Thread: AL340 (maybe) with broken saddle

Originally Posted by Machtool

No disrespect intended, but that was K.B

https://www.woodworkforums.com/showth...34#post1857834


I believe that was the quote! Thats a thought bubble. You wont find stock of that in Cast Iron. Fab it up? Let me guess, couple of bits of angle iron, with a flat bar saddle. Thought bubble. Steel on Cast, that would be good.

He'll turn up at the openning of an envolope. Again with no disrespect, I wouldn't be hanging my hat on that. He turns Pen's, I fix machines. I have the rest of the week planned on scraping in a saddle on a Mazak, where the expence can be justified.

I hate to say this, but I've spent nearly 50 years in the fabrication game, steel, ally and stainless, last 30 self employed with employees. I did manage to get a lump of S/H cast 600 X 300 X 50, so they are out there. Have had a bit of machining experience but it was some time ago and I didn't realise that lathe parts were scrapped, none of the gear I've ever used had been scraped, but I'm not use to working $100,000 equipment.
Kryn

Originally Posted by .RC.

What would the harmonics be like? I hit cast iron with a hammer it goes thud... I hit steel it goes ringgggggggg.......

One thing that was in the past and not today is the large number of foundries and highly skilled machinists.... If this was fifty years ago when there was a foundry and pattern maker on every corner and replacement lathes were a years wages alone a fix would be easier to do..

Whilst that crack is visible, what other gremlins await hidden for the time being?

The only reason cast iron was/is used for parts of machines was/is the ease and low cost of production of parts of the machine
In quality modern lathes there are NO cast iron parts.
And that whilst some are turning materials up to 68 HRC within a sub micron accuracy.

Originally Posted by janvanruth

The only reason cast iron was/is used for parts of machines was/is the ease and low cost of production of parts of the machine
In quality modern lathes there are NO cast iron parts.
And that whilst some are turning materials up to 68 HRC within a sub micron accuracy.

I imagine they are not using steel though, but rather some other material like epoxy granite...

Originally Posted by Machtool

Machine up a slab? We are talking cast iron, not beer here. You make it sound like he could buy that cast iron slab at 7/11. There is no place in this country, that could provide a piece of cast iron, of that size, you could chew a new saddle out of.

Lets have a guess, you would be looking at 12"+ wide, 18" Long, 3" -3 1/2" deep. You will not be able to buy that section any where. Flowcast would do it, but its a 5 tonne minimum order.

Any way you look at it, a replacement is a one off, patterns, bespoke casting at one of the few places that will still do a one off. Its $2-$3k before you even look at it.

And dont even think about repairing it. Its cracked right above the primary Vee. Metal Stitching might work, but its still a $800 - $1k repair. And after any of that it still needs re-scraping to seat it.

Would you happen to be a wood-wacker by any chance? I'm wondering why you think you can just buy a section of cast that size. Because I really find it really offensive, to drop this, "Never ceases to amaze me with you blokes, what happened to the OZ " I can do" thinking, then go on to suggest you could buy that Cast Iron anywhere.

Fencing wire has it's place, BUT this isn't one of them. That machine is cactus.

Too easy !!!
Just cut the side out of an old 6 pot engine block
Sounds extreme but I have done it once in the past and it worked out quite well for what I was doing at the time..
In saying that I was not rebuilding a lathe or anything that needed such extreme high tolerances and accuracy.

Matt

Originally Posted by matthew_g

Too easy !!!
Just cut the side out of an old 6 pot engine block

That's interesting. I didn't realise that the sides of engine blocks were 50mm thick (or more). What sort of engine gave you that thickness material?

Actually if you scout around a tractor wreckers or heavy machinery wreckers, you might get lucky and find something useful. We bought 2 counterweights in cast iron that weighed approx 1.3 tonnes each. They are now mooring blocks for boats. I have a couple of CI slabs I bought from the same place for $50 each, probably a good 50kg or more each. The quality of stuff like this is very hit & miss, though, it never had to meet any metal specifications.

PDW

Like everyone else is saying, that machine is not worth repairing. But it might make a handy wood lathe. If you want something to recondition/refurbish there are plenty of good lathes going at rock bottom prices in the auctions..

Ray

Originally Posted by PDW

That's interesting. I didn't realise that the sides of engine blocks were 50mm thick (or more). What sort of engine gave you that thickness material?Actually if you scout around a tractor wreckers or heavy machinery wreckers, you might get lucky and find something useful. We bought 2 counterweights in cast iron that weighed approx 1.3 tonnes each. They are now mooring blocks for boats. I have a couple of CI slabs I bought from the same place for $50 each, probably a good 50kg or more each. The quality of stuff like this is very hit & miss, though, it never had to meet any metal specifications.PDW

Counter weights for a tractor?Dean

^^ Ye olde style ones used to, haven't paid attention to modern versions. Cranes and large forks, probably another source?

Engine blocks sound unlikely source with water jackets and, more recently, thin wall casting tech and oil return incorporated too.

Last of my foundry contacts retired last year, not many young guys happy to go into a hot, dirty trade nowadays I expect either, even if competition with o/s possible.