[TheForge] air table

[David E. Smucker]

Terry, be aware that using a magnet for lifting of sheet steel can have some 
problems.  It is great for lifting a single sheet, provided that the table 
below the sheet is not steel.  Electro magnet lifts do NOT work well for 
lifting multi sheets.  The problem is you do not know how may sheets will 
lift, 1 or 2 or 3 or maybe 2 and 1/2.  What is used in most production lift 
operations went one wants to lift off of a stack of material is a vacuum cup 
lift.  They work great for aluminum or brass too.

Dave Smucker


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Peter Fels And Phoebe Palmer" <artgawk at thegrid.net>
To: "terry l. ridder" <terrylr at blauedonau.com>; "Sponsored by ABANA" 
<theforge at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Thursday, March 13, 2008 4:31 PM
Subject: Re: [TheForge] air table


> Terry...
> almost any perforated rigid surface ought to suffice,with an adequate 
> compressor supplying air to a plenum below....even in bursts from a 
> storage tank while you do the actual moving.
> Would masonite pegboard do?
> Drilling all those holes with a dremmel will drive you nuts and wear out 
> the dremmel.
> On the other hand, a swinging overhead trolley and rail, set up like a jib 
> crane, with your lift and magnet dangling below, would not cost all that 
> much more to make and be much more versatile.
>
> terry l. ridder wrote:
>> hello;
>>
>> i have been brainstorming about how to move sheets
>> of sheet metal around easily since i do not have the
>> ability to either brute force them around or leverage
>> them around. the idea of using an air table came to
>> me while in farm and fleet looking for pop rivets when
>> i saw an air hockey game for sale. i have looked around
>> and do not find any viable canidates for an air table.
>>
>> a friend suggested getting some countertop 2nds from
>> lowes and/or menards and using the dremel tool drill
>> the air holes then just make a sheetmetal plenum. attach
>> a blower to the plenum.
>>
>> i was thinking of using a sheet of rigid nylon and
>> perforating it with holes.
>>
>> would anyone have hints, suggestions, comments concerning
>> air tables?
>>
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