What’s on *YOUR* workbench?

A simple cleaning with IPA didn’t really help. What’s the secret to getting them in working order?

The pads on the silicone keys look alright and are cleaned as well. They now work if I press hard and at an inconsistent angle.

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You want MG chemical's conductive paint. It's not the only conductive coating but it is a good one.

I don't have confirmation but I've heard that a certain over-rated builder gobs the stuff inside the re-housings he does of pedals... wink nudge.
 
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Took me a minute to find it.

I am pretty sure there are several formulas, and I haven't tried others. it resembles metal epoxy when dry, you don't want heavy coats.

It eventually wears off just like whatever was originally put on the circuit board.
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I think it's possible you'll need more clearance than the starting thickness of your material.

If you think about what's happening in the corners - where in a folded design you'd notch out the extra material, here you're leaving that material in the blank. That needs to go somewhere. First it will try to go into wrinkles (like a Reese's cup wrapper) but if your die set succeeds in squashing those wrinkles smooth, the material needs to get thicker.

I’ve never done any male/female die forming with a press, but here’s a copper cup I hammer formed over a die starting from a disc.


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The material started at .027” and I’m measuring the side thickness at up to .036”, so it got somewhere around 25-30% thicker.

I have no idea how to do the math for how to predict that, but I’d imagine the final thickness goes up at greater depth and tighter radius.

Also, if there’s zero clearance left in the final stack up of the two dies plus your material, I worry they will become one permanently. Or if there is no space left for the material to “flow” into, you will be essentially pressing a solid block at that point.

You planning to use any lube?
 
I think it's possible you'll need more clearance than the starting thickness of your material.

If you think about what's happening in the corners - where in a folded design you'd notch out the extra material, here you're leaving that material in the blank. That needs to go somewhere. First it will try to go into wrinkles (like a Reese's cup wrapper) but if your die set succeeds in squashing those wrinkles smooth, the material needs to get thicker.

I’ve never done any male/female die forming with a press, but here’s a copper cup I hammer formed over a die starting from a disc.


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The material started at .027” and I’m measuring the side thickness at up to .036”, so it got somewhere around 25-30% thicker.

I have no idea how to do the math for how to predict that, but I’d imagine the final thickness goes up at greater depth and tighter radius.

Also, if there’s zero clearance left in the final stack up of the two dies plus your material, I worry they will become one permanently. Or if there is no space left for the material to “flow” into, you will be essentially pressing a solid block at that point.

You planning to use any lube?
I am planning on using lubrication!

I see exactly what you're saying now. I'm going to try to press the aluminum which is at 1.6mm thick. I'm going to give an offset clearance of 2.4mm. That's 1.5 times the material thickness. Do you think that should be good enough? Do you think any larger and id start losing definition?
 
I am planning on using lubrication!

I see exactly what you're saying now. I'm going to try to press the aluminum which is at 1.6mm thick. I'm going to give an offset clearance of 2.4mm. That's 1.5 times the material thickness. Do you think that should be good enough? Do you think any larger and id start losing definition?
I have no idea! Ha!

I’d guess the trade off would be at a wider clearance you’ll still have the wrinkles.
 
that cup is awesome! Makes me want a mule, maybe it’s time to pick up some ginger beer and limes.
Thanks! It was a fun project, but turns out copper is a real dumb thing to make a cup out of. Ha! I tried drinking coffee out of it once. Since it conducts so well the whole thing is pretty much instantly the temperature of whatever you put in it.
 
Thanks! It was a fun project, but turns out copper is a real dumb thing to make a cup out of. Ha! I tried drinking coffee out of it once. Since it conducts so well the whole thing is pretty much instantly the temperature of whatever you put in it.
That’s one of the reasons they make fancy cook wear and stills out of it, stainless is a close second for thermal conductivity
 
That’s one of the reasons they make fancy cook wear and stills out of it, stainless is a close second for thermal conductivity
Psshhh, make that third!

 
While I wait on that conductive paint, it’s time to crack open this Ace Tone Rhythm Ace drum machine and clean some sticky buttons. JJ Cale used it on several tracks on ‘Naturally’ and many others.

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Goin’ off the hook like Latrell Spreewell
I've got the ill technique so you know me well
We be kickin' bass, all up in your face
And when it comes to beats, well, I'm the rhythm ace
 
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