accurately cut
> sorbothane which is super soft...
>
> I do wonder if the sphere has any intrinsic stress in it that
> would cause it to distort if cut.  I worry that it may start
> to squirrel if heat is used.  Just have to try and see for
> such questions...  Cutting the sphere is starting to get
> almost as much fun as the Van de Graaff generator itself
> ;-))
>
> Cheers,
>
>          Terry
>
>
>
> At 08:06 PM 1/1/2004, you wrote:
> >Original poster: Steven Roys <sroys@xxxxxxxx>
> >
> >
> >
> >---------- Forwarded message ----------
> >Date: Wed, 31 Dec 2003 19:53:08 -0800
> >From: Dave Halliday <dh@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> >To: 'High Voltage list' <hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx>
> >Subject: RE: Van de Graaff generator safety question (fwd)
> >
> >Find a welder with a plasma cutter - these puppies use an electrical
> >arc and a blast of compressed air to make __very__ clean cuts in any
> >ferrous metal.  The cut line is about 1/8" wide and there is
> zero spatter.
> >Great stuff!   The same welder probably could use some
> computer work or
> >they may need to have some electrical widget built so the
> options for
> >trading are good.
> >
> >You could help them a lot by prepping the sphere - a lazy susan and
> >make a plywood disk with a hole cut in it and some double-stick foam
> >tape to secure the sphere.  Make it such that you only need
> to walk in
> >there and the welder only needs to hold the cutter in one
> place while
> >the sphere is rotated underneath.  Should only take about 15 minutes
> >max.
> >
> >Google plasma cutter and you will turn up about 20K entries...
> >
> >
> >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: High Voltage list [mailto:hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx]
> > > Sent: Wednesday, December 31, 2003 4:54 PM
> > > To: hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx
> > > Subject: Re: Van de Graaff generator safety question (fwd)
> > >
> > >
> > > Original poster: Steven Roys <sroys@xxxxxxxx>
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> > > Date: Wed, 31 Dec 2003 11:20:41 -0700
> > > From: Terrell Fritz <terrellfone@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > > To: High Voltage list <hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx>
> > > Subject: Re: Van de Graaff generator safety question (fwd)
> > >
> > > Hi Ed,
> > >
> > > It is rock hard stainless steel, Probably need a grinder like a
> > > cut-off wheel in a dremal tool or die grinder.  Forget a hole saw
> > > unless it has cobalt alloy teeth no normal saw or drill bit will
> > > touch it.  Once cut, a belt sander can finish the edge.  I'll
> > > probably try it all an a little cheap one first.  If I
> were really
> > > desperate, I would have it waterjet cut.
> > >
> > > Cheers,
> > >
> > >          Terry
> > >
> > >
> > > At 10:07 PM 12/30/2003, you wrote:
> > > >Original poster: Steven Roys <sroys@xxxxxxxx>
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >---------- Forwarded message ----------
> > > >Date: Mon, 29 Dec 2003 14:29:54 EST
> > > >From: Esondrmn@xxxxxxx
> > > >To: hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx
> > > >Subject: Re: Van de Graaff generator safety question (fwd)
> > > >
> > > >In a message dated 12/27/03 2:05:27 PM Pacific Standard Time,
> > > >hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx writes:
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > > Hi All,
> > > > >
> > > > > Many thanks for everyone's thoughts!!
> > > > >
> > > > > I will go ahead and build the thing.  It sounds just
> about right
> > > > > safety wise.  Not a toy by any means, but not like a case of
> > > > > dynamite either.
> > > > >
> > > > > It sounds just about right :-))
> > > > >
> > > > > Cheers,
> > > > >
> > > > >     Terry
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > >Terry,
> > > >
> > > >What is your top load (sphere) made of and how do you plan
> > > to cut the
> > > >hole to mount it?  I have a similar sized stainless steel
> > > (gazing ball)
> > > >sphere but I have thought how difficult it would be to use a
> > > hole saw
> > > >to cut a 3" or 4" hole in it.  Heck, it is difficult
> just to drill
> > > >a hole in one of these things.
> > > >
> > > >How about a belt?  What do you plan to use?
> > > >
> > > >Ed Sonderman
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
>
>
>
>