- Joined
- Jan 16, 2016
- Messages
- 302
I HAVE AN OLDER DiACRO 12" FINGER BRAKE THAT I LOVE TO USE FOR SMALLER SHEET METAL WORK .
IT'S A GREAT LITTLE MACHINE AND I HAVE ENOUGH FINGERS TO FILL IT UP TWICE .
ONE PROBLEM WAS THAT QUITE A FEW OF THE FINGERS WERE MISSING THE TOE CLAMPS
SO I HAD TO MOVE THEM AROUND FOR SOME SETUPS .
THE CLAMPS ARE DIRT SIMPLE & MADE FROM 1/4' THICK ANGLE IRON .
ALL OF THE FACTORY ONES ARE 3/4" WIDE SO YOU NEED 3 OF THEM FOR A SIX INCH FINGER .
I WANTED TO MAKE SOME REPLACEMENT TOE CLAMPS BUT WITH IMPROVEMENTS .
THE 6" 3" AND THE 6" OPEN FINGER ALL USED MULTIPLE CLAMPS .
MY IDEA WAS TO MAKE FULL WIDTH CLAMPS FOR THE WIDER FINGERS .
ANOTHER WAS TO PUT LIGHT DUTY SPRINGS AROUND EACH BOLT TO MAKE THEM EASIER TO INSTALL .
I BOUGHT A 24" PIECE OF 1.25 x 1.25 ANGLE IRON FOR 8 BUCKS AND CUT IT TO THE LENGTHS I NEEDED .
THE ENDS WERE MILLED TO .020" LESS THAN THE WIDTH OF THE FINGERS TO ENSURE THEY DON'T INTERFERE WITH EACH OTHER .
( THE FACTORY CLAMPS HAVE SAW CUT ENDS ! )
I MILLED ONE LEG OF THE CLAMPS DOWN TO 1.000 FOR THE VERTICAL SIDE OF THE CLAMPS .
THE HOLES WERE DRILLED .010 OVERSIZE TO BE SURE THE CLAMPS STAY LOOSE ON THE 5/16 BOLTS .
ONCE DONE THE CLAMPS WERE DEBURRED , DE-SCALED AND PAINTED WITH HUNTER GREEN KRYLON .
I WENT THROUGH THE SAME PROCESS WITH ALL THE STOCK CLAMPS .
THESE WERE ASSEMBLED WITH NEW GRADE 8 HARDWARE AND THE SPRINGS THAT WORK WONDERFULLY .
THIS PROJECT WAS SIMPLER THAN MOST OF MY UPGRADES BUT WAS JUST AS SATISFYING .
IT'S A GREAT LITTLE MACHINE AND I HAVE ENOUGH FINGERS TO FILL IT UP TWICE .
ONE PROBLEM WAS THAT QUITE A FEW OF THE FINGERS WERE MISSING THE TOE CLAMPS
SO I HAD TO MOVE THEM AROUND FOR SOME SETUPS .
THE CLAMPS ARE DIRT SIMPLE & MADE FROM 1/4' THICK ANGLE IRON .
ALL OF THE FACTORY ONES ARE 3/4" WIDE SO YOU NEED 3 OF THEM FOR A SIX INCH FINGER .
I WANTED TO MAKE SOME REPLACEMENT TOE CLAMPS BUT WITH IMPROVEMENTS .
THE 6" 3" AND THE 6" OPEN FINGER ALL USED MULTIPLE CLAMPS .
MY IDEA WAS TO MAKE FULL WIDTH CLAMPS FOR THE WIDER FINGERS .
ANOTHER WAS TO PUT LIGHT DUTY SPRINGS AROUND EACH BOLT TO MAKE THEM EASIER TO INSTALL .
I BOUGHT A 24" PIECE OF 1.25 x 1.25 ANGLE IRON FOR 8 BUCKS AND CUT IT TO THE LENGTHS I NEEDED .
THE ENDS WERE MILLED TO .020" LESS THAN THE WIDTH OF THE FINGERS TO ENSURE THEY DON'T INTERFERE WITH EACH OTHER .
( THE FACTORY CLAMPS HAVE SAW CUT ENDS ! )
I MILLED ONE LEG OF THE CLAMPS DOWN TO 1.000 FOR THE VERTICAL SIDE OF THE CLAMPS .
THE HOLES WERE DRILLED .010 OVERSIZE TO BE SURE THE CLAMPS STAY LOOSE ON THE 5/16 BOLTS .
ONCE DONE THE CLAMPS WERE DEBURRED , DE-SCALED AND PAINTED WITH HUNTER GREEN KRYLON .
I WENT THROUGH THE SAME PROCESS WITH ALL THE STOCK CLAMPS .
THESE WERE ASSEMBLED WITH NEW GRADE 8 HARDWARE AND THE SPRINGS THAT WORK WONDERFULLY .
THIS PROJECT WAS SIMPLER THAN MOST OF MY UPGRADES BUT WAS JUST AS SATISFYING .
