TIG Pedal Modification

I did not like the way my TIG foot pedal was configured, so I used an idea I got from a drum pedal. I mounted the original pedal to a piece of aluminum plate (this was actually an old aluminum threshold that I cut down to a 4" width), then hinged another piece so it would depress the TIG pedal. The long bottom piece is about 18" and the top piece is about 12". Works much better now. Pedal doesn't slip and I actually have more control over the variation in power. Build would also work on similar variable power pedals with similar configuration.

I used aluminum because that's what I had on hand. You can use anything including plywood for this. Just make sure the top plate that you set your foot on is rigid enough not to flex when you depress it. Also, my original pedal had some ridges on it. I suggest that you do your build, set the original pedal on it with the top plate about half-way on the pedal. Then depress it fully. This will cause the pedal unit to move slightly as the top footplate finds its position between two ridges. Mark your pedal location and screw it to the bottom plate.

Good luck!
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That's a great improvement. I have pedal for mig at work. I reach much longer when i don't need to reach to press button on the torch.

Simple but good improvement. :)

I use foot switches on my drill presses. It is much more convenient and safer as well. If the drill catches and the work starts spinning it is much easier to lift a foot and run, rather than hang around reaching for the ON/OFF switch with a damaged hand.

The switch on one of the drills was not nice to use because of its angle to my foot and often I would inadvertently release the switch. A foot control where it all moves with your foot is much better to control. I already had the switch mounted on a bit of scrap steel plate to add some weight to hold it steady so all I had to do was to weld a door hinge to the plate and screw the other side to some old plywood. To add a finishing touch I glued a rubber sheet to the wood. The rubber was cut from an inner tube. I love it now.

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On the left is the detail of the hinge fixing, on the right is the operational side.

Krisnanj: So you're a re-engineer, too. Nice improvement.

I use one of these pedals for the shop vac I use in the shops. It's nice not to have to listen to the vacuum running unless it's actually being used. Or worrying about accidentally sucking up that small part you just made.......

Pete

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Thanks krisnanj! We've added your TIG Pedal Modification to our Welding category,
as well as to your builder page: krisnanj's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

<div id="blocks"> <div class="block b1 pngfix"> <div class="bimg"> <div> <a href="http://www.homemadetools.net/homemade-tig-pedal-modification"> <img src="/uploads/207221/homemade-tig-pedal-modification.jpeg"/> </a> </div> </div> <div class="head pngfix"></div> <div class="left pngfix"></div> <div class="right pngfix"></div> <div class="blockover b1 pngfix"> <div class="title"> <a href="http://www.homemadetools.net/homemade-tig-pedal-modification">TIG Pedal Modification</a> <span> by <a href="http://www.homemadetools.net/builder/krisnanj">krisnanj</a></span> </div> <div class="tags">tags: <a href='http://www.homemadetools.net/tag/tig'>TIG</a>, <a href='http://www.homemadetools.net/tag/modification'>modification</a>, <a href='http://www.homemadetools.net/tag/controller'>controller</a> </div> </div> </div> </div>
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Thanks tonyfoale! We've added your Drill Press Foot Switch Modification to our Drilling and Drill Presses category,
as well as to your builder page: tonyfoale's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

<div id="blocks"> <div class="block b1 pngfix"> <div class="bimg"> <div> <a href="http://www.homemadetools.net/homemade-drill-press-foot-switch-modification"> <img src="/uploads/207226/homemade-drill-press-foot-switch-modification.jpeg"/> </a> </div> </div> <div class="head pngfix"></div> <div class="left pngfix"></div> <div class="right pngfix"></div> <div class="blockover b1 pngfix"> <div class="title"> <a href="http://www.homemadetools.net/homemade-drill-press-foot-switch-modification">Drill Press Foot Switch Modification</a> <span> by <a href="http://www.homemadetools.net/builder/tonyfoale">tonyfoale</a></span> </div> <div class="tags">tags: <a href='http://www.homemadetools.net/tag/drill-press'>drill press</a>, <a href='http://www.homemadetools.net/tag/modification'>modification</a>, <a href='http://www.homemadetools.net/tag/controller'>controller</a> </div> </div> </div> </div>
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I have a deadman footswitch on my drillpress. And I know I'm going to cop some flack for this, but mine has been rewired so that it is on/off for the drill motor. There is still a main isolator switch on the drill, and when its on the work light is on, so I know the power is on. I do a lot of "quick to hand drilling" which usually involves holding the work down with 1 hand, while operating the quill with the other. I can quickly and easily position the work piece and when ready, depress the foot pedal to power the motor up. Lift my foot and the motor stops.

Cheers Phil

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Originally Posted by 12bolts

I have a deadman footswitch on my drillpress. And I know I'm going to cop some flack for this,
Cheers Phil

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Not from me.
BTW mine is wired like yours but without the light.

It is a very good idea to have a foot switch on a pillar drill and I cant believe I have not yet fitted one but I will now. Like most of us I will sometimes freehand drill a small part and its the only time I will use a thick leather glove which makes it awkward to use the drill switch. Foot switches are cheap enough and I will see if I copy your mod. Thanks for reminding me to do the sensible thing.

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Originally Posted by olderdan

It is a very good idea to have a foot switch on a pillar drill and I cant believe I have not yet fitted one but I will now. Like most of us I will sometimes freehand drill a small part and its the only time I will use a thick leather glove which makes it awkward to use the drill switch. Foot switches are cheap enough and I will see if I copy your mod. Thanks for reminding me to do the sensible thing.

