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Question about restoring a Swan boring machine

Started by BCsaw, October 11, 2015, 08:53:26 PM

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BCsaw

I have a Swan boring that is cracked or possibly broke on the main steel frame, the part that holds the chuck assembly, the "M" shaped item. About halfway down on both sides. A previous owner has added pieces to bridge the crack and drilled holes to hold all of it together. It functions, in that all of it works, but I have not tried it with a bit yet.

My question, is it possible to repair this? It seems fruitless to me but I hope hope some of you with restoration experience on these will ring in. Can this be welded?

This was a gift from my in laws. Found it at an antique shop. I would like to restore it for my son. This one has the adjustment at the base for boring at angles. I hope to get my hands on a Millers Falls at some point but couldn't pass up this deal! :D

Any help you can give me would be really appreciated.
Inspiration is the ability to "feel" what thousands of others can't!
Homebuilt Band Sawmill, Kioti 2510 Loader Backhoe

VictorH

A couple pics would go a long ways to knowing what advice to give.

Jim_Rogers

Most likely you're asking if the cast steel can be welded. It can be but you have to find someone who knows how to do it. It is not regular steel or regular welding.
There are people out there who know how to do this. But the trick is finding one who is willing to do it. And has the needed tools to do so.

Jim Rogers
Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

Kbeitz

I weld cast all the time. I use nicad rods.
It's so much easyer if what your part is broken all the way off.
Cracks like to grow when welding.
Collector and builder of many things.
Love machine shop work
and Wood work shop work
And now a saw mill work

BCsaw

I have welded cast a bunch successfully, including water pump housings, but not sure I want to do this. I want it to look restored not patched.


I will post a few pics when I get it home. They live on Vancouver Island and I walked on the ferry when I left there and already had a bag to carry. Didn't want to lug the boring machine all over the ferry plus the trek to my vehicle on the other side.


Jim, any chance you have any parts?
Inspiration is the ability to "feel" what thousands of others can't!
Homebuilt Band Sawmill, Kioti 2510 Loader Backhoe

Jim_Rogers

There is a good chance we may have a sliding carriage for that style machine on hand.
I won't know for sure until you forward to me a picture of what you have.

Jim Rogers
Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

BCsaw

Inspiration is the ability to "feel" what thousands of others can't!
Homebuilt Band Sawmill, Kioti 2510 Loader Backhoe

UpInATree

A competent TIG welder could do this repair with a very small seam.  If you wanted to take the time to die grind that your repair would be barely visible.  If you paint it, then it will disappear.
Wood-mizer LT70HD D55 Wireless, Wood-Mizer ED-26, A whole bunch of Stihls. Alaskan Mill 74",  Bucket Truck, Log Truck, Chippers, trailers, dump trucks,   Kubota M9540, L3010D and B7510. Cord King.   Learning Timberframing under Jim Rogers

Brad_bb

YES, this can be done correctly.  I've had a number of boring machine cast pieces repaired with spray welding via
http://www.castmetalwelding.com/

Each repair I've had was $25-$50.  Very reasonable for the work they do.  The make a graphite support black with the negative shape of the part and spray weld into that.  It's amazing what they can fix.  I've had a number of Boss side plate frames with broken off top ears, or a cracked in half, cracked gear frame, Millers falls cracked gear frame etc that they've repaired for me.  They grind it back to the original shape.  I've had very good luck with them.

Repaired at "C"


 

Filled two holes and rebuilt broken off missing corner


 

Poor Weld repair by previous owner


 

Proper repair by Custom Cast Welding


  
Anything someone can design, I can sure figure out how to fix!
If I say it\\\\\\\'s going to take so long, multiply that by at least 3!

S.Hyland

That's a great resource Brad. Thanks for posting that. That is really some amazing repair work! I'm sure I'll be using them in the future.
"It may be that when we no longer know which way to go that we have come to our real journey. The mind that is not baffled is not employed. The impeded stream is the one that sings."
― Wendell Berry

sawmilllawyer

Although in a previous life I was an oilfield welder, never could I make cast look that good. Excellent work. Thanks for the resource. Andy.
Stihl MS-361, MS-460 mag, Poulan 2150, 2375 Wildthing.

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