Author Topic: Circle cutter - clean up.  (Read 23136 times)

Offline Divided he ad

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Circle cutter - clean up.
« on: March 19, 2011, 04:55:39 PM »
I specifically said Clean up in the title cause I don't class this as a full re-con job.

But, here's what I'm doing...


I have a rather large circle cutter that I purchased off e-blag many moons ago. You see I had strange images of trying some metal spinning and for that I would need metal discs.
So the process went thus:

Buy a circle cutter and make your own discs cause 1, it's easier than mail ordering them and 2, it'll be fun!

Well, I went looking and found 3 for sale. 2 of them listed circles upto 40"  and 1 of them circles upto 18" . So I bid on the "smaller" one.
I think the guy selling it had as much knowledge about what he was selling as I did over what I was buying!  :palm:  :loco:   ::)  :doh:   And any other smiley that fits the bill!


What I ended up with was a pallet delivered to my works yard with about 20 stones worth of cast iron on it  :jaw:
It was as big as the other 2 and that was far, far too big! The throat on this thing is approx 18" and that's able to make 36" circles!!!!


So, it lived in the back of the garage till last week, it now has a new mission.... clean up, paint, re-assemble and sell!   I need DRO's!   :zap:



Right. Now that you know the history, how about a look at the present?

Exibit A



The business end




And the start of the strip down...


The throat removed and it's rusty shim block.



The lower cutter ass'y





The upper cutter ass'y



The rusty main body behind the upper cutter ass'y  (the wet look is the oil that I covered it in when I first got it)



The main body and all peripherals after a few hours stripping it completely and cleaning off all that bloody awful paint. It appears that the guys who sold it sprayed it with some weird paint? It was sprayed over hardened grease and basically I scraped most of it off by hand.
I used a wire cup brush on a drill to clean off the rest on the body and cutter bodies. The big throat section took the paint they used and the wire brush barely touched it so it's staying as an undercoat.

These pic's were taken after dark so the flash was used... I'll get more in daylight when I next get on it. Working all this weekend so it'll probably be one evening next week or next weekend before I start again.










More to come....






Ralph.
I know what I know and need to know more!!!

Offline Stilldrillin

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Re: Circle cutter - clean up.
« Reply #1 on: March 19, 2011, 05:14:29 PM »
By 'ek Ralph........

That's a BEAST!  :bugeye:

Never seen one of those before.....  :scratch:

Should clean up very nicely.  :thumbup:

David D
David.

Still drilling holes... Sometimes, in the right place!

Still modifying bits of metal... Occasionally, making an improvement!

Offline Divided he ad

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Re: Circle cutter - clean up.
« Reply #2 on: March 19, 2011, 06:12:10 PM »
Quote
By 'ek Ralph........

That's a BEAST!   :bugeye:

David,

 :lol:   I've heard that before!!   Not quite in the same context though :lol: 


My aching back is testament to the huge quantity of metal in this beast I have to drag it around when it's all built up. I can just about lift the broken down parts without collapsing!


I'm hoping it will clean up well.... It's worth quite a bit if the others I've seen are set at the going rate... I just need to find a buyer in a few weeks... Well, before Harrogate if possible???




Ralph.
I know what I know and need to know more!!!

Offline Bogstandard

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Re: Circle cutter - clean up.
« Reply #3 on: March 19, 2011, 06:51:37 PM »
Keep going Ralph, think of all those flashing digits of a shiny new DRO you will be able to buy if you manage to get a buyer in time. :dremel:


John
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Offline Divided he ad

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Re: Circle cutter - clean up.
« Reply #4 on: April 29, 2011, 11:39:24 AM »
Ok, been a while on this cause of my glass back....

I got some done at the beginning of the week but I couldn't post cause my monitor blew up!  :zap:

Well, a couple of capacitors busted and it stopped working.... but that's another story.


Right, on with the show...

I cleaned everything up and decided to paint it.... As I said before I do not like that funny colour paint they always seem to use on old machinery so....

I went with black!

The cutter bodies.



The main body, all mating surfaces masked off.



The horseshoe with the mating faces masked off.




And then thought the moving parts might be better in a colour that stands out....




It's not finished yet. There are bits that require a bit of machining and some of the painted parts need some paint removing from the mating faces.

But it's certainly getting there :dremel:







Ralph.
I know what I know and need to know more!!!