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Alan, I have two foot switches on drills, both much shorter than my foot. They are different, one has the pivot at the rear and one has it at the front. The one with the pivot at the front was the one with the poor action and is the one to which I added the large pedal. The other one works well as is and I have left it stock.
Apart from the pivot position the "good" one had a flat top surface the "bad" one, shown in the pix. had a top with two angled surfaces, the designer must have had strange feet.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by olderdan

It is a very good idea to have a foot switch on a pillar drill and I cant believe I have not yet fitted one but I will now. Like most of us I will sometimes freehand drill a small part and its the only time I will use a thick leather glove which makes it awkward to use the drill switch. Foot switches are cheap enough and I will see if I copy your mod. Thanks for reminding me to do the sensible thing.

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If I were to do that (I won't) I'd want some sort of arrangement that prevented me from accidentally stepping on the switch at an inopportune moment such as the key in the chuck or my hand holding a drill to extract it from the chuck.

Also, if you allow a pet in the shop, ensure that the spring on the pedal is strong enough that Fido can't trip it.

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Originally Posted by mklotz

If I were to do that (I won't) I'd want some sort of arrangement that prevented me from accidentally stepping on the switch at an inopportune moment such as the key in the chuck or my hand holding a drill to extract it from the chuck.

Also, if you allow a pet in the shop, ensure that the spring on the pedal is strong enough that Fido can't trip it.

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Would you avoid a foot pedal on a TIG welder for the same reasons?

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Originally Posted by tonyfoale

Would you avoid a foot pedal on a TIG welder for the same reasons?

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I don't weld so I'm not in a position to answer your question.

I suppose that, if accidentally pressing a TIG pedal could cause an immediately dangerous situation as is the case with the drill press, I might but, as I said, I'm not in a position to say.

Actually, I no longer have a drill press. The bench model I had was taking up so much room in my overcrowded Garaj Mahal that I sold it. Since then I've done all drilling on my mill-drill which works well for me. Still, if I did have one, I wouldn't want a foot pedal on it.

The safe way to wire a foot switch is to put the machine switch as intermediate so the foot switch is only live when you switch the machine on at the moment of use, a live warning light would also be useful. When changing tooling just switch the machine of as you would normally, the foot switch is then dead.
BTW no pets are allowed in my workshop, swarf and paw pads just mean more vet bills.

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Originally Posted by mklotz

Actually, I no longer have a drill press. The bench model I had was taking up so much room in my overcrowded Garaj Mahal that I sold it. Since then I've done all drilling on my mill-drill which works well for me.

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Using a mill-drill is better than a bench drill press anyway.

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Originally Posted by olderdan

The safe way to wire a foot switch is to put the machine switch as intermediate so the foot switch is only live when you switch the machine on at the moment of use, a live warning light would also be useful.

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12bolts and I indicated that is how we do it, although I don't have a light. It would be useful because I often leave it switched on. I don't switch off between tool changes though.

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Originally Posted by tonyfoale

I use foot switches on my drill presses. It is much more convenient and safer as well. If the drill catches and the work starts spinning it is much easier to lift a foot and run, rather than hang around reaching for the ON/OFF switch with a damaged hand.

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With all the health and safety these days i would think manufacturers would have a plug in accessory foot switch for most machines where feasible. Even a knee operated off button as reaching up to the button on the drill is bad, just as the button on my lathe. Most imports have the duo on/off buttons with a off button in a lid, most inconvenient, my lathe is particularly irksome, thanks, I'll be doing a foot switch. In the 60s, lathes came with a reversing switch at thigh level, no reaching up over the lathe.
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The trend in on off switches, the lid had to go!
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Quote:

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Originally Posted by ozepool

With all the health and safety these days i would think manufacturers would have a plug in accessory foot switch for most machines where feasible. Even a knee operated off button as reaching up to the button on the drill is bad, just as the button on my lathe. Most imports have the duo on/off buttons with a off button in a lid, most inconvenient, my lathe is particularly irksome, thanks, I'll be doing a foot switch. In the 60s, lathes came with a reversing switch at thigh level, no reaching up over the lathe.

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A lot of elf and safety features on tools actually increase danger because it makes stuff difficult to operate, the switch covers that you show are a case in point. I don't like the illustrated location of the red button on your lathe and although your proposed position is better it still requires you to reach across the spinning plane of the chuck or face plate.

The switch on my lathe was over to the left and I hated the idea and practice of reaching across that danger zone, so I repositioned the switch as far to the right as was easy for the wiring and then added a mechanical extension to the switch which is well out of the way. That also gives me the option of RH or LH operation. The lathe switch that I like the best are those lever types that are fixed to the RHS of the saddle and travel with it. They usually have a third shaft going through the saddle.

Attachment 20679 Attachment 20680 Click on pix for full size.

The repositioned switch is shown to the left, the right shows the mechanical extension for right hand operation well out of the spinning area. The extension comprises of a bit of 6 mm threaded rod, a couple of cheap rod ends and a small aluminium block to hold or knock.

I have an E-stop at the top RH face of my lathes headstock right where it is natural for the LH hand to slap in a hurry,(and I have used it), but I had never considered the fact that I would be reaching "across the spinning plane of the chuck or face plate." I have a spare E-stop switch so I will wire it in series over on the tailstock end of the lathe.
Thanks for pointing out this danger, now I think about it I realize just how easy it would be to sustain a nasty injury or fatal blow, very scary.

Those combination E-stop and on-off switches are a tidy solution to having one switch do two functions. I agree they can be a nuisance when turning on and off frequently but are designed to stop accidental starting of a machine and a stop as soon as you hit the big red button. In use not really a problem and I'd rather slap a big target in an emergency than try and put a finger on a button.

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Originally Posted by NortonDommi

Thanks for pointing out this danger, now I think about it I realize just how easy it would be to sustain a nasty injury or fatal blow, very scary.

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I have never had a bad experience due to this but I have always been aware of the undesirable potential for nastiness.