Making unfindable parts -various methods

[glenn kangiser]

Have a missing part you must have but can't find it - antique or out of production

Aluminum casting can be a way to make copies of an old hinge, skeleton key, knob or bracket etc.   I have even made carburetor for an antique engine.

William A. Cannon wrote an excellent book called "How to Cast Small Metal and Rubber Parts".  It is something anyone can do if they want to bad enough.  Mr. Cannon even tells you how to build a furnace.

Small parts can be made by melting old aluminum castings in a old cast iron frying pan with a handle extension or a pipe made into a pot by welding a plate on the bottom and a handle on it.  You can use an oxy-acetylene torch to melt the old castings then pour them into a sand mold.  You can buy Petro-bond sand from a foundry supply that will copy the finest details.   Flux will help take bubbles out of the melted metal.  Done properly you will not be able to tell the new part from the old one.  An old or broken part can be used as a pattern.  A wooden flask can be made to hold the two halves of molding sand that the pattern is rammed into.

For more than small parts get the book and study up.  Use safety equipment,eye protection and be careful.  You may not use this information often, but when you need it it is indispensable.

This is not meant to be a full explanation of the process.  Just something to get you to realize that it is easy enough to learn if you need the skill.   As an example once you have studied up and know what to do you could make a small casting in this manner in under an hour.  A complex one could take quite a bit longer.  

He also tells you of a material to make rubber parts of various hardnesses as well as how to make your own equipment.

[conohawk]

This is a great idea.    I can see casting items like cabinet door pulls.  My house may start off with generic ho-hum-Home-Depot pulls ; but will eventually be replaced with more interesting home-made ones.  You just introduced me to a practical means of accomplising this.  Thank you!


(I have to wonder, Glenn, is there anything with which you are not handy?    I really admire your diverse talents.  And I suspect you may also be a fellow pilot .)

[glenn kangiser]

Of course I am also a pilot - Cessna 205.

As to anything I can't do - I'm not sure - haven't had time to try them all yet  A friend I used to work for always kept trying to find something over the years but is having a hard time.  I chalk it up to having a short attention span but I do stick with it long enough to learn it fairly well.  Also I feel that I should know each part of a job myself so I can't get held up by someone working for me -subbing for me - working on my equipment- etc.  BTW I was a diesel mechanic and truck driver for a few years also.

[DavidLeBlanc]

Oooh, a Mixmaster pilot - double the thrashing and throbbing and not quite the power! Always liked their looks though! Only thing I ever soloed, a Blanick sailplane, didn't bother with such tiresome details as an engine!

If these are going to be unfindable parts, I wouldn't put too much effort into them - just use any old thing and toss it where you'll be sure to never find it again!

[Amanda_931]

As far as using something until it needs to be tossed--it depends on how tossable it is.

And how much you are addicted to buying garage sale stuff. (not me this year, anyway)

Knew of a man who got to make parts for his Citroen car (the big one with the adjustable suspension) because that car really was pretty untossable.  

[glenn kangiser]

Wait David - You have me confused with a 336 or 337 pilot - a push me pull you.  I believe these planes have a negative rate of climb on one engine  I've always wanted to fly a glider- haven't had time to try it.

205 is the first fixed gear 210 - 1963 and 64 only.  577 made.  A bit slow but a heavy hauler and very dependable.  

I didn't mean you couldn't find them after you made them - I just meant you could make copies of parts you could no longer buy from your favorite corporate giant superstore.  

BTW I forgot to mention that you can make a pattern of wood - ram it up in the sand- pull it out and pour the mold with aluminum or silicone bronze and make anything you have energy to do.  I made a small 2 cylinder steam engine complete from plans in a book several years ago.  It ran.

I can see I'm going to have to watch myself with David around