I use(d) a metal bar as leverage to turn the handle (wheel). The
wheel had two handles which are too small. Just now, I snapped one of
them, then I used a hammer to get it moving and snapped the other,
now all I have is a wheel.
It is very hot here today. I think that is why they broke.
Anyhow, I am wondering if anybody here has had to replace a handle
and what did they use? My first thought was a car steering wheel, but
I don’t think I can find one that will fit.
It is a major hassle for me organising to weld something up, but I
might end up doing that.
Any ideas would be helpful,
Phillip
Messages Combined
Broken vulcaniser handle fixed
I am replying to my own post, sorry.
All I had to do was saw through the wheel leaving the inner spoke
exposed, free to push my hollow metal bar over and it is better then
it was before. I don’t need two handles as I can take the wheel off
and turn it around (It is is in a tight corner). I wish I had have
thought about that before I started swinging a hammer at it, but in
the end the fix was easy and it is better to boot.
I too broke both of the handles off my vulcanizer wheel, It is cast
metal, so forget about welding it. I took my broken wheel to a
machinist, and he threaded the wheel where the ends broke off, and
fabricated a pair of steel handles, (threaded at the ends), and
attached them to the wheel. Has worked perfectly for years.
The lesson learned for me from this, was that you don’t need to
crank the plates down so hard you need a snipe or hammer to get them
loose. After the repairs, I just used arm strength to tighten down
the vulcanizer, and all my molds still worked out very well.
I gave up on the welding idea after I realised all I need is a crank
with a slotted hole. I was expected to mix an match parts. It was 40’
celcius. That is my excuse and I am sticking to it. If I didn’t
realise I could cut the wheel to expose the spoke I was going to
drill into the break-off and tap a thread then decide what to put in
it. Anyhow, I fixed it after the first post. It looks crude but I
think it is cleaver
The lesson learned for me from this, was that you don't need to
crank the plates down so hard you need a snipe or hammer to get
them loose. After the repairs, I just used arm strength to tighten
down the vulcanizer, and all my molds still worked out very well."
Well, my crank is a 1 meter steel pole and I tighten it with a hefty
push. I am expecting the threads to wear but I don’t use it much. It
is about US$12 to have a rubber made and the guy is just a floor
away.
I’ll try to think about your post next time I subject my poor
vulcaniser to brute force.
This is Michael Knight at CASTALDO. Your question touches on a
practice that as always troubled me.
The only time you might want to use more leverage on a vulcanizer is
when you’ve finished making a mold and can’t wait for it to cool off
before opening the press.
Yet I’ve seen many people break the frames and yokes of their
presses trying to squeeze the plates together tighter and tighter,
sometimes even slipping a long steel pipe around the handlebars and
walking in a wide circle around the room in order to get the maximum
leverage.
If the mold frame is properly packed the normal expansion that comes
from heating the rubber will create all the pressure you need - many
hundreds of pounds per square inch. And when the rubber cools that
pressure will relax so that you can remove the mold from the press
easily.
If you need to get the mold out quickly, then, OK, a SMALL amount of
leverage is alright.
There are vulcanizers on the market that do not have a hand wheel
but instead have T-bar handles that are better for this use. And you
can always take the hand wheel off your machine and attach a
makeshift handle. Even a C-clamp or a vise-grip plier attached to the
top of the screw is all you need.
I have been using this vulcaniser for 10 years. I have never had a
problem, except for breaking handles. I blame the temperature for
that.
I have no leverage anymore so I will have to use the handle. I think
it might need a good nudge but I will test the theory and see how
much less force I can use.
