Page 46 - Fall 2023 EDM Today

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whether an outlet is live or not. Consisting of a plug-bulb
socket and a small 7.5 watt bulb, it is a compact low
tech solution for determining the status of an outlet or
outlet circuit.

Canned “Air”

In the course of performing EDM maintenance
activities, one is often required to blow off mechanical
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or electrical components or circuit boards with a
controlled blast of air.

However, a blast from an air gun is not always
Drive Pin Punches
the best answer:
• The maintenance activity is often not within reach of
an air line.
• The quality of the compressed air source may be
suspect, i.e., humidity.
• Unless extreme care is taken, the high pressure blast
from an air gun could easily damage the component
or send it fl ying across the room.
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Thus, a spray
can containing
“canned air” is
often a conve-
nient and pre-
ferred solution.
They usually
come with a

fi ts into the fl ow
push button that
Countless times
Countless times in my long career, I have been confronted in my long career, I have been confronted
allows you to
with the task of driving out either a dowel or roll pin, and small tube that
precisely direct
my trusty set of Starrett drive pin punches has never let
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the fl ow to where
me down.
it’s needed.
The set contains a wide variety of punch sizes that is
It’s important to
almost certain to be an ideal match for virtually any size
note that these
pin that needs to be driven out. It sure beats the heck out
cans do not
of any makeshift solution that often results in damage to
actually contain
the component and frustration to the professional.
air. The can’s
contents is often
Test Lightst Light
Te
carbon fl uid that
comes out as
One of the fi rst tasks ne of the fi rst tasks
O a volatile hydro-
a vapor blast.
in debugging an
in debugging an in-in-
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This is both good
oper
operative device that ative device that
and bad for two
is
is plugged into a 110 plugged into a 110
reasons:
V
VAC outlet is to de-AC outlet is to de-
termine
termine whether the whether the
outlet is
outlet is live. Many an live. Many an
• The vapor blast is likely to be highly fl ammable.
hour has been wasted
hour has been wasted
• The pressure of the blast is limited to the vapor
trying t
trying to debug an o debug an
pressure of the fl uid and is unlikely to damage sensitive
inoper
inoperative device ative device
components or cause them to fl y out of your hand.
when,
when, in fact, the in fact, the
issue was no power to o
issue was no power t
the outlet.
the outlet.
it is important to hold the can upright to avoid liquid
spraying from the nozzle.
This little test light light One fi nal note: Since the can’s content is primarily liquid,
This little test
EDM Today Magazine EDM Today Magazine EDM Today, Fall 2023 Issue
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serves as a conve-ves as a conve-
ser
nient t
nient tool to check ool to check
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