C W Burfle posted:I had Carl at Hobby Horse make a custom tool for me for in-situ side plate crimping, but it was simple, and straightforward and not expensive. That tool sounds complicated and expensive to make! Like to see a pic, but I don't think I would have one made without a significant need, like building 1,000 brush plate assemblies
I don't think the tool for crimping gang car brush plate holders was a Hobby Horse item. I imagine that whoever made it was putting together a lot of brush plate assemblies.
I'd like to know more about the tool you had Carl make for you. What does it do to what side plate?
If you have, like I did, a 602 Seaboard with loose side plates, re-staking the topside of the motor plate is easy-peasy - just use the cross hair tool on the topside. It's the bottom side that's a problem - there's no room to get a small anvil situated under the motor plate - in fact it's the sideplate itself that causes a problem by not allowing a "normal" size anvil in the right spot. So I had Carl make this skinny anvil
and it is narrow enough to not hit other edges on the side plate, but large enough (diameter) to provide a good anvil surface. It is only useful if you have first removed the rectangular motor frame from the top plate, something most folks don't do unless replacing the worm gear. My evolved technique nowadays is to grind off the staked points on each side frame, remove them, then have full access to gears, wheels and axles, while still attached to the motor plate. Things get a wee bit squirrely when you have to remove the motor plate - it's easy to bend the soft aluminum frame, as I'm sure you're aware.
That said, the tool has found other uses in acting as an anvil for various hard-to-get-to rivets on cars.
