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I'm going to try my hand at cutting out a drawbar for my K-Line 2-8-2 which has gone AWOL.  I'm not sure what to use to cut it with, I'm thinking maybe a set of tin snips or heavy duty scissors to get the initial shape and maybe file and sand to final shape.  Does anyone have any experience with this stuff, it is close to 0.125" thick if I remember correctly.    What about drilling the holes, carbide tipped drill bit?

Thanks for your answers.

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I'd take the low route and find a suitable donor material to work with for a drawbar.  I just bought a cheapie plastic putty knife from my local ACE hardware and I'd use that to make a drawbar.  Any kind of perhaps 1/16 inch thick plastic would work too, but the putty knife comes to mind right now.

I could likely cut it roughly with tin snips, drill with a regular drill, and size it up with a file or a sanding wheel.  A carbon fiber sheet would work too, but it seems like overkill for the mechanical stresses involved.

Dale

J.,

I'd avoid carbon fiber like the plague.  A good friend of mine worked in a carbon fiber components manufacturing plant for a couple of years.  Two of the big problems with it include:

1.) Slivers -- If small bits of material penetrate the skin they can cause serious infection, even tiny bits can do this.

2.) Dust -- Not good for the lungs because of the same kind of result, but deep inside you.  REQUIRES an N95 dust mask.

He had to quit the job so as get away in order to heal up from the infections caused by the slivers.  Localized reactions kept appearing on his hands and arms until he did.

M.H.M.

I use 1/16 and 1/8" thick Bakelite or the equivalent.  And I am using my last little piece almost as I type.  It has a greenish tint and is probably fiberglas cloth reinforced.  I think it is called phenolic - not sure.

Looking for more - hoping to find suitable sheets on Amazon.  Rarely have drawbars break.

Carbon fiber is nasty stuff, I'd avoid it.

I'd also avoid phenolic sheet, here's what the EPA has to say.

Phenol is considered to be quite toxic to humans via oral exposure. Anorexia, progressive weight loss, diarrhea, vertigo, salivation, a dark coloration of the urine, and blood and liver effects have been reported in chronically (long-term) exposed humans.

An easy to work with material is 1/16" Aluminum sheet, it's readily available and cheap.  I think I paid a couple dollars each for 5 x 10 chunks of 1/16" aluminum sheet.

Last edited by gunrunnerjohn

Boss284, I don't shop on Fee Bay anymore, I probably should but don't really care for them anymore but I thank you for your suggestion.  GRJ, just got back from Home Depot with a 1/2" X 36" X 1/16" bar of aluminum, I just need to sit down and sketch it out and then go to town.  Thanks for the guidance, this gives me a good reason to put my new Laguna bandsaw together.  I gave my old Delta to my youngest son.

Cheers

GRJ, no I didn't, they won't have one, I have a LaGuna and the blade is 115", it figures, they don't have the close to standard 93 1/2" blades.  Oh well, I'll go to Rockler and pick up a couple, especially a 1/8".  One of my friends at the club has the same engine, he took his drawbar and made me photocopies of it, I cut it out as best I could and will rubber glue it to the aluminum bar and then cut and grind it to shape and then I'll drill the holes.

Thanks and have a good one.

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