Ben's wife: "Honey why is the sauce pan leaking?" There is now a tiny hole in every conductive thing in Ben's home.

Drilling through a lathe cutter is impressive. I've never thought about EDM for drilling. This is genius.

"Honey, where's my large mixing pot?" "You mean the large colander?" "No, I mean my big mixing bowl from the KitchenAid mixer" "Yes. You mean... the colander."

Suddenly everything in his shop has dozens of tiny holes

Now that is cool.

>It'll be too conductive >water your plants with it It's got what plants crave. (Electrolytes)

Not only is this impressive machining, he provides an articulate and thorough explanation of how it's accomplished. Accolades!

A lot of years ago, I used one of these machines to remove broken drills, taps and hardened steel pegs from materials. It was extremely good at doing this and due to costing, worked out cheaper than re-machining the whole part again - mainly because I worked cheap. For fun, I used to make strings of ball bearings, similar to pearls, from worn out bearings.

Me: "Huh I wonder how (any advanced topic here) works?" Applied Science: "Here I've made this cutting edge technology in my garage, and made an great video about it."

Makes me want one so I can drill random holes through random hard metal objects, just because I can!

I once had a conversation with an engineer - he talked about a project he was working on. It was about EDM machining; they used a wire about the thickness of a human hair. It was so precise that when you put two freshly separated pieces of metal back together and left them for a while, they'd fuse back into one piece. Since EDM is pretty slow, they'd devised a system which was able to re-inject a new piece of wire using a jet of water should the old one have broken when running unsupervised during the night or over a weekend. Fascinating stuff!

I had need for such a machine several times in my shop life and only guessed that such a machine existed. Not till now has the concept been shown as being practical and affordable. Thank you. Opens lots of new doors.

when I was younger my kid used to tell me stories of homemade EDM machines that I always dismissed as urban legend. I've seen that baxedm stuff around, great to see it implemented. Looking forward to seeing your wire feeder / tensioner. I talk alot when I'm excited; moral of the story: Amazing work!!

When I was in Grade 8, a buddy and I built an EDM drill starting from an article that had been in Popular Mechanics. I got a section of a many-splined transmission shaft to use as a "tool" from a shop that fixed Kenworth oilfield trucks. That was pretty hard, high-grade steel, and it was able to drill a close-fitting hole through a piece of 1-1/2" mild steel or aluminum plate. The plate being drilled was submerged in Kerosene in a clear Pyrex dish, so that the arc discharge was actually covered by the liquid. Raising/lowering the head for the cutting tool was a vertical slide made of maple, both the track and the movable head that ran in it. The maple slider holding the "tool" was raised and lowered by fly line running through a multi-line block & tackle made with Meccano pulleys. We got a very slow-turning gear motor out of a junked Timex watch display, which very slowly un-reeled the line, lowering the cutting tool. The speed for lowering the cutting head was one of the hardest things to get right. The winding motor wasn't variable speed or reversible - a hand crank raised the cutting head. We cobbled up a circulating pump using an automotive-type mechanical fuel pump with the actuating lever arm moved by a maple cam on a bolt chucked in a 1/4" electric drill. We put a diode in one leg of the power wires to slow the drill down. We made a tapered glass tubing nozzle for the hose where it "squirted" at the workpiece. That flushed the cuttings away from the tool pretty well, although not as nicely as if we'd had a tool head with a hollow center to pump the Kerosene through. The cuttings built up quite quickly, and we discovered that things didn't work so well if the liquid was full of metal cuttings. The solution for that problem was to drain the kerosene full of cuttings into a reservoir. Some settled out, and the pump output ran through a Diesel engine fuel filter. Our high voltage supply was 120 VAC going through a voltage doubler or tripler power supply, using some big capacitors, some big incandescent light bulbs for current limiting, and some high-rating diodes we obtained by writing to a solid-state component manufacturer. They sent us a box with 2 or 3 sets as well as some heat sink material free of charge, which was good of them. All this back in 1969 - 50 years ago - hard to believe. Later I became an electrical engineer, and belatedly learned just how dangerous this setup had been. But, ignorance is bliss, and we never had any shocks, big arcs, fires or major problems or failures, and it actually did cut really complex shaped holes through thick steel and aluminum. A buddy and I built this contraption and won 2nd prize at a regional science fair. We attended a really small school, with teachers who really didn't understand (fortunately) what we were doing very well. We figured we'd done OK, since about 80% of the parts were junk/scrap, begged, or donated, and the only "guidebook" we had was a Popular Mechanics article. We bought the big capacitors from a motor & genset rewinding shop that worked on oilfield equipment. They got interested in what we were doing, and donated the mechanical fuel pump, a bunch of hoses, and a diesel engine filter housing and filters along with the fittings to connect it all up. They thought using an electric drill to drive the pump showed "ingenuity." We were pretty lucky to have people help us out with things like that, and the high voltage diodes. It's sure a long, long way from where EDM technology is today. I went to an industrial trade show once, where some EDM equipment was being demo'd, and told one of the sales reps about the Grade 8 science fair project. He had a good laugh, and told me we'd been complete idiots. Which wasn't really fair - we built it with almost no adult help, solved all the problems, and made a working machine that actually drilled a 1"-1-1/4" splined hole through thick steel plate. We nicknamed the beast the "Spitzensparken" for obvious reasons. My friend's dad was a ham radio operator, so he knew something about high voltage wiring and insulation. We were pretty lucky in some respects. How many school science teachers today would let a couple of 13 year-olds build a project like this in the school lab?. We had parents who kept an eye on things but trusted us enough to be careful when fooling around with what was a pretty crude rig.