Offline rleete

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Re: Circle cutter - clean up.
« Reply #5 on: April 29, 2011, 08:05:06 PM »
Cool machine.  Look forward to seeing it all back together.
Creating scrap, one part at a time

Offline Divided he ad

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Re: Circle cutter - clean up.
« Reply #6 on: April 29, 2011, 11:39:39 PM »
Cheers Roger  :thumbup:   Me too!


I made the handle tonight, finished about midnight!?  :loco:

I'll post the pic's tomorrow though... it's 4:30 a.m. and I really should go to sleep!






Ralph.
I know what I know and need to know more!!!

Offline Powder Keg

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Re: Circle cutter - clean up.
« Reply #7 on: April 29, 2011, 11:43:45 PM »
Looking good Ralph!!!
Wesley P
A Gismo ??? If it has a flywheel or spins and is made with small parts. I'll take one! If it makes noise, moves, or requires frequent oiling and dusting it's a better deal yet. It's especially right if its shiny and bright; but if it's dirty and dull it wont mater at all...

Offline Divided he ad

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Re: Circle cutter - clean up.
« Reply #8 on: April 30, 2011, 09:12:37 AM »
Thanks Wes, getting there a little slower than I wanted but it's coming along  :)


As said before I made the handle last night. Not the biggest project ever but proved a little bit of a sod to hold in my machines!


Just to refresh your memories... The crank with the spigot sticking out, note the recess to prevent the handle from coming off.



I had this piece of mild steel (sprayed orange?) given to me a while back, no idea what it was meant to be? But it's now a handle blank.



I measured the spigot on the crank and added the dimensions to my blank. I then drilled and tapped the hole for a M6 grub screw to fit where the recess is.


I then had to get a hole 90mm deep and 14mm dia into the blank. This proved much harder than I wanted it to be.
It was kind of a bit too long for the lathe (I could have gone into fitting steadies etc....)

And it fitted in to mill bit I couldn't get the bigger drill bits in due to restricted height  :bang:

So, a bit of a split developed...

Drilled out to 12mm on the mill

And then bored to 14mm on the lathe with light passes and lots of them.. It worked so I'm happy with it.





Then I got to thinking about a handle design, I could have just made a taper, or a tear drop, or any number of odd things I suppose... But I went for the finger recesses instead.

I used my hand as the template so anyone with little hands might find it uncomfortable but then that's just unfortunate!




This will soon be sprayed up to match the rest of the job.



Right, on to the next bits....




I know what I know and need to know more!!!

Offline Divided he ad

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Re: Circle cutter - clean up.
« Reply #9 on: April 30, 2011, 04:28:28 PM »
Well, no one seems to be talking.... But that's never stopped me before. So Here comes the final instalment  :)



I spent the afternoon cleaning up a few nuts and bolts that had been heavily abused by the last owner!  

This is the kind of state they were....


Cleaned up they look much better...




So the build up ............













And a little test on a bit of cardboard.... It does stop at ~270 degrees cause there was the eye in the cardboard for hanging it in the shop!? click on the image and it'll take you to the video  :borg:






Well, that's it.

Just got to hope someone wants to buy one fairly soon.... going to look into advertising later toniight.  I need DRO's  :zap:





Ralph.
« Last Edit: April 30, 2011, 04:30:13 PM by Divided he ad »
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Offline DaveH

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Re: Circle cutter - clean up.
« Reply #10 on: April 30, 2011, 04:41:35 PM »
Ralph,

Looks very smart, a nice job :)

DaveH
(Ex Leicester, Thurmaston, Ashby De La Zouch.)

Offline andyf

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Re: Circle cutter - clean up.
« Reply #11 on: April 30, 2011, 05:21:27 PM »
It really looks the business now. Ralph. Hope it makes enough for DROs!

Andy
Sale, Cheshire
I've cut the end off it twice, but it's still too short

Offline Brass_Machine

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Re: Circle cutter - clean up.
« Reply #12 on: April 30, 2011, 06:52:42 PM »
Nice job Ralph!  :thumbup:

Put it up for sale here the classifieds.  :borg:


Eric
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Offline slowcoach

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Re: Circle cutter - clean up.
« Reply #13 on: April 30, 2011, 07:08:36 PM »
Nicely restored  :clap:, lovely piece of kit. That could probably cut the discs for my tesla turbine project  :scratch:

Rob

 

Offline Divided he ad

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Re: Circle cutter - clean up.
« Reply #14 on: April 30, 2011, 10:19:35 PM »
Thanks fellas  :thumbup:


Andy, I really want to keep it now that it is sorted.... But I needs me cash!


