22 Aug
2007
22 Aug
'07
2:23 p.m.
I picked up a nice Decision Data model 8010 keypunch machine through
govliquidation.
It looks to be in good shape EXCEPT some rollers have turned to goo.
They act just
like peanut butter, looks like it too. These are not simple round
rollers but are tapered,
and there are 16 of them in a complex arrangement. Any ideas on how to
fix them?
I guess I'm going to have to find some suitable plastic and turn them on
a lathe. Probably
beyond my ability.
Turning flixible materials is not easy, the darn stuff tends to distort
and not end up the size or shape you expect.
I've heard that cooling it to dry ice temperature helps. Liquid nitrogen
is too cold, the stuff then behaves like glass and just shatters.
Another posibility would be to make a mould and cast new parts using one
of the 2-part synthetic elastomers. The name 'Devcon' seems to ring a
bell for this, maybe a google search will find something. There's a book
entitled something like 'How to cast small metal and rubber parts' that
covers this, it's aimed at the classic car restoration gugs, but the
principles should be the same :-)
-tony