I remember back in the 60's, hanging around car shops all the time and seeing a machine that was like a brake lathe/turner but it laid a perfect bead of weld slowly to the inside surface of brake drums. Seems it was semi-attended as it took about the same time as turning the drums. I also saw this technique used in the railway shops where I grew up in WVa, They would weld a bead to the outside of the train wheels then turn them down. Then it would be turned down to a smooth finish and you had new drums. Has anybody else seen this or am I having flashbacks? What happened to them?
I'm not questioning what you saw, but it wouldn't make much sense to try to weld up a brake drum surface for several reasons. Most are cast iron which normally doesn't weld easily, and the process would surely pull the drum out of round enough so that excessive machining would be required. I can't imagine the process would be more economical than replacement with a new drum. If those machines were around in the past, there's a good reason they disappeared. Bob
when labor became expensive (mostly due to overhead - insurance, etc) it was cheaper to get a new drum rather than repair the old one. THere is still equipment that it built up / turned down to repair it. mostly mining equipment where the dirt wears moving parts.
One shop I worked for did the rail road wheels, axles and bearing cages. They ran a "sub arc" on them. Powdered flux fed thru a funnel and delivery system by gravity. The flux submerged the 1/8" wire and arc. One of my very first jobs ever was using a carbon arc to cut the races out of the bearing cages. Once I figured out how to get them out without damage to the cage, I got a bonus for everyone without a nick. Those didn't need to be welded and machined & saved them a boatload of money. Never saw it used on brake drums, its a whole lot cheaper to get a new one. Even if they are 300.00 a piece it would be cheaper than welding and machining them down.
I wish I was around in the good ol' days. There was an ol' timey shop in Henderson, Nevada where I grew up called Hafen's OK Tire. My dad would always take his drums to be turned there. I don't remember seeing the machine you're talking about, but I don't doubt they had and used it... The machine I remember seeing, that you don't see anymore, was the tire 'truing' machine. It would spin the tire an grind it perfectly round. I miss that place....
You are not having a flash back, I recall that process being done. But I went to high school in a farming community and I doubt it would have been something that you saw done in a major city by that time. farmers have a tendency to be a little bit frugal. I think for reasons mentioned it has gone by the way side. Cheaper to buy new ones than to pay someone what skill laborers get paid these days. Here is an example, in the '80s I worked in an equipment yard as a heavy maintence mechanic for awhile. We still built up and hard faced blades and other wear parts on our equipment. At that time it was a dying practice in the area of the country I was in. It was cheaper to buy new links for a cat track or blades and perhaps hard face them to extend wear than to repair the old pieces. They still do make equi[pment for building up and machining things by the way. When I was still at the news paper 9 years ago now we bought a new machine welder for building up up shafts and or rollers for the presses. A friend a machinist that is still there called me last year to look at a catalog with him they were considering buying a new machine again and he was chosen to select the new piece. We spent an evening pouring over catalogs and pamphlets together.
I have seen it done when I was young. Also saw them turned and a ring heated and dropped in, then tack welded in place. I'd ***ume it all got dropped due to either cost or safety.
Or both. I remember seeing an old set of Ford truck drums at a wrecking yard with sleeves and old fashioned bucked rivets in them counter sunk. I wanted them bad because I thought they were cool, I even promised the old guy that I would not run them just show them to people (he liked the wife and I). He said, "Nope, not safe, and you will run them someday." I look back at it and the old guy was probably right on both accounts.
I hear recently from a friend that there is still a place in Ohio (?) doing that... relining drums that is.
One step ahead of you. I sent him an email asking for some details. I'll let you know when he gets back to me.
I do remember the flux gravity feeding into the arc as the drum spun around. This could be an answer to the worn out Buick drums if its not too costly.
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