I will post it here Eric, But will also be hitting some engineering sites too.



Rob, from what I know it will certainly cut 18swg in mild steel and 22swg in stainless and obviously a bit thicker in brass and ali too.   and ~3" upto an ~18" radius!

I've read that it will also cut rings, and strips of metal as long as they fit through the throat. You just don't use the clamp for strip cutting.


They are not cheap.... Still researching the costs but the only two I've found with a price on them were on engineering sites. one was 998 dollars US but being sold in Oz? The other 1200 pounds!! the latter was reconditioned but I think it was a little larger model than this? It had all guards etc fitted too. (They are so lacking of quality descriptions these engineering sites too!? )

anyway, I'll sort all that out tomorrow evening. rebuilding an engine with a mate tomorrow from a Morris 10!





Ralph.
I know what I know and need to know more!!!

Offline sbwhart

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Re: Circle cutter - clean up.
« Reply #15 on: May 01, 2011, 01:44:19 AM »
Nice work Ralph that scrubbed up real nice  :thumbup:

Stew
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Offline lazylathe

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Re: Circle cutter - clean up.
« Reply #16 on: May 02, 2011, 07:34:33 PM »
Now that is one cool machine!!!! :clap:

Very nice clean up job and the paint looks great!

I love the simplicity of those old machines!
Not a single thing that needs to be plugged into the socket in sight!

Andrew

Offline Divided he ad

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Re: Circle cutter - clean up.
« Reply #17 on: May 02, 2011, 07:45:47 PM »
Hi Andrew.

Glad you like it... I really do like it now that it is done. But it's still too big and needs to be swapped for some new DRO's for my mill  :)



I know what you mean about the not plugging it in.... Although I'm sure it's a little harder to turn with steel in it  :scratch:  :thumbup:
 (I'm going to have to have a go at that.... )




Ralph.
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Offline Blade

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Re: Circle cutter - clean up.
« Reply #18 on: May 02, 2011, 09:46:22 PM »
Nice job! That came out great. I bet that is a usefull tool if you are making a bunch of disks out of metal, probably would work great for plastic also.

Offline AdeV

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Re: Circle cutter - clean up.
« Reply #19 on: May 03, 2011, 04:52:27 AM »
Nice work Ralph - It looks brand new again  :thumbup: It'd be great to see it in action on a piece of steel...
Cheers!
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Offline raynerd

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Re: Circle cutter - clean up.
« Reply #20 on: May 03, 2011, 09:09:37 AM »
Ralph, thanks for the video, I didn`t really know how it worked. Shame your selling!

chris

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Re: Circle cutter - clean up.
« Reply #21 on: May 03, 2011, 07:29:13 PM »
Thanks fellas,

I'll get a bit of sheet and sort a proper vid out to use when selling is sorted properly.... Yes I'm partially lazy but also a bit silly busy at the mo'.


It's most useful for the metal spinner really Eddie, where you would clearly need a lot of discs/disks/circles/round flat things  :scratch:   I had a few ambitios ideas when I first purchased it  :loco:   :)

Never tried it on plastic.... But would probably be fine as long as it wasn't brittle? The pit mark it makes in the centre might be an issue with some projects? But it's easy enough to make a thrust bearing attachment for the spike end so it makes no marks  :thumbup:

It will cut straight strips apparently.... I'll have to try that too.






Ralph.


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Offline andyf

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Re: Circle cutter - clean up.
« Reply #23 on: May 07, 2011, 12:37:09 PM »
just seen this on ebay

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/EDWARDS-CIRCLE-CUTTER-/150602195547?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item231097225b

£420  :bugeye:

That one only does 24" circles, so if Ralph's goes up to 36", that's £630 pro rata. Much more if you go by area.

And Ralph's handle is nicer.

Andy
Sale, Cheshire
I've cut the end off it twice, but it's still too short

Offline raynerd

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Re: Circle cutter - clean up.
« Reply #24 on: May 07, 2011, 01:38:38 PM »
Nice find collin - you could be quids-in there Ralph !!

Chris