I called by the Cat-Cave this am to see what my mate Catman was up too, To cut it short Byron was getting ready to haul about 18 Final bulldrive gears for his cat 30 projects, from a Forge Master Shop over to his gear cutting friend, and said i could travel with him if I had the time to spare, so I decided to hitch a ride shotgun. We
arrived at the forge shop, and I have actually seen this morning the crankshaft for a large ship engine I mean Large, blocked up on sleepers awaiting the heavy haulage gang. The bulldrive gears we collected where about 16 inches in dia and 3 inches wide on the top gear tooth bit with a typical gear web form, the owner of the shop showed me how the 6 inch dia raw billet of special high grade steel (some special number) started off about 16 inches long had been heated up and forged into many shapes before the final hot stamp tooling. Amazing proper engineering stuff, Byron did try to explain to me the difference in manufacturing methods, something about cheaper to cast a steel casting, forging is about strength and the grain structure in the metal, similar to wood with the sounds of it. To be quite honest I couldn’t take in all the information. And when we called at the gear cutting shop only 30 miles from my home, Wow what a factory from CNC Robot Gear Cutting Machines to the old time 1900’s machines out back still used to make steam traction engine gears and them big steam mill engine gears.
Catman, I Promised you I would make a posting about my visit to your place today, I hope you get to read this, Thanks again Byron for sorting out the tour of the forging shop and the gear cutting factory, I had a real educational eyes on today in what would normally be behind closed doors tour for VIP’s only in the Engineering World.
Seen as Jim Zimmerman is not on the computer site, and GWH posts up updates for Jim Zimmerman.
I feel its only fair than I can post up this information listed below when a fellow Cat friend is going the extra mile to help fellow Cat friends..
Byron asked me to post this link up:----
Jimmey
News Flash from the Cat-Cave Casting Corporation the following parts are being remanufactured back to proper 110 % Spec from blue prints
Cat 20 L / PL / Early Cat 25 Inlet Manifold.
Cat 30 S & PS Inlet Manifolds.
The following Crank Handle Assy's are back to proper Spec in Cast Steel as per blue print, not a cheap cast iron rip off.
I work on the principle, If your going to go to the trouble to remake a part, go the extra mile and get it dun proper
Cat 35/40/R5 Crank Handle Fixed Front
Cat 35/40/R5 Crank Handle Removable Front
Cat 35/40/R5 Crank Handle Removable Rear Starter
Best 30 Crank Handle
Cat 30 S/PS Crank Handle
Cat 28 Crank Handle
Cat 20 L/PL Crank Handle
If anyone wants any of the parts listed above, Please Contact Myself ASAP, This is a one off deal I am only making the parts that I need for my own Cat Collection Now because I believe in the next 10 - 20 years all the skill needed to remake some of the old parts from the 1930's will be gone, for instance the guy who owned the spring manfacturing company that made my square section front springs for the Best 30 was in his late 70's, There was only 2 companies in the whole of the UK who could remake that heavy square section springs i needed, I owe a Special thanks to Corus Steel for finding the special grade of spring steel for my front springs back to Blue Print & Metal Spec.
Please email
[email protected]
If you need any Cat 20 -30 Inlet Manifolds, or any Crank Handles listed above The 2th of November is the final Cut off Date GETTING HER DUN casting um up the 1st week in Nov. The 1st off prototype has been produced and tooling modified because the Cat-Cave Inspection Guy (Snr CM) dont settle for 98 % correct, if it anit 110 % back to blue print spec then is anit right.
Getting Her Dun.
CatMan
