Page 2 of 6 FirstFirst 123456 LastLast
Results 16 to 30 of 90

Thread: DIY TIG Pedal

  1. #16
    Join Date
    Dec 2018
    Location
    NSW
    Posts
    586

    Default

    I too subscribe to the 'screw it, just do it' school of making things.
    I'd like to have everything drawn up in a 3D CAD program, but I usually swear at the computer too much and retreat to the shed to make 'real progress'.

  2. #17
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Sydney
    Posts
    666

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Commander_Keen View Post
    I too subscribe to the 'screw it, just do it' school of making things.
    I'd like to have everything drawn up in a 3D CAD program, but I usually swear at the computer too much and retreat to the shed to make 'real progress'.
    At least with metal you can cut it apart and re weld it.

  3. #18
    Join Date
    Dec 2018
    Location
    NSW
    Posts
    586

    Default

    AMEN.
    That's why wood is the devil's material.

  4. #19
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Sydney
    Posts
    666

    Default DIY TIG Pedal

    Chunk done today. Looks rough but I’m sure it will scrub up beautifully with a lick of paint. First up was sorting the mechanism to adjust the potentiometer. I had a section of 40x40mm tube and set about drilling holes on each side. One to accept the potentiometer and the other to have a Teflon bearing.



    Chucked up some Teflon in the lathe and set about turning a bearing for the other side. Slight press fit:



    All done. Took no time:



    Fitted:





    Next up was to turn a pulley out of some Aluminium. I measured the travel of the pedal (got it a little wrong in the end but we’ll see how that pans out) and translated that to a 270 degree circumference = 24mm diameter.



    I drilled a couple of holes to create a loop of the string to stop it pulling through and also added a set screw to attach it to the pot shaft:





    Bricklayers string to make it all work with 2 full loops:





    The pulley also stops the Teflon bearing backing out. Bit tight to put it all together but it works.

    Next up I set about making the pedal. I cut the 50mm tube up so it left only an L shaped piece of metal with some of the rounded corner left. In order to attach these to themselves I got some hot rolled, cut it to length and notched the ends so it would fit in to the tube:



    With a solid 12mm rod as the pivot point and the 2 ends welded it was time for a test fit:






    Seemed to be working so far DIY TIG Pedal

    I deliberately made the pedal wide so it wouldn’t interfere with the base. So it wasn’t sloppy I made a couple of Teflon washers. So it not only was solid but it had a lower friction fit to make it a nice smooth action:



    I annoyingly made the washers a little to thin but actually in hindsight I think it might be perfect as the sides with actually be wider once the Alu panels are on.

    Once I got to this point I realised I needed another couple of crossbars on the pedal to allow for mount points for the potentiometer string and maybe a rear spring setup for the pedal return mechanism (I’m undecided on this at the moment). So I cut the rest of the hot rolled and notched them again:


  5. #20
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Sydney
    Posts
    666

    Default DIY TIG Pedal

    All welded up and I replaced the 12mm pivot rod with some bolts. I started to make my own but couldn’t be arsed to turn down 30mm bar to 12mm, so instead I’ll buy some shouldered button head bolts instead:



    The throw in the pedal isn’t huge and I’m not sure if I’ve gone too short but I’ve been using the eBay pedal a lot and that one has way too long of a throw, so I think it might be ok. I put it under the foot and it certainly feels good, nice and solid too, but you’d expect that as it’s super heavy duty!

    As my last step of the day I thought I’d try and see how it will look with the Alu panel on. It’s really going to finish it off I think as it transforms it from an industrial box to something that is starting to look like a TIG pedal:


  6. #21
    Join Date
    Dec 2018
    Location
    NSW
    Posts
    586

    Default

    Wow you really have gone balls deep in this project. 3 days in, and maybe another day left until it's complete by the looks. Go to woe.

    Props.

  7. #22
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Sydney
    Posts
    666

    Default DIY TIG Pedal

    Gardening day tomorrow unfortunately so might not be finished for another week. But it’s pretty close.

    I’ll have all the panels on next (going to rivet them on and have the bottom on with bolts), which will let me work out all the internals. A few fiddly bits like the shutoff switch and spring setup to do, but should be welding with it soon I reckon.

    Then I’ll strip it down and paint the chassis in machine grey.

  8. #23
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    York, North Yorkshire UK
    Posts
    6,439

    Default

    Hi Neevo,

    Looks very good ! I've not gotten around to doing any welding yet.

    As far as the return spring is concerned, and I do note that you have used nuts and bolts for the pivot. Why not use a length of rod like you did earlier and put a coil spring over the rod, anchor one end of the spring on the chassis and the other end on a pin in the rod. This way you will be able to set the peddle pressure as you want.

