This is a bit of an odd project. It starts as many odd projects start, a request form my dad. 😂 He wanted a faster way to chop up copper pipe. See, we do HVAC and have amassed some piles of copper pipes. And copper scrap is priced higher if the copper has no solder joints. Well, our copper has solder joints.
In the past, we used a bandsaw, but this process takes a lot of time and is quite messy. After a bit of googling, I found a large, hydraulic wire cutter. Perfect, well, mostly. The only issues is it utilizes a 10,000 PSi hydraulic source.
Sourcing the pump was of no issue. We found the largest one we could on eBay and purchased it. The problem was actuation. These pumps are designed for for simple and slow actuation. Utilizing a simple manual valve. Good for the odd hole punch or pipe bender. Not so good for rapid, repetitive actuation.
What we need is an electric valve. Something that can open and close our wire cutter relatively fast. They make them, but at $2,000 new, the price is quite inhibiting. Well, ebay once again to the rescue. A NEW valve for a steal of a price. $300 Who could refuse?
This enerpac valve was perfect in every way but the connection ports. There ment for a enerpac pump. Not the Greenlee pump we have. But that is no problem for a man with a mill and no fear of hydraulic blood poisoning from an oil injection injury. 😎
The vow that will forever bond this pump and valve will be a subplate. This sublate will bolt to the valve as the valve is meant to be bolted onto the pump. The suplate will be drilled and taped to accommodate 1/4″ NPTF pipe thread. This is to connect the hoses coming to and from the pump to the valve.
The valve came with a seal, but little in the way directions. I thought the seal was good for 10k PSI.
It wasn’t.😬😬😥
But not to worry! I had thought of this scenario as that seal looked a bit odd. O’Rings! I just need to machine a recess into the subplate to hold the O’Rings in place. After doing so, the subplate held pressure beautifly. But to what will hold this magnificent body of redneck work.
A Milwaukee packout case. This is not because of some weird aspiration to be sponsored by MIlwaukee. Mobility will be important for this apparatus. Added storage will be handy. And the cost of a packout case is about equal to anything else I could do, so why not.
The valve sits in a 3d printed saddle. The saddle is held to the packout case by 1/4-20 machine screws secured to the print via melt in nuts. The valve is held to the saddle via a revolutionary method. ZIP TIES!
Supply and return are in the back of the case. The holes where a little messy, so I 3D printed some escutcheons to hide my blunders.
Hydraulic tool port is in the front. To hold the quick connector, I machined a simple panel mount fitting.
We also have the pump switch and remote connector in the front. The switch selects from pump on by remote, pump off, and pump on steady. The remote connector facilitates a foot pedal to be plugged in in order to operate the hydraulic flow. This connector will also be used for the more advance remote that will be built in the future. Hopefully. If i ever get to it.
Electrical components (a relay 🤓) are mounted to a din rail secured to the lid. Yup, were building in three dimensions now. 😎
The valve box is mounted to the pump box via Milwaukee’s packout wall/floor mount. Oh yea, the pump is mounted to a wooden box my dad made. 🙃
Everything is secured to a hand truck for easy mobility. Well, relatively easy mobility. This thing is nearing a hundred pounds.
The wire cutter, foot switch, and hose are concealed within the other packout cases on top of the pump. All in all, it works out rather well.
