Project #1

Customer: Spencer Engineering

Lift Location: Boliva, South America

Date: Autumn 2007

This double drum lift used in the mining industry requires basswood brake shoes. Basswood is ideal for its low resin content.

Each drum caliper requires 6 shoes 11 inches wide by 14.5 inches long by approximately 3.2 inches thick. This double drum lift requires 24 shoes.

Milling the end rabits.

Each 11′ wide shoe is milled in two 5.5″ pieces & is prepared for doweling with square peg keys for greater strength over round dowels.

Each half shoe is measured for matching density. As basswood can vary in density this is an important step to ensure similar wear across the face of the 11′ wide shoe.

Radius curves are sawn on the band saw.
The convex caliper face is sanded to the exact radius to fit the caliper while the concave wear face is sawn to the line and ground to a perfect fit once the shoes are installed.

Finally the shoes are glued together and oiled with Neatís-foot oil compound for shipping.

Project #2

Customer: Cargill Salt Mine

Lift Location: Avery Island Salt Mine, Louisiana, USA

Date: Autumn 2008

This drum lift is a bit unique in that it has only one drum & that drum is a refurbish paddle wheel from a Mississippi steamer. The shoes are considerably larger than our 1st project and completely circle the wheel. They bolt to the wheel and a large band of steel squeezes the shoes for the braking action. These shoe are larger than the previous project and measure 3.75″ thickness x 13″ wide x 27″ long.

Precision layout, end cuts, & mortise locations are critical to accuracy of the finished shoe. Note ñ the machine square ñ In a project like this itís your right arm.

Here a mortising machine mills the mortise pins used for both alignment & strength.

Sawing these gentle curves right to the line requires a brand new blade, steady hand and slow feed rate to ensure accuracy in the finished brake shoe.

The two half shoes are glued together here using water impervious West System Epoxy.

The finished stack of shoes.

Half of the brake wheel radius.