    HTH.
    Best Regards:
    Baron J.

  9. #24
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Sydney
    Posts
    666

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by BaronJ View Post
    Hi Neevo,

    Looks very good ! I've not gotten around to doing any welding yet.

    As far as the return spring is concerned, and I do note that you have used nuts and bolts for the pivot. Why not use a length of rod like you did earlier and put a coil spring over the rod, anchor one end of the spring on the chassis and the other end on a pin in the rod. This way you will be able to set the peddle pressure as you want.

    HTH.
    Now that’s an interesting idea! I’d need a way to fix the pedal to the rod but that’s quite an elegant solution.

    I could open up the pivot rod to 15mm as I have some of that on hand too I think. That would allow me to drill it in the centre and add an arm off the back that would provide a bit more leverage and I could then run a wire down, around a wheel and run a spring to the front of the chassis.

    Thanks for the idea!

  10. #25
    Join Date
    Dec 2018
    Location
    NSW
    Posts
    586

    Default

    If you got the right kind clock spring, you could just nothc the pivot bar, and pin the chassis. If you are lucky, it might take the space of one of those teflon bushes.
    Tension it up according to the number of turns you give it.

  11. #26
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Sydney
    Posts
    666

    Default DIY TIG Pedal

    That’s a good idea too!

    Thinking about that pivot myself the only way I could think I could get it to work was if I made 2 pivot rods. Essentially because I can’t get the idea of how to key the pedal to the rod when it’s 1 piece.

    My plan was to make a bolt type part that would go from the outside in. The head would have a pin above the main hole that would key to a hole in the pedal and fix the rod. On the inside the rod would be threaded for a nylock (to get the right tension) and the very end would be turned without a thread to accept a threaded lever.

    A flexible wire running down to a pulley (with a bearing) to the front where it would be attached to the frame with a spring.

    1 on each side.

    Adjustment could be accessed by the bottom and changing the springs or potentially a system to preload the springs to make adjustments.

    Wondering if this is turning into overkill for a simple TIG pedal DIY TIG Pedal

  12. #27
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    York, North Yorkshire UK
    Posts
    6,439

    Default

    Hi Neevo, Commander_Keen,

    I think Commander_Keen understood where I was coming from with the spring idea.

    Using a rod as the pivot inside the coils of the spring. You would only need a pin in the rod to catch one end of the spring, the other end could just be resting on a part of the frame.

    By securing the rod to the peddle at one end, you could adjust the tension simply by rotating the rod to tighten or loosen the spring tension and hence the peddle pressure.

    Thinking about that pivot myself the only way I could think I could get it to work was if I made 2 pivot rods. Essentially because I can’t get the idea of how to key the pedal to the rod when it’s 1 piece.
    No just put the rod right through ! If you haven't enough room to put a bolt in the end of the rod, you could just put a screw through the rod so that it was turned as you press the peddle. The spring would pull it back.
    Best Regards:
    Baron J.

  13. #28
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Sydney
    Posts
    666

    Default

    Ok, get it now. I missed the point about the clock spring in your note, even after the pic from commander DIY TIG Pedal

  14. #29
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    York, North Yorkshire UK
    Posts
    6,439

    Default

    Hi

    Quote Originally Posted by Commander_Keen View Post
    If you got the right kind clock spring, you could just nothc the pivot bar, and pin the chassis. If you are lucky, it might take the space of one of those teflon bushes.
    Tension it up according to the number of turns you give it.
    I see no pic !

    Anyway, here is a quick drawing showing what I was trying to describe.

    Neevo.png
    The spring is in yellow and the blue is your frame. The grey is the pivot rod.
    Best Regards:
    Baron J.

  15. #30
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Sydney
    Posts
    666

    Default

    Thanks Baron. Very clear.

    I bought a few items on the weekend to try something a little different but if that doesn’t work I still have the clock spring to fall back on.

    Didn’t get any shed time on Sunday so will be a few more days until I get to push on with the pedal.

Page 2 of 6 FirstFirst 123456 LastLast

Similar Threads

  1. Tig pedal for a poor man
    By jackaroo in forum WELDING
    Replies: 38
    Last Post: 4th May 2020, 08:52 PM
  2. Cincinnati pedal power
    By tongleh in forum METALWORK GENERAL
    Replies: 13
    Last Post: 9th Nov 2012, 06:54 AM
  3. Left Foot Accel Pedal Update
    By Sterob in forum METALWORK GENERAL
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 9th Aug 2011, 03:39 PM
  4. Foot pedal question
    By oo7fitzy in forum WELDING
    Replies: 5
    Last Post: 25th Apr 2010, 10:46 PM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •