How To Do Just About Everything
By Paul Vaughn
completed air board
Rate: (1 Ratings)
A pneumatics training board is a cost effective way to teach students the fundamentals of air pressure doing work faster and more efficiently than it can be done by hand. In addition, this exercise will reinforce the student's ability to troubleshoot problems on almost any machine or vehicle.
Installed air piston.
Build a box three feet long, two feet high and two feet wide. Use 3/4" inch plywood for the box construction. Use a four by eight sheet of three quarter inch plywood to use for the back board. Use four solid castor wheels to make the training board movable.
Installed single acting valve and air gauge.
Locate where the air piston will be attached. Use the u-bolts to mark where the holes should be located (the air piston should be located near the top of the back board). Screw the appropriate nut size onto the u-bolt threads. Use your open end box end wrench or ratchet and socket set to secure the mounting nuts. These nuts must be secure for the piston to operate.
Air piston.
Mount a single acting valve onto the back board (preferably towards the bottom of the back board). This valve allows the air piston to extend forward to the length of the piston. The single acting valve in the down position will retract the air piston to its normally closed position (see picture).
Pneumatic training board by (Pneumatic inc.)
Install a pressure gauge above the single action valve by its mount bolts and nuts. When the appropriate pressure is reached, the air piston will extend by moving the single acting valve forward. The air cylinder will retract by moving the single acting cylinder back to its resting place.
Technology lab
Cut three one half inch metal pieces and use a welder to join each side piece to the back piece. Use grade 8 bolts to attach the back plate and grade 8 nuts to hold the assembly in place. Washers are preferred to further secure the back stop. Be sure to cut the pieces wider than the air piston so the piston won't get stuck. It is important to secure the can mounting area to prevent it from falling out before crushing.
Valve assembly with air line attached
Add the appropriate size male and female threaded connectors to install a pressure gauge into the pressure regulator. The pressure can be monitored from the gauge and increased or decreased as needed by the pressure regulator handle.
assembly and finishing floor for pneumatics
The pneumatic system has a built in pressure control device called a foot pedal. The pressure line going to the can crusher and external air source, can be turned on or turned off in case of emergency. ie hand caught between the can crusher.
Novice 
Comments
curtis1968 said
on 9/30/2008 I reccomend using a hydraulic/gravity feed set-up. Use 1/8th inch tubing and drill a hole in the bottom of the container. Insert the tubing into the hole and use water proof glue to secure it. Cut a section i the tubing and install a simple on/off valve in the line. Use water proof glue to secure it in the feed line. Follow the same procedure for a container located slightly below the level of the pumice container. Fill the pumice container by turn the valve to the on position and off when all water is in the pumice container. After the pumice rocks have floated, open the valve to the lower container and drain the water out of the pumice container. Refill the top container and start the experiment again with the next student.
Thanks for the comment and the two stars. I was an educator for many years and I love to help teacher with projects like this.
Sincerely,
Paul
lizzabell said
on 9/23/2008 I need to build a small, hands-on, table top science type project that will challenge children form 9 years old and up, to consider if a rock will float. At first look, this display will look like a couple rocks resting on the bottom of a dry clear plastic bowl. Question on a sign would read like, "Do you know if a rock will float?" Think about it. Once you decide, then push the RED button. When the RED button is pushed, water will gush into the bowl and fill it about half way. The rocks begin floating immediately since it is pumice. After about 10 to 15 seconds, the water in the bowl rapidly drains out leaving the rocks on the bottom of the empty bowl. System is now armed and ready for the next curious child. Please help. Is pneumatics and electrical switches the way to go? This is a tool I would like to build that will teach children some important information about rocks.