Photo/Video request

[davect]

Hello candlepin folk! Pending my acquisition of scale candlepins (I'm having difficulty contacting the individual who can fabricate them) I'd like to start formulating ideas about a pinsetter. At the moment I'm just thinking of semi-automatic. What I'd like to see in the form of photos and/or videos is the mechanism for lowering and raising the table. I've never seen the back-end details of a Bowl-Mor Candlepin machine in person (which is surprising) but I have seen some general videos but nothing in great detail. From what I can tell it seems there are at least two rods extending from the table guided by thrust bearings. A cable or chain raises and lowers the table. What drives said cable or chain? Would love to see something in detail to give me ideas.

Thanks!
Dave

[Tablejam]

I think that part of it is very similar to a GSX, with guide tubes, rollers, and lowered by chain driven by a crank/pulley/sprocket setup.

The rest of it I don't know, it is difficult finding vids for this stuff.

[davect]

Tablejam: Yes...very difficult finding videos indeed! But, since I live in New England I have no excuse for not seeing a candlepin pinsetter up close and personal!
To "Candlepin_Guy" (Nick): If anyone has the enthusiasm to make the video, it's YOU!

Well, I do have some ideas of my own so let's see where that bumpy road takes me...

[mr.badwrench]

http://imageshack.us/user/mrbadwrench
Feel free to steal any of my imageshack pics and check later for new ones. I don't have anything there yet showing what you want. On the issue of cables versus chains, everyone who pinchases machines with cables wants to replace them with chains. If anythings stops the tube deck from going down and allows slack in the cables, the cables come off the pulleys and tangle into a mess.

[mr.badwrench]

Five fresh pics of the tube deck lowering system. Here is the first of them. You can find the others at my imageshack link above.

[davect]

Thanks for the link!

[Candlepin_Guy]

Maybe able to shoot a vid tonight Davect. Headin' over to work soon!

[Candlepin_Guy]

[davect]

Thanks for the video! That's similar to what I had mind.

[House]

Nice looking pinsetters Candlepin_guy

[Candlepin_Guy]

Thanks House. I wish I could take credit for em but Im just the equivilent of a pinchaser and all the mods and upgrades were done long before I even started working at this centre. I just keep em clean and do simple fixes/maintenence on em. Speaking of which, Ive been slacking and gotta give em a good cleaning soon!

Nick

[davect]

Another question! What is guiding the guide rods on the tube board? Perhaps a linear bearing something like this (but larger)? http://www.amazon.com/Amico-Flanged-...982121&sr=1-70

[mr.badwrench]

You have the right idea. The rod is 1" diameter steel and the guide is a 1" ID steel pipe with a round flange welded to it and a larger rectangular steel plate bolted to it on top of the upper deck. Steel to steel means the rods have to be kept well greased. Inexperienced pin chasers frequently grease themselves on the rods. If you could use smooth steel rods sliding through nylon you might be able to do without the grease.

[Candlepin_Guy]

I can't count how many times Ive been working on the bottom tubeboard and accidently brushed my face against the guide rods... End up looking like I'm going into battle with war paint.