Waterjet cutting
Rex said…
“Do you think you could make one of these? http://www.omax.com/ Or maybe install one in the workshed?”
Rex had found that they were using these for cutting components at the Steam Punk Workshop for their latest metal sculpture project.
A water jet cutter or to give it the proper name “abrasivejet machining system” is a device that pumps fluid at high speed and pressure through a nozzle allowing it to cut through even quite thick materials. It works in a similar manner to an X-Y plotter (or milling machine) in that it traces out the pattern to be cut. The technology behind these machines was first experimented with by Dr. Norman Franz in the 1950s and then further enhanced in the late 1970s.
To be able to make one of these I’d need to be able to move a cutter (or the material) in two axis and generate plus control a very high pressure jet of water. All this would need to be done with a high level of accuracy and the machine would need to have a robust machine otherwise the shop would be rip itself apart and cover the place in water. It should be possible to build a manual version of this (like some kind of supercharged Etch A Sketch
Metal sculpture in brass, mounted on an 1800s French Coin
Glad you discovered waterjet cutting. Check out this informative site: http://www.wardjet.com
Yeah. It is quite complex to be made on our own. But hey, at Pennsylvania University, I heard that some students could make one smaller waterjet cutter. And it is really good. But the price they put on is still quite high. Wait for a couple of years and I believe they will start to mass produced it thus it will lead to a cheaper product :).
Hi David, thanks for commenting. I’m still not quite to the point where I could safely build a waterjet cutter but I am getting more handy with a fret saw.
That MEAM Waterjet project does look good.
http://www.adamlibert.com/Waterjet/