- Thread starter pressbrake1
- Start date
pressbrake1
Forum Supporter
- Messages
- 5,619
- Location
- Essex
Big wheel progress
Martin Hocking
Member
- Messages
- 395
- Location
- Norfolk
Blimey is that how much hard chroming costs these days. Yikes! Having a set of forks done used to be a couple of hundred quid. Mind you I haven’t looked since before ABE caught fire…
pressbrake1
Forum Supporter
- Messages
- 5,619
- Location
- Essex
I remember going up to all bike for a stanchion for my fzr1000 . I remember they had snow ring grinders on brake disc production
Brad93
Member
- Messages
- 18,666
- Location
- Essex, United Kingdom
I bet they are long gone now?
It is a 5ft column for my Super 8 (non original, I expect), but it was a “sit down” moment for the quote. That said, it would have been a first class job from a very reputable outfit. I didn’t do it, but there again, I haven’t restored my drill either. I did pick up an original bench column, suited to my base, and the fescolising on it is still pretty good.
Very impressed by the wood bothering pattern making, serious skills there and taking it on the chin if it don't work out at the foundry or something you can't machine to right, but guessing they would throw you a fair bit of slack on a prototype and they enjoy getting away from drudgery of repeat boring stuff
pressbrake1
Forum Supporter
- Messages
- 5,619
- Location
- Essex
foundry’s can be very frustrating. If you get a good moulder who has a idea of methoding and actually cares you’re ok , but another moulder might not give a damn
Then you’ll have a lovely casting but the the brainless fettler will take a paddy’s motorbike to it and ruin it and believe it or not even the best foundry’s employ brainless idiots as fettlers.
I actually beg foundry bosses not to fettle the castings. “ don’t tell the fettlers to try harder, don’t let them near it!”
Then you’ll have a lovely casting but the the brainless fettler will take a paddy’s motorbike to it and ruin it and believe it or not even the best foundry’s employ brainless idiots as fettlers.
I actually beg foundry bosses not to fettle the castings. “ don’t tell the fettlers to try harder, don’t let them near it!”
Pete.
Member
- Messages
- 14,572
- Location
- Kent, UK
Maybe now but a while back the discs were being waterjet cut by a firm local to me from 5mm stainless sheet. I wanted some of the centre offcuts but they wouldn't let me have any as it all had to go back to the customer.
Barking Mat
Cuddler of hedgehogs.
- Messages
- 13,139
- Location
- France, Brittany.
Looks awesome Clive.
Martin Hocking
Member
- Messages
- 395
- Location
- Norfolk
From what I remember there was a huge fire that wiped out their whole premises about 10 years ago. I kind of assumed that was the end of it all.
They still have a website though:
All bike engineering
Seems like they are still going. Maybe they sub out a lot of the work now instead like pete mentioned with the brake discs.
It’d be a shame if they have gone they were good.
pressbrake1
Forum Supporter
- Messages
- 5,619
- Location
- Essex
Trouble is even with a generous (unlikely) insurance payment you can’t replace the machines easily
Brad93
Member
- Messages
- 18,666
- Location
- Essex, United Kingdom
Certainly not snow ring grinders. I remember you saying you'd like one, the next one i saw come up, was like £4k. That's gotta grind a lot of brake discs to earn its keep.
Martin Hocking
Member
- Messages
- 395
- Location
- Norfolk
In a fire like that is just game over then?
Isn’t there something in one of the Moore books about a jug borer left after a fire still being in tolerance. Maybe I made that up…
Isn’t there something in one of the Moore books about a jug borer left after a fire still being in tolerance. Maybe I made that up…
I suppose it would be how hot it got & if it warped. I bought a Multico wood thicknesser 40 years ago for £50 it had been in a workshop that burned to the ground. The motor & switch gear were toast & the tinwork guards were warped but the main castings were still perfect. I bashed the tinware straight, it got a hammerite rebuild new motor & went to work, Its still working.
Brad93
Member
- Messages
- 18,666
- Location
- Essex, United Kingdom
Yep, and probably if there were any stresses in the casting. A sustained fire could release those stresses, cracks could occur, things could sag/shift.
Martin Hocking
Member
- Messages
- 395
- Location
- Norfolk
Good to know things can survive Keith.
I guess I was just musing on whether it normally even be considered to rebuild expensive machines after a fire but I guess there’s quite a lot of risk as you point out brad.
I suppose after the insurance have been in they get sold on as mildly heat treated…
I guess I was just musing on whether it normally even be considered to rebuild expensive machines after a fire but I guess there’s quite a lot of risk as you point out brad.
I suppose after the insurance have been in they get sold on as mildly heat treated…
pressbrake1
Forum Supporter
- Messages
- 5,619
- Location
- Essex
Problem is they’re low value machines that are expensive to repair or replace and certainly fair more complex than a mortiser
Hydraulic feeds and controls , bronze a lead bearings , heat treated gears . Round electro magnetic chucks that are horrifically expensive to replace
It’s really not that simple
A Multico Thicknesser is a good quality woodworking machine, but it is very simple, its basically two heavy flat ribbed side castings separated by four tubular steel spreaders & bolted up, The deck rises & falls of dovetail ways down one side. Plain bearings on the feed & two ball races on the spindle, So its a machine with not a lot to go wrong, castings are nowhere more than a half inch thick, Its rise & fall deck was fortunately true. But when accuracy is measured in 16ths & 32nds it wouldnt really matter anyway. Warp a complex metal working machine built to work to high tolerances & it aint goint to be so easy to put it right!
One aspect is how was the fire put out, i can imagine a hose played on a hot casting could have some uncontrolled effects.
One aspect is how was the fire put out, i can imagine a hose played on a hot casting could have some uncontrolled effects.
pressbrake1
Forum Supporter
- Messages
- 5,619
- Location
- Essex
Yes I have my late fathers multico morticer, simple but good machines