Not to mention he very clearly walks us through every step, so that novice to expert is in full understanding of form and function, as well as what and where to go-to for parts and programs for running it. Impressive. He clearly watched ALOT of Mr. Wizard as a youth. Thank you Obi One....

Running an EDM drilling machine in my CNC-EDM Wirecut shop too makes me be even more impressed about you having build yourself such a machine DIY! It takes some really deep knowledge about electronics, the EDM process and also some decent building skills to get that done and finally to work! BIG RESPECT! WELL DONE!

The world deserves a collab between Applied Science and This Old Tony.

I bet he's the kind of guy that never loses a chuck key.

My brain just melted. What a great introduction to EDM, was very informational, thank you!

I've been a EDM programmer/operator for 25 years... When I started my apprenticeship.. EDM was in its infancy. I run Wire, sinker and Hole popping machines. Even after 25 years.. I'm still learning new and interesting aspects of the technology almost every day. Wire EDM is the most accurate form of machining available today. We regularly achieve tolerances of .00005. Currently my company has 8 Fanuc Wire machines along with several sinkers and hole poppers.

I think hobbyist level EDM is going to make a large impact in the small/precision capabilities of the home shop

"In fact I have been able to drill through / ruin, every single conductive thing in the shop" lol ....

This has some useful automotive applications that I can see, namely adding safety wire to parts that didn't come with it. Very cool, thank you for showing this demonstration of your open source hardware table you built and the length of explanation of how and where you acquired the bits necessary to replicate.

Thanks to your video, today i have successfully removed a broken screw tap from an aluminium heatsink. It was metric 3 and 6 mm long . I have done with a constant current lab supply with 10 amps and 24V. Rotation with a hand drilling machine. Thank you! Without you i don't think i could done it.

The complexity and variety of projects that Ben works on is amazing. Always so thoroughly explained, too. Every video is a must-watch for me. Keep up the good work. ;)

*Applied Science* I collect Niobium and Ferro-Niobium, would love to see you drill through the crystalline as well as solid bar forms using the EDM method. You are also the one guy who may be able to melt it in the home shop. Usually an electron beam welder type device is used to melt it, I had always wondered if a carbon arc mini foundry would be capable.

I love the level of detail that you include on the engineering of each specific component and process for those of us that love the minutiae.

I run Makino sinker EDMs and the capabilities of the machine is nuts! Super precise and some materials we also use for machining is Graphite/Carbon. There is different types of PoCo as well.

42 Seconds in, had to stop and like. Wow, you drill through tungsten carbide with that ease

I EDMed a 1/2" wrench once while replacing batteries in a room sized UPS. A few hundred amps is all you need.

This is amazing, I pick up my jaw after seeing the tungsten bit with some small niddle through it!.

The level of application for this is insane.

Of course ben makes his own EDM machine! I expect a fully functional fusion reactor by the end of the week. Edit: just wanted to plug this excellent Japanese tv show called supreme skills which is sort of a game show for Japanese scientists and manufacturing specialists. Heres an episode where they use a manual lathe and EDM drilling to drill through a pencil lead: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/pqmkirOTuarGpY0.html Maybe you should give that a shot!

CNC milling for hobbyist ✅ Resin 3D printers for hobbyist ✅ Laser Cutter for hobbyist ✅ EDM for hobbyist 🤯

I haven't seen EDM in decades. Guess I really haven't found a need for it lately. We used carbon electrodes for drilling holes but we also had electrodes in special shapes which were used to essentially cut precision curved slots in hard to machine aerospace materials. Our coolant setup was very different from the one described. Coolant was similar to ordinary low pressure, high flow spot cooling for other machine types but the conductive coolant was different.

I never saw drilling like this. Is incredible. Beautiful technology.

I had no idea this process was accessible. Thanks for the share.

I choose to believe that it’s Electronic Dance Music machining.

Electrical discharge machining drilling machine, wow that’s a mouthful.

Amazing work and amazing narration of the project. I want one! Thank you so much!

Another fantastic video. I think it would be fun to drill across the diameter of a quarter.

You sir, are brilliant. I don't usually leave comments, and this has nothing to do with anything I would ever be involved in, but I found this very fascinating and articulate.

21:15 *furiously bends the rod while assembling it* "man this hole is so big, the something must be out of alignment" Great stuff man, very educational

Could be a game changer for making solder paste stencils!!! This project is on my "To Do" list for sure, good stuff.

Who would've ever thought that drilling a freaking hole can get so cool

The local engineering shop that I frequented during my formative years on the farm had one of these units, and you could 'eat' out a broken off bolt/stud/whatever - it used what looked like a 1/2 horse electric motor, that had been reconfigured to be an electromagnet; the circuit ran through the armature and back through the work piece. When you applied the lever and brought the tungsten electrode into contact with the work piece, it energised the armature and the the electrode was pulled away from the work piece and created your arc, thus eroding the part a little. Repeated application of the electrode kept eating away at the part until it was (most;y) removed, allowing the broken part to be extracted. Magic!

You are at different dimension ! Very well done !

You made this so interesting. I couldn't pull away for a second. Thank you very much!

5:30 - "I couldnt believe it, It was cheaper than the raw materials from Mc Master by a lot" - I can

Don't even know what I'd use it for but I want to build one.

And I thought I was a machinist because I use my DeWalt drill to drill a 1/16 hole in steel. This video was well worth the time and I learned so much. There’s a lot I don’t understand but I really enjoyed. Thank you.

Now this is the kind of EDM I can get into.

I wonder what This Old Tony is thinking right now.

I love technology and people's ability to find new things to do and how far they can push it. Great video.

I’ve seen this before and forgot how interesting it was, thanks again. great video.

18:20 this is some weird sounding EDM, i guess you can call anything music nowadays

Excellent speaker - well spoken and explained

Hey, great thing about Openbuilds is that if you need to extend your Z axis to account for a longer probe if you don't want to cut them short, you can get a longer threaded rod and matching C-beam to extend the height.

I love all the examples of holes through extremely hard metal objects.

I know when I've stumbled upon something way over my head. Great work!

This was an excellent presentation that was very well-spoken. The words used fit prefectly in the context of the video material. The extra effort put forth to inform is something many relevant viewers will not go without appreciating.

You've got excellent and very unique videos, unlike many other channels that show the same YT videos over and over.

Title of thesis:improvement of electrode tools for metal processing by electric arc. I told my professor about the idea of combining the arc and CNC machine.This is a cool idea.

This technology will move us toward the future at high speed. It’s awesome

I won't pretend for 1 second to have understood everything that was going on.. But, it certainly is mesmerizing.. Thanks..

SO WELL narrated! Excellent learning.

I'm new to your chann,this was my first vid,I'm impressed with your knowledge and I like the way you explain what it is your talking about,I'm fascinated with newer technology, this is just amazing to me and I appreciated your vid,thank you...

This is almost a break through industry , but the down to earth guy is talking like is not a big deal Very intelligent person

I remember you mentioning this process on one of my videos a couple years ago and I had since forgotten about it. This is crazy cool. I was just about to ask about how you even begin to figure out your feed rate when you mentioned the software does that for you. I really need to stop leaving comments before I finish videos. Looking forward to seeing how the wire EDM works in the X Y axis. Thanks for the great video as always!

This guy needs to come over to my shop and hang out until I die! He's my new hero!

Keep on going, it’s the future of special drilling delicate applications.❤

Thank you 20 years of wondering just how EDM works answered in 30 minutes and Im an engineer!

I was COMPLETELY enthralled with listening and watching this entire video! Thinking to myself "what to make first?"! Take care, 🤓 -Thomas

We use a wire EDM at my workplace to cut certain metals and I'm learning how to operate the machine, but this video was great for explaining how the process works. I'll be looking forward to what you have to show with regards to wire EDM processes, but this drilling process was quite fascinating.

This vid is a year old now but I think you could put together kits or whole assemblies and do quite well. This is an awesome tool and video. Thank you.

Appreciate your: video, explanations, product recommendations, and the time put into it. Thank you for sharing, brother 🙌 Will be saving up to make one myself 😁

You do an excellent job of explaining all of this. Thank you!

Thanks ! This is undoubtedly one of my favourite channels on KZfaq.

I can just tell this project will break the bank.

I freaking love this channel!

I am very pleased with OpenBuilds components.

I experimented with EDM using a 3d printer, and the door-bell EDM settup I saw on Jeri Ellsworth channel. Worked pretty well, and didn't need the pump assembly. Great way to remove broken drill bits stuck in your work-piece.

Fantastic narration, explanation, work, and all the stuff.

EDM is one of the coolest machining processes. Very useful information, I may just have to consider following your instructions and build one for myself.

And this ladies and gentleman is why i love this channel, I seen a EDM machine in a clients machine shop, and I didn't understand the science behind it, And now I do ! Amazing technology. i wouldn't be surprised if this technology dates back to the 60's, now with opening up of patents we can now start benefiting in a small shop environment much like 3d printers.

I needed that drill set up yesterday. Seriously. Very cool

From decades of working with analog power supplies filter and shielding and low noise ultra fast soft recovery diodes help a great deal . Wire management also reduce antenna effects of un-shielded wire . Faraday cage does work also . Enjoyed the video keep up the fine work.

EDM seems like it'd be a really good way to make a metal block for generating laminar flow.

Commonly used to remove broken taps a demo would be nice, the EDM machine I witnessed removing a tap was 30 years ago.

Your video was very well done. Explanations were clear and complete. I don't need a small hole cutter, but I want one!

Another wonderful video, you are like a video version of pre-1980's "Scientific American's The Amateur Scientist" you have kept me current (so to speak) in so many area's of (he-he-he) applied science. You are a diamond set in titanium, amongst hard core(lol) technicians. Thanks to you I no longer buy acetic anhydride, but instead, learned how to build a ketene lamp... with all glass construction except for the electrodes which are embedded in the glass to provide a perfect seal. Without your pointing the way it never would have happened.

The topic was really cool and the Machine is awesome. How you explained it was over-the-top!

Awesome, I'm so excited to see that you tackled this.

I went to a votech to learn and the die sink was my favorite machine at that time in mid 90s. Long before 3d printing . We only used electrodes and they didn't have any spindle or spin at all for that matter. We used graphite or brass. The graphite was very easy to shape. I did some really complex burn with steps and about geo shape you can imagine. EdM wire machine was so amazingly accurate and could such a great tolerance.

so well explained, i loved every minute of this

You know, I watched this through to the end a while back. I saw this again in my feed and decided to watch it all the way again. This is pretty darn cool. 🤙🤙

This is very interesting. Thanks for sharing, and most of all, for the detailed explanation. Even those tiny bits only experience provide. Again, thanks.

more entertaining than any movie i could find in netflix. i built a milling machine and i was happy. now imagine you build this edm milling machine. that is equivalent of 12 rounds of DMT in 24 hours. you should be very happy. this is a beautiful macine.

I've been subscribed to you for years and years, and you still manage to astonish me with your incredible science experiments. Thank you for all you do!

AvE is gonna be jealous when he sees this