Burnishing Adapter Setup

Xenetech Light-Touch Burnishing Adapter

 

What Does It Do?

This adapter is used to apply the small amount of pressure necessary to achieve an attractive final burnish on metal products.  By using Manual Cutter Set along with this product the pressure on the plate is isolated to the spring located in the adapter.  The large tension spring located below your Z-Axis stepper motor will no longer be applying pressure to the plate that is being engraved.  The weight of the spindle and Z-Axis assembly is also being eliminated from creating pressure.

 

Will It Work With My Spindle?

The Light Touch Burnishing Adapter will work with 1/4" and 11/64" top loaded spindles.  It will also work with 1/4" and 11/64" collet spindles that have solid collets.

 

Items Included

1 Light Touch Burnishing Adapter [LTBA] with adjustable spring tension nut

 HOW TO USE IT

 

  1. Remove the standard cutter knob that is currently on your burnisher.  Slide on the Light Touch Burnishing Adapter and tighten the set screw.  

Notice the adjustable nut at the top of the adapter.  The nut has left-handed threads, so turning it clockwise loosens it and turning it counter-clockwise tightens it.  The lower the nut is in the base the greater the spring tension. The higher the nut is in the base the lesser the spring tension.  (see diagrams below)

        

 

USE MANUAL CUTTER SET TO BURNISH

 

Engraver Preparation

  1. Remove the standard brass knob from the burnisher and install the Light Touch Burnishing Adaptor (LTBA) in close to the top of the burnisher.

  2. Install the burnisher into the spindle as you would a standard cutter.

 A top load spindle or a solid collet spindle is necessary when using a Light Touch Burnishing Adaptor.

  1. Nose cones and the micrometer are not necessary when burnishing. Removing your nose cone will provide you with a better view for steps 17 - 22.

  2. Using a cutter wrench or the wrench supplied with the LTBA loosen the set screw on the LTBA to position the height of the cutter in the spindle so that at least 1/4 inch of the bottom end of the burnisher (the tip) extends below the lowest part of the spindle.

 

  1. Tighten the set screw to secure the burnisher within the LTBA.

  2. With your finger, push up on the tip of the burnisher. It should move up in the spindle, compressing the spring in the LTBA.

Removing your finger from the tip of the burnisher should allow it freely come back down with no hang ups. If it does hang up, loosen the set screw on the LTBA and rotate the cutter approximately 30 degrees and re-tighten. Repeat this step until burnisher moves up and down freely with no hang ups. This is important.

 

For Job Download (within software)

  1. Open or prepare a job layout.

  2. Select 'To Engraver' under the File Menu (or press F1).

  3. Optional - Make a mental note of the current value of the Z Home (later this value will change as a result of the following steps).

  4. Select 'Manual Cutter Set at Start'.

  1. 'Click' on 'OK' to download the job.

  2. You should now have a green ready light indicating the job has been downloaded to the engraver.

 

Setting Cutter (using Pendant as 'joystick')

  1. Place the PAUSE/CONTINUE switch in 'CONTINUE'. (This is just to demonstrate the fact that during Manual Cutter Set at Start, the engraver will pause automatically, regardless of the PAUSE/CONTINUE switch)

  2. Place the Motor Speed Control ( MSC) switch in the 'AUTO' position.

  3. Press 'START' on the Pendant. (The engraver will move to the first position of the job and pause)

  4. Turn the Z FEED knob on the Pendant to approximately 12 o'clock (halfway). This is to slow down the speed of the Z Axis for the next step.

  5. Watch the Z Axis as you press and hold the CUTTER switch to the 'DOWN' position. You may readjust the Z FEED knob to a comfortable speed as it is coming down, slowing it as it gets closer to the material.

  6. With your focus on the tip of the cutter, bring the cutter down to approximately 1/16 of an inch (0.062) from the surface of the material.

  7. Place the SPINDLE switch on the MSC to the 'OFF' position (this is just temporary).

  8. Rotate the spindle by hand until the set screw of the Light Touch Burnishing Adaptor is facing you.

  9. Now with your focus on the set screw, press the CUTTER switch to the down position until you see the set screw move up no more than approximately 1/32 of an inch (0.031). This is setting some float to allow for possible low spots in the material.

  1. Press 'HOME RETAIN' to retain this setting (your new Z Home). The Z Axis will raise back to its Z Home location.

After pressing 'HOME RETAIN', if not satisfied with your achieved depth, repeat steps 11 -13.

  1. Place the SPINDLE switch on the MSC back to the ' AUTO' position.

  2. Place the CUTTER switch in 'AUTO'.

  3. Press 'START ' to begin engraving.

After the job has been completed, the engraver will 'talk' back to the software, transferring two pieces of information: the newly found Z Home, and it turns Manual Cutter Set at Start to No Cutter Set at Start. To verify this go back to 'To Engraver', and look at the Z Home value. Except for the slight possibility of coincidence, the Z Home should have changed from its original value as noted in step 3. This new value is one that was determined mechanically in steps 17 - 22. Also, take a look at No Cutter Set at Start, it now has the focus. This is done on purpose to allow multiple engraving of the same job, on the same type of material, without having to set the cutter depth for every plate.

 

Eddy Maddux has over 20 years of engraving experience! Thank You Eddy.  Eddy also does custom logos.  Eddy's web site is http://members.cox.net/maddux/