Renee n Jerry Conrad
08-16-2006, 05:15 PM
Got a heck of a deal on a 52" X 14ga? maybe 12ga box and pan. Like many old metal workers, it was missing a couple fingers. No problem. We have a machine shop. Lots of chips later we almost have a full set. Work was worthwhile because it's a 1500lb monster and we paid $325 for it, plus $50 for the log truck to haul it home. I see new 4' X 16ga US made machines over $3,000. Good money for a couple days machining!
http://www.metalmeet.com/photopost/data/500/fngrdtl.jpg
This setup wouldn't stand 'hogging' so I used a 3/4" rougher end mill and stair-stepped the nose angle, then a carbide shell mill to finish. General info, the included angle of the finger 'nose' is 40 degrees. An ok project if YOU are doing the machining, don't plan to pay someone - it'll cost too much!
"http://www.metalmeet.com/photopost/data/500/brakefingers.jpg
Once all the fingers are finished, the lengths must be adjusted to match. I can do that in this case on the extreme rear end of each finger, removing material on the long ones until they match.
The original nose pieces were hardened. I used hot rolled steel and will case harden with a torch and Kasenit. We could do this in our new forge but the national heat wave has not inspired us to work beside a 2800 degree fire.
Kasenit is a powder product that you cook onto the surface of mild steel at glowing orange heat and quench in water to produce a ding resistant surface leaving the core still soft. This hardens otherwise unhardenable steels by carburizing the surface It's sold by Enco and others.
The brake is a Dries and Krumpf. Anybody heard of this thing? Guesses on how old? Made in Chicago.
Jerry A Conrad
"If I could have any tool I wanted, what would it LOOK like?"
http://www.metalmeet.com/photopost/data/500/fngrdtl.jpg
This setup wouldn't stand 'hogging' so I used a 3/4" rougher end mill and stair-stepped the nose angle, then a carbide shell mill to finish. General info, the included angle of the finger 'nose' is 40 degrees. An ok project if YOU are doing the machining, don't plan to pay someone - it'll cost too much!
"http://www.metalmeet.com/photopost/data/500/brakefingers.jpg
Once all the fingers are finished, the lengths must be adjusted to match. I can do that in this case on the extreme rear end of each finger, removing material on the long ones until they match.
The original nose pieces were hardened. I used hot rolled steel and will case harden with a torch and Kasenit. We could do this in our new forge but the national heat wave has not inspired us to work beside a 2800 degree fire.
Kasenit is a powder product that you cook onto the surface of mild steel at glowing orange heat and quench in water to produce a ding resistant surface leaving the core still soft. This hardens otherwise unhardenable steels by carburizing the surface It's sold by Enco and others.
The brake is a Dries and Krumpf. Anybody heard of this thing? Guesses on how old? Made in Chicago.
Jerry A Conrad
"If I could have any tool I wanted, what would it LOOK like